The New York Knicks may be getting back a key piece to their lineup on Saturday when they take on the Atlanta Hawks, but at the cost of another key player. Friday’s injury report revealed that Josh Hart (ankle) will not play Saturday, while Miles McBride (ankle) has been upgraded to questionable.
Knicks’ Miles McBride could make his return on Saturday
The return of McBride would be huge for the Knicks. He has missed the last eight games with a left ankle sprain. New York has gone 6-2 in his absence, and Tyler Kolek has emerged as a legitimate rotation piece during his absence.
Hart, meanwhile, suffered his ankle injury late in the fourth quarter on Christmas Day against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He drove hard to the basket and stepped on an opposing player’s foot.
After getting up slowly, he would shoot both free throws and make them before subbing himself out of the game and limping to the locker room. He would later return to the bench and witness his team pull off a 17-point comeback to secure the win.
McBride will likely take Hart’s place in the starting five for now
Losing Hart is a brutal blow for New York, as he is one of their most important players. The Knicks are 11-3 in games Hart has started this season, and he is averaging 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and shooting 41.8% from three as a starter this season.
With McBride potentially making his return, the likely outcome is that he will simply slide into Hart’s place in the starting lineup. McBride has made nine starts this season and was red hot both as a starter and a reserve before his injury.
The question about his role will come when the team gets Hart and Landry Shamet (shoulder) back, as the emergence of Kolek gives them an additional guard to play meaningful minutes.
The game against Atlanta tips off at 8:00 PM EST on Saturday.