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Is Julius Randle Playing in Game 1? Latest Update on Ankle Injury vs Heat

By David Kaestle

Julius Randle is expected to miss Game 1 of the Knicks second round series.
Julius Randle is expected to miss Game 1 of the Knicks second round series. / Associated Press
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The New York Knicks took down the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, but Game 5 came with a cost for New York. All-Star forward Julius Randle reaggravated the ankle injury he sustained near the end of the regular season when he landed awkwardly.

Now, as Game 1 of the second round approaches against the Miami Heat on Sunday, April 30, everyone is looking for an update on Randle's status.

Julius Randle Game 1 Injury Update

On Sunday morning, it was reported that Randle will likely be out for Game 1, dealing a tough blow to the Knicks when they open the series at home at Madison Square Garden.

This is a tough break for New York, which has relied on Randle all season to get to this point. While he had his fair share of struggles in the opening round, Randle was the team's only All-Star this year.

Randle averaged 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season and 21.0 points per game against Miami. He is a huge part of the Knicks' physical presence in the paint on both offense and defense. New York will be forced to rely more heavily on Mitchell Robinson against Bam Adebayo.

Fortunately for New York, there is optimism around Randle moving forward, as he was seen working out Sunday morning and moving well ahead of Game 1. This could be more of a precautionary move ahead of a series that's expected to be a slugfest.

The Knicks remain 4-point favorites for Game 1 on FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds despite Randle's expected absence.

David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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