Knicks Julius Randle. Apr 26, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) is helped to his feet in the second quarter during game five of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday in a Game 5 matchup where they looked to close out the series. Through one half of play, they are on course to do so, but a concerning injury to star forward Julius Randle caught the attention of the NBA world.

Randle has been a massive piece for the Knicks this season, leading the team in scoring in the regular season with 25.1 points per game.

He started Wednesday’s game strong as well, but an ankle injury in the game hampered him in a big way.

The injury occurred in the second half when Randle was defending Cavaliers forward Caris Levert. He went up to contest a Levert jump shot, but landed awkwardly and instantly grabbed at his ankle on the ground.

Randle would head to the locker room after a Knicks timeout and not return for the rest of the quarter. Luckily for Knicks fans, they took a ten-point lead into the half.

Randle unfortunately did not start the second half for the Knicks, and his status for the game has officially been listed as doubtful with a sprained left ankle.

Many around the NBA world took to social media to offer their concern for Randle as Game 5 plays out in this series.

This injury is obviously very concerning for the Knicks as they look to close out this series against the Cavaliers. It is even more crucial that Randle is available for their potential second-round matchup against either the Miami Heat or the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ankle injuries are unfortunately something that has certainly plagued Randle already this season. He notably missed two weeks before the start of this series with a left ankle sprain.

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About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.