On Wednesday, the New York Knicks will take on the Indiana Pacers on the road. The Knicks are virtually assured of the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, while the Pacers’ dismal second half has eliminated them from playoff contention and sent them to the NBA Draft Lottery this spring. The first pour is set for 7 PM, EST.
Injury Update New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers
THE KNICKS
This week, the New York Knicks will try to finish the regular season and get ready for what looks like it will be a first-round Eastern Conference playoff matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks have been playing well lately. They have won four straight games, making their record 46-33. The Knicks officially made the playoffs on Sunday night when they beat the hurt Washington Wizards 118-109 at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes each scored 27 points for the Knicks, who played their second straight game without their star forward Julius Randle. Randle sprained his ankle, so he won’t be able to play for two weeks.
In his absence, Obi Toppin, Jericho Sims, and Isaiah Hartenstein could be given a bigger role.
Randle could come back for a run in the playoffs. He will finish the regular season with an average of 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 35.5 minutes of playing time per game over 77 games.
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| DaQuan Jeffries | Calf | Expected to be out until at least Apr 7 |
| Duane Washington Jr. | Hip | Expected to be out until at least Apr 7 |
| R.J. Barrett | Illness | Game Time Decision |
| Julius Randle | Ankle | Expected to be out until at least Apr 13 |
THE PACERS
Indiana have been terrible in the second half of the season. With only three games left, they are just playing out the string. As of Wednesday night, the Pacers had lost five of their last six games, bringing their record to just 34-45.
The Pacers’ All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed his third game in a row, and their starting center Myles Turner missed his fifth game in a row. This shows that the Pacers are starting to think about next season.
Haliburton will still not be able to play against the Knicks on Wednesday because of his ankle injury.
Haliburton is expected to miss his fifth straight game and his 11th in the last 13 games for Indiana. Since Chris Duarte is also out with an ankle injury, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin should continue to play more in the backcourt for the Pacers.
Haliburton’s next chance to play will be Friday against the Pistons, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t show up for either of the team’s last two games after Wednesday’s.
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Chris Duarte | Ankle | Expected to be out until at least Apr 7 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Ankle | Expected to be out until at least Apr 7 |
| Myles Turner | Back | Game Time Decision |
| Kendall Brown | Lower Leg | Out for the season |
