Miles

McBride

Among the players expected to be in the Knicks’ postseason rotation, McBride was one of the few to play credible minutes on Sunday. And to the delight of head coach Mike Brown and his staff, Deuce looked sharp in his 24 minutes on the court. Given the amount of time he missed following sports hernia surgery, that’s more important than the stat line that he recorded. The Knicks will face the Hawks in the first round, which begins next weekend.

McBride did not play in Friday’s win over the Raptors, as it was the second in as many nights for the Knicks. With Jalen Brunson already ruled out, more of the offense should run through McBride in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

While Brunson will miss Sunday’s game due to injury management, Kolek will miss a fourth straight with a strained oblique. Jose Alvarado should play plenty, and Sunday’s game may be one where the Knicks look to get Miles McBride going, as he’s struggled since returning from sports hernia surgery.

New York will lose two key reserves for Friday’s tilt, which means Ariel Hukporti and Jose Alvarado should be in line for additional minutes.

Brunson and Deuce will be available after sitting out Wednesday, and both should handle their typical workloads. Jose Alvarado, Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson should all see their minutes reduced with New York’s top two point guards available.

McBride will be sidelined for the second leg of this back-to-back, which should lead to extra minutes for Jose Alvarado. Jalen Brunson (ankle) is questionable, so if he is out, Tyler Kolek should see a big bump in minutes as well.

McBride made his return from a two-month absence with a core injury on Sunday, but he exited early with a groin injury. However, that won’t keep him sidelined for this game. He’ll occupy some of the reserve backcourt minutes, but his role will likely be too limited for him to make much of an impact for fantasy managers.

Making his first appearance in a game since January 27 after undergoing sports hernia surgery, McBride may have aggravated the issue during Sunday’s loss to the Thunder. The good news is that he’s questionable for Tuesday’s game. If McBride can’t play on Tuesday, Jordan Clarkson and Mohamed Diawara would see their minutes increase.

Sunday’s game was the first for McBride since January 27, as he was returning from sports hernia surgery. During a scramble for a loose ball, the Knicks guard reached for his inner thigh area. While he was able to walk back to the bench without assistance, McBride did so gingerly. He did not return to the bench after heading to the locker room, and the severity of McBride’s injury is unknown. If he heads back to the sidelines, those minutes are likely to go to Jordan Clarkson, as Mohamed Diawara’s playing time has decreased recently.

McBride hasn’t played since January 27 after undergoing sports hernia surgery, but is set to return Sunday against the Thunder. The 25-year-old shooting guard will be on a minutes limit, according to coach Mike Brown, which is no surprise given the time missed.