Knicks Provide Update on Miles McBride’s Recovery

On Tuesday, the Knicks shared some positive news regarding Miles McBride’s recovery, indicating that he has been cleared for contact practice and is “progressing well.”

McBride has been sidelined since late January due to sports hernia surgery. He mentioned last month that he was hopeful about returning for the playoffs.

The guard, who plays a critical role off the bench, has missed 24 straight games, including the recent 136-110 victory against the Pacers.

“You can always be healthy, yes. [I’m encouraged],” said coach Mike Brown before the game. However, he also expressed uncertainty about McBride’s exact return timeline. “Will he be back in two weeks, three weeks, one week, or 10 days? I don’t know.”

Brown praised the medical staff’s efforts and expressed excitement about McBride’s eventual return: “Deuce was playing well for us when this incident occurred. It’s part of the season.”

Before his injury, McBride was the leading scorer off the bench, averaging 12.9 points and hitting a career-high 42 percent of his three-point attempts.

Knowing McBride would be absent for a while, the Knicks acquired point guard Jose Alvarado in a trade. Alongside Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson have stepped up as backup guards.

Brown believes that Jalen Brunson will be available for the next game in Brooklyn on Friday. Brunson missed Tuesday’s win due to neck tightness, marking his first absence since mid-January—an impressive streak that had him as part of 27 straight games. The Knicks have struggled without him, going 2-4 this season when he doesn’t play.

Brown seemed optimistic, mentioning, “I have two days off before the next game; there’s plenty of time to get in shape.”

On another note, Brunson needs just one more game to qualify for postseason awards and is likely to be an All-NBA selection for the third consecutive year.

In Tuesday’s game, Clarkson, who played 20 minutes and scored 10 points, replaced Mohamed Diawara, who logged only six minutes with no points. Brown explained his decision, saying, “Jordan hasn’t played this season and has been preparing. He’s been effective offensively, so I opted to play him instead of Mo.”

Meanwhile, struggling player Mikal Bridges was kept on the court during garbage time in hopes of regaining his confidence. “He made some shots down the stretch, which was encouraging, especially in a game like this. It was our aim to see a bit more from him,” Brown noted.