SUMMARY
- On January 27, 2024, the New York Knicks secured a victory against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden.
- Julius Randle suffered a gruesome injury to his right shoulder during the game against the Miami Heat.
The New York Knicks took revenge against their storied rivals on January 27, 2024, at Madison Square Garden. The Miami Heat ousted the Knicks last season from the playoffs, and the home team returned to make it all even. It’s obvious that the Knicks, No. 4 in the Eastern Conference, are deriving high dividends from the OG Anunoby trade.
Although the team recorded 125-109 against the Heat, the star forward succumbed to a gruesome injury. Julius Randle, the star forward of the New York Knicks, sustained an injury to his right shoulder with just 4:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. It’s worth noting that the Knicks were already up with a massive lead, and Randle was going for a layup. It was at this moment that “The Black Panther” was fouled by Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Julius Randle has suffered an apparent right shoulder injury and will NOT return to tonight’s game.
Wishing Randle the best 🙏 pic.twitter.com/tohr84V3hp
— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) January 27, 2024
Landing on his right shoulder, the forward checked himself out immediately. Shortly after, the Knicks started addressing the injury as ‘shoulder dislocation.’ An MRI scan was done thereafter, which revealed that no significant damage was done, according to Shams Charania.
‘Black Pau’ could amass just 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in his 32 minutes on the court. The player is averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, with 47.2% shooting from the deep.
Randle has clocked minutes in 46 games this season and has missed just one game so far. That too, after he fell prey to the injury. However, the power forward might have to stay out for multiple weeks.
When is Julius Randle coming back after a gruesome injury?
Earlier, it was estimated that the 29-year-old power forward might have to miss multiple weeks to recover. On top of that, multiple sources speculated whether it could be a season-ending injury. However, per the recent updates, the recovery might take a few weeks, and the player will be back on the hardwood. According to the New York Post, a source claims that Randle might not need any surgery to treat the injury.
Sources: Knicks star Julius Randle is expected to be sidelined for at least a few weeks with a right shoulder dislocation. Appears to be a sigh of relief for New York as initial reviews of MRI reveal no significant damage. pic.twitter.com/b4JAwMI0GJ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 29, 2024
Although the claims are referred to as ‘not conclusive,’ the surgery angle seemed to be ruled out. After a proper X-ray and MRI scan, the player missed his first game of the season against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center on January 29, 2024. Dr. Dennis DeBarnardis, a surgeon at the Rotshman Orthopaedic Institute, says that Randle could jump back from where he left as soon as the range of motion is restored.
It’s worth noting that if the surgery is ruled out, then Knick’s front-court support could return in a couple of weeks. The Knicks, however, seemed to handle the Hornets pretty well, without Randel and OG Anunoby on the hardwood. The team defeated the Hornets 113-92 and is now riding on a seven-game winning streak.
