The Knicks downgraded Miles McBride from questionable to out for the second leg of a home back-to-back against the Washington Wizards on Monday.
McBride has now missed the Knicks’ last three games, one due to illness and now two due to inflammation in his left knee — the same knee he hyperextended in New York’s Oct. 25 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the home opener at Madison Square Garden.
Ahead of tipoff against the Wizards, head coach Tom Thibodeau said he was unsure whether or not the inflammation was related to the late October injury.
The Knicks also listed McBride as questionable ahead of tipoff against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 12, but he played that night, and also played the following night in the second leg of a back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls.
McBride has been out of the rotation ever since.
“I’m not quite sure [if the inflammation is related to the hyperextension],” Thibodeau said pregame on Monday. “We just want to let it calm down, and then once he’s ready to go, we just don’t want it to linger. So getting a little better but be patient.”
Thibodeau said McBride being downgraded from questionable to out altogether wasn’t a sign that his condition had gotten worse.
“Nah I just think it got updated,” he said. “And we knew he wasn’t gonna play, so that’s it.”
Without McBride, an already thin Knicks back court was stretched even further. Thibodeau only played eight players — the five starters plus Jericho Sims, Cameron Payne and rookie Pacome Dadiet — in Sunday’s win over the Nets.
McBride is averaging 10.7 points on 37.9% three-point shooting off the bench as the Knicks’ sixth man this season.
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Precious Achiuwa is progressing from a severe hamstring strain sustained in the preseason finale against the Wizards.
The Knicks provided a two-to-four-week re-evaluation timeline for Achiuwa, who reached the four-week mark on Nov. 16.
Asked if Achiuwa will accompany the team on its five-game, 10-day West Coast road trip, Thibodeau said: “I believe so. We’ll deal with that tomorrow.”
The Knicks have missed Achiuwa’s defensive versatility and rebounding abilities in the aftermath of Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure in free agency over the summer.
Behind Karl-Anthony Towns, Thibodeau has turned largely to Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti, though the Knicks are also missing Mitchell Robinson, who has yet to make his season debut out rehabbing after ankle surgery.
