Knicks' Julius Randle Out vs. Jimmy Butler, Heat in NBA Playoffs Game 1 Due to Injury

The New York Knicks will be short-handed for Sunday's second-round opener against the Miami Heat.

Julius Randle will miss the game at Madison Square Garden because of an ankle sprain. Randle suffered the injury during Game 5 of the first round on Wednesday as the Knicks closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news.

Injuries have become a major theme of these playoffs with players such as Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, De'Aaron Fox and Ja Morant all dealing with various ailments.

New York isn't even the only team in this series that is dealing with injuries, as Victor Oladipo is out for the rest of the playoffs with a knee injury and Tyler Herro will not play against the Knicks because of a broken hand.

Still, the absence of Randle is a big one for the Knicks, who will need all the firepower they can get to match Jimmy Butler on the other side.

Randle was New York's leading scorer during the regular season at 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game behind 46.0 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent shooting from deep. Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett have been more important in the playoffs, but few players on the roster offer the high-ceiling production that the University of Kentucky product does.

Yet Randle struggled at times against the Cavaliers, shooting just 33.8 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from deep on his way to 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Perhaps Cleveland's size bothered him, but he was one of the few concerns for the Knicks as they cruised past Donovan Mitchell and Co. with relative ease in five games.

Now he is a concern for another reason as the team looks to defend home-court advantage without him.