NEW YORK — The good and the bad.
On a night the Knicks essentially clinched a playoff berth, All-Star Julius Randle left the court in pain with a sprained ankle.
He never re-emerged from the locker room after halftime, missing his teammates — most notably Immanuel Quickley — surge past the Heat in the fourth quarter of a 101-92 victory Wednesday over the Heat.
The win pushed the No. 5 Knicks (44-33) four games ahead of the No. 7 Heat (40-37) with five to play. That race is basically over. New York’s magic number is one to clinch a top-6 spot for an automatic postseason spot.
But Randle’s status is now in question.
With 2:38 remaining in the first half of a tie game, the power forward grabbed a rebound and landed on the foot of Heat center Bam Adebayo. Randle’s ankle turned and he fell in pain. He stood up to shoot the free throws — hitting 1 of 2 — and limped to the locker room.
Randle was ruled out at halftime, finishing with just three points in 15 minutes. He never returned to the bench. It represented his lowest scoring game since joining the Knicks.
Just two days prior, Randle sat at his locker — right after finishing his 76th straight game to start the season — and told the New York Daily News about the important homestretch, “I’ve been building towards this. This is what I do. Everyday, it’s how I prepare.. I don’t have to psych myself up any more.”
Now there are questions about how many of the remaining five games Randle will play, if any. He’s been an Iron Man since joining the Knicks but the ankle sprain was serious enough for Randle to bend over in pain while walking off the court and through the tunnel.
RJ Barrett took over most of the power forward minutes in the fourth quarter, finishing with 12 points in 34 minutes. Obi Toppin could also serve in a larger role without Randle. But the explosive power forward, who has regressed this season with fewer opportunities, logged only 17 minutes Wednesday.
Jericho Sims could also re-emerge into the rotation.
But this would be new territory since Randle is one of the few remaining players who hasn’t missed a game. He’s also second in the NBA in total minutes.
While one star went down for the Knicks on Wednesday, another returned. Jalen Brunson played with a brace after sitting the previous two games with a sprained hand. He struggled with 12 points in 30 minutes, sitting the entire fourth quarter as Quickley (24 points) took control.
At stake for the remaining schedule, with or without Randle, is staying above the No. 6 Nets (41-35). For many in the rotation, meaningful games in April are uncharted territory. Only Brunson has played more than five postseason games.
Josh Hart has played none.
“These games are fun,” Hart said. “Because if we were on a team that was tanking, I wouldn’t be playing. So I think it’s fun to play towards the end of the season, man. Like I said, I wasn’t normally out there the last couple of years, I wasn’t playing during this time. So it feels good.”
The victory felt good. But not Randle’s ankle.
