The New York Knicks are playing with fire ahead of their Sunday, October 26th matchup against the Miami Heat, as both Karl-Anthony Towns and Miles “Deuce” McBride have been officially listed on the injury report. Towns is questionable with a right quad strain, while McBride is also questionable due to personal reasons.
Towns and McBride were crucial in New York’s 105–95 win over the Boston Celtics, helping the Knicks start the regular season 2–0. Towns has been battling the quad strain since Opening Night, when he was a game-time decision before the home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the injury, he delivered a dominant performance Friday night, posting 26 points and 13 rebounds, joining All-Star teammate Jalen Brunson as the only two Knicks to score 25+ points.
McBride, who shined off the bench against Cleveland, earned the trust of head coach Mike Brown to play alongside the starters against Boston. The 25-year-old guard contributed 10 points, four assists, and four rebounds in 32 minutes, continuing to impress Brown with his defensive intensity and poise. His versatility allowed New York to roll with a smaller lineup, giving the Knicks an edge on both ends of the floor.
Together, Towns and McBride have been instrumental in New York’s revamped style of play — creating spacing, improving ball movement, and bringing balance to the defensive unit. McBride’s presence hasn’t disrupted the offense; instead, he’s been praised for stepping up in critical moments and maintaining the team’s flow.
While the Knicks have handled two of their toughest Eastern Conference opponents from last season, they’ll face a new challenge against a red-hot Miami Heat team that erupted for 146 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. Miami’s frontcourt duo of Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo combined for 43 points and 14 rebounds in under 30 minutes, while Norman Powell has been the team’s offensive spark, averaging 21.5 points through two games.
If Towns and McBride are unable to suit up, Ariel Hukporti and Josh Hart could return to the starting lineup. Hart, who has been managing a lower back issue, has been upgraded to probable. Meanwhile, Mitchell Robinson remains out for the team’s three-game road trip but will travel with the team.
