The New York Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning three games in a row. That has helped catapult them into third place in the Eastern Conference, only 1.5 games behind the second-place Milwaukee Bucks.
No one could have predicted that the Knicks would be this high in the standings given how many injuries the team has had. But, as we head down the stretch of the regular season and toward the NBA playoffs, reinforcements are on the way.
The Knicks already received a boost to their lineup this week when Mitchell Robinson was cleared to return. On Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors, he suited up after missing 50 games because of an ankle injury that required surgery.
Robinson made his presence felt right away, blocking shots and chasing down rebounds in 12 minutes of play. He also showed a more aggressive side on offense, taking the ball to the basket on several occasions.
He was the first of the three key injured players to return to the lineup for the Knicks, as they patiently away Julius Randle's and OG Anunoby’s returns as well. Could we see Randle back on the court soon, based on an injury report from ESPN?
A user on X shared a post with a screengrab from ESPN, showing that Randle has an expected return date of April 5. That would coincide with Ian Begley of SNY.tv also reporting that Randle could be able to get back on the court before the NBA playoffs.
To get back on the court, Randle still has some hurdles to clear. He has not yet been cleared for full contact, which is normally the last step for a player getting back on the court. Everything else he has been participating in, giving some people hope that he would get back soon.
If April 5 is when Randle gets back in the lineup, it would mean that he would miss four more games. Returning on that day would give him a chance to play in six contests to ramp up his activity ahead of the NBA postseason.
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