Julius Randle’s status remains up in the air as the Knicks return to practice Friday in preparation for their second-round playoff series against the Heat.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said following Wednesday’s series-sealing win in Cleveland that he is “hopeful” that Randle’s re-sprained left ankle is “not that bad,” but the team offered no further update as of Thursday evening on its leading scorer’s availability for Game 1 on Sunday at the Garden.
Randle, who missed the final five games of the regular season with the injury, didn’t play in the second half of Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers after limping off the court late in the second quarter.
Obi Toppin likely would again rejoin the starting lineup if Randle is unable to open the series against the Heat.
The former lottery pick scored 12 third-quarter points in Game 5 against the Cavaliers.
Third-string center Jericho Sims’ season is over after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder on Wednesday, the Knicks announced.
The 6-foot-10 Sims, who participated in the Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star weekend earlier this year, had surgery to repair a torn labrum and cuff tendon in his right shoulder at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
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He’s expected to be ready for the start of training camp in the fall, the team added.
The 24-year-old Sims appeared in 52 games with 16 starts during the regular season, most recently a 29-minute stint April 7 in New Orleans.
The second-year center was added to the Knicks’ rotation during injury absences for Toppin and Mitchell Robinson, and the team went 15-11 in games in which Sims played at least 15 minutes.
He averaged 3.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, with a field-goal percentage of .776 in 15.6 minutes per appearance.
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The Knicks faced the Heat in the playoffs in four consecutive years from 1997-2000, with point guard Jalen Brunson’s father, assistant coach Rick Brunson, a reserve guard on the latter two of those New York squads.
“I actually thought about that today. It’s a really cool experience,” Jalen Brunson said after Wednesday’s win. “My dad played here. He didn’t lead that team, but he was on that team that got to the Finals [in 1999]. Yeah, that’s gonna come back to haunt me, but it’s special. The connection me and my dad have, everything, all full circle, it’s really special.”
