Knicks' Tom Thibodeau 'Hopeful' Julius Randle Plays Game 1 vs. Heat amid Ankle Injury

New York Knicks star forward Julius Randle may be able to suit up for Game 1 of the team's second-round series against the Miami Heat on Sunday, according to head coach Tom Thibodeau.

Randle, 28, aggravated an ankle injury he suffered in the regular season during the Knicks' closeout game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. He landed on Caris LeVert's foot toward the end of the first half and didn't return to the game after coming off the floor.

During a press conference Friday, Thibodeau revealed he's seen some good signs from the All-Star that gives him some confidence that Randle may be able to play to start the series.

"He'll go through the rehab, see where he is tomorrow," Thibodeau said. "He's better today than he was yesterday and that was the big thing. So we're hopeful."

Thibodeau also said that Randle didn't really do much on-court work during Friday's practice session, instead continuing to focus on his rehab. He did do some spot shooting in addition to the off-court exercises.

It'll be an incredible turnaround if he is able to return in time for Game 1 considering that he's sprained that same ankle twice in a four-week span. The original injury happened on March 29 in a game against Miami at Madison Square Garden.

The first sprain kept him out for two weeks, making Randle miss the final five games of the regular season.

In his fourth season in New York, Randle returned to his 2021 All-Star form as he was an integral part of one of the organization's best seasons in some time. He averaged a team-high 25.1 points per game in the regular season to go along with 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

He hasn't quite been the same player in the postseason, but that could very well be because of his injuries. At times he was a bit of a nonfactor against the Cavs as his averages took a dip to 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Randle was even benched in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' win in Game 4 against Cleveland.

Regardless, New York will need Randle's presence as it tries to combat Miami's electric duo of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, who has been the best player in the postseason by far up to this point.

Game 1 of the series is set for a 1 p.m. ET tipoff Sunday.