The New York Knicks welcomed a key player back to the lineup on Sunday, but it was short-lived.
The New York Knicks suffered their second loss in a row after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, 111-100, but that was not the only adversity the Knicks faced.
After missing two months to recover from sports hernia surgery, Knicks guard Miles McBride made his long awaited return to the floor on Sunday, only for it to end in disheartening fashion.
What Happened?
In the third quarter, McBride collided with Thunder guard Luguentz Dort when the two dove for a loose ball. Afterward, McBride could be seen on the sideline being worked on by New York’s training staff and grimacing in the process. Not long after, he made his way to the locker room and did not return to the game.
In the postgame press conference, Knicks head coach Mike Brown commented on the situation.
“I haven’t talked to medical yet, so I don’t know how it is,” Brown told the media. “But it’s tough. He’s worked his tail off to be back and I don’t think he made a shot in the first half, but he gave us a lift. You felt his presence and he made us deeper.”
McBride played 11 minutes in his return and went 0-3 from the field while logging a block, an assist and a rebound before the injury occurred.
Injury Struggles
McBride underwent the sports hernia surgery on Feb. 6, and his recovery period caused him to miss 28 games. He also missed three weeks in December due to a high ankle sprain.
However, when McBride has been healthy, he has posted career numbers. In his fifth NBA season, McBride is averaging 12.5 points on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range, both of which are career-high marks.
From last season to this season, McBride has raised his scoring average total three points and has elevated his 3-point shooting percentage by 4.5%. He has appeared in 36 games, 14 of which he started.
McBride has also scored 20-plus points six times this season, and he has notched a season-high of 25 points twice, with the first performance coming in a Nov. 17 loss to the Miami Heat and the second one occurring in a 126-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 15.
McBride, 25, was selected by the Thunder with the 36th pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft out of West Virginia. However, he was traded to New York on draft night. Now that the Knicks are losers of two-straight games and have more formidable opponents ahead of them in the last seven regular season games, the hope is that McBride’s injury is not serious.