Miles McBride was ruled out of Tuesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinals in Toronto with a left ankle sprain, the Knicks announced.
McBride appeared to turn his ankle while driving to the basket in a victory over the Magic on Sunday afternoon. He tumbled in pain but got up to attempt the free throws.
His X-rays were negative, and he underwent an MRI exam Monday, leaving the practice facility for the appointment in a walking boot.
McBride had been enjoying a breakout month while averaging 14.6 points in his past seven games while shooting 57.4 percent on treys. He also was accumulating more playing time following the shoulder injury to Landry Shamet, reinforcing his value to a rotation that is thin on backup guards.
If McBride is missing multiple games, the Knicks have a potential depth conundrum. But Brown said his backup point guard isn’t burdened by many responsibilities.
As it stands, Tyler Kolek is the backup behind Jalen Brunson.
“You guys watch us enough; we don’t put a ton of pressure on our backup point guard to make plays for everybody else. I call the position a push-man, but it’s a push-man initiator,” Brown said, adding later, “So as long as we have guys who can pass, dribble or shoot, then we feel good. And when I say dribble, I mean just bring the ball up and initiate the offense because then the dominoes fall on their own.”
Still, McBride has filled multiple holes for the Knicks as a shot creator with efficient 3-point shooting who also is a tenacious on-ball defender. The Knicks (16-7) are 0-3 this season when McBride doesn’t play.
He missed two games following a death in his family and a third because of an illness.
“He’s been playing phenomenal,” Brunson said. “If things do happen [and he misses games because of the ankle injury], then yeah, obviously, we’re missing a huge piece of our team.
“Healthy or not, Deuce has been remarkable this year. The way he’s been shooting, the way he’s been playing defense, everything he’s doing has impacted winning. He’s been playing great. So we’ll see how things go. But obviously we’ll need him.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, who sat Sunday’s game with calf tightness, participated in Monday’s practice but still was listed as questionable for Tuesday’s contest in Toronto. The Raptors (15-10) have gone just 3-5 without Barrett.
“We’re still evaluating him,” Brown said.
RJ Barrett won’t play for the Raptors against his former team, missing his ninth straight game with a knee sprain.
On Monday, the Raptors announced Barrett received a PRP injection into his knee and he’ll be reevaluated in a week.
