Steve Popper: Knicks' Miles McBride gets OK to play after injury scare
The Knicks' Miles McBride passes the ball around Chet Holmgren of the Thunder on March 29, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Credit: Getty Images/William Purnell
HOUSTON — Mike Brown has a chart he stuffs in his pocket during a game and on it he has plotted out the minutes allocated for each player that night. And on some nights he even is able to stick to it, figuring out minutes for starters and combinations that he wants to see on the floor.
His list still has some room for change and is subject to the uncertainty of the NBA. But he received good news for his planning, for Thursday night’s game against the Rockets as well as the postseason, when he was able to breathe a sigh of relief and put Miles McBride right back into the rotation.
McBride returned to action Sunday night in Oklahoma City after missing 28 games, just over two months, while rehabilitating from a surgical procedure to repair a sports hernia. And after playing just 11 minutes with 5:07 left in the third quarter, McBride dove to the floor for a loose ball and immediately grabbed at his stomach area. Helped to his feet he went to the bench where he could be seen mouthing that he couldn’t walk. McBride was helped off the bench and limped to the locker room where he remained for the rest of the night.
But when the Knicks took the court Tuesday he was given the green light to go ahead and play after the scare.
“It’s encouraging,” Brown said before the game. “He’s fought his tail off to get back. And for him to get hit like that or whatever, it’s worrisome. But he’s tough. And he’s in tonight.”
Getting McBride healthy for the postseason has been a target for the team, and there is a belief that Landry Shamet will return before the playoffs, bring back two of Brown's main perimeter bench pieces. Brown said that Shamet has started scrimmaging five-on-five with the younger players and practicing. Mitchell Robinson remains the backup center every night. But after that there are question marks that Brown still hopes to answer.
Jordan Clarkson worked his way back into the rotation, playing well on both ends of the floor after being benched for a stretch immediately following the All-Star break and his veteran scoring presence could be important in the playoffs. Jose Alvarado has struggled offensively at times, but remains the most likely choice as a backup point guard, although Tyler Kolek has surfaced as the choice at times.
“Guys can still earn it,” Brown said. “But the bottom line is I don’t know the last time we’ve been healthy. So it’s not fair for me to go with the guys who are playing or assume the guys that are still going to be out and vice versa. So we still have some time.”
Kolek and Mo Diawara have contributed this season at different times, but Brown sounds like he still is inclined to stick with the veterans in the playoffs.
“Tyler has had a whale of a second year,” Brown said. “And he's gotten a lot better this year than he was last year. You can see his confidence not just in his game and even the way he talks and goes about his business. So it’s just a matter of time for him.
"But Jose has got a little bit more experience in him. He’s a seasoned vet. Brings a quickness to the table that Tyler doesn’t quite have. But there are things that Tyler brings to the table too, he’s just younger. I’m going with Jose and Tyler’s got to stay ready like everybody else. And his number can be called at any time. And if his number is called, he’s got to go out there and help us win.”
“Just kind of learn from [Clarkson],” Kolek said. “Obviously he’s had success when he was out of the rotation, what we were doing on our off-days, on our game days even, conditioning-wise, staying sharp one-on-one. We played [Monday] five on five. So just finding little ways to stay sharp is the biggest thing.”
Alvarado, since being acquired at the trade deadline, has brought a different edge to the defense off the bench. HIs offense has been spotty, shooting 31.5% from three since joining the Knicks, and he is still adapting to running the Knicks offense with different groupings.
“For sure. In Jose’s defense, he’s got a stretch where he plays roughly six to eight minutes,” Brown said. “And he’s got two completely different teams when he plays the first three as opposed to the last three of those short six minutes. First three minutes he just has KAT out there as a big, and the last three minutes he’s got Mitch and KAT. So it’s hard to run because KAT slides to the four, so it’s hard to run the same stuff for both units."
For now, Brown might be best suited to just keep the chart in his pocket and see what arises over the final seven games.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
