Knicks suffer brutal blow to their bench as top bench scorer goes down with ankle sprain

The New York Knicks will be without their top bench player for the foreseeable future. According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, Miles McBride has a left ankle sprain and is officially ruled out for Tuesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

Knicks lose Miles McBride to an ankle injury

McBride suffered the injury on Sunday against the Orlando Magic. He underwent X-rays, which came back negative, as well as an MRI to determine the severity. It is still unclear how long McBride will be out for, but losing him for any period of time is still a tough blow for their bench.

McBride has been in the midst of a breakout campaign, averaging a career-high 11.6 points and shooting 44% from three. He had a six-game stretch over the past two weeks where he shot 27 for 42 on his three-point attempts.

He has quickly evolved into a critical piece for New York, and losing him is a tough pill to swallow. They are still without Landry Shamet, as he recovers from a shoulder sprain, but they did just get back OG Anunoby after a nine-game absence with a hamstring strain.

Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson will have to step up in McBride’s absence

In McBride’s absence, expect Tyler Kolek to assume the duties as the main backup point guard behind Jalen Brunson. Kolek has gotten some extended minutes recently and has done a solid job as a backup.

Jordan Clarkson likely becomes the de facto sixth man with McBride out, as he will now be the main focal point of the second unit’s scoring attack.

The hope is that McBride is only out for a short amount of time and does not have to miss significant time. The Knicks take on the Raptors Tuesday night at 8:30 P.M. EST.