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Nick Friedell, ESPN Staff Writer
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle says he has “a lot of respect” for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler as both players deal with ankle injuries in the midst of their Eastern Conference semifinals series.
“I got a lot of respect for Jimmy,” Randle said after practice Thursday. “You know what type of player he is, but mentally you know he’s going to be locked in and engaged regardless of how he feels and he’ll be great. We just want to make it as hard as we can for him and just limit our mistakes on our end.”
Randle, who initially injured his left ankle at the end of the regular season, then injured it again in Game 5 of the Knicks’ series-clinching win over the Cleveland Cavaliers last week, was forced to miss Sunday’s Game 1 loss to the Heat, the same game in which Butler injured his right ankle. Butler then missed Game 2.
Randle said after Game 2 that the recovery process to get back on the floor was “hell,” specifically pointing out the mental aspect of his recovery.
“It’s not really the pain,” Randle said Thursday. “It’s the getting back on the court. For me it was not being able to do anything for a while and getting my conditioning back, getting the muscles firing back again. The recovery after. All while trying to nurse an injury. Mentally it will take a toll on not only you, but my wife, my family, everybody in the organization. Thankfully for me I have a great supporting cast of people who encourage me.”
The Knicks believe Butler will find a way to be on the floor Saturday for Game 3, especially since there are three days off between Games 2 and 3. New York heads to Miami on Friday afternoon. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who used to coach Butler in both Chicago and Minnesota, said he believes his team will be prepared to face the star forward if and when he does return.
“The good thing about the situation that we just went through is we played one game where he played and one game where he didn’t play,” Thibodeau said. “So we know style of play, what he brings, how they’ll be different when he plays. We also know they’ll play when he doesn’t play.
“You prepare for whatever the strengths of the club are.”
Like Butler did prior to Thibodeau’s arrival in New York, Randle has earned the veteran coach’s trust by doing everything he can to stay on the floor. Randle acknowledged there was never a doubt in his mind that he would return in Game 2 after missing close to a week after reinjuring the ankle.
“There wasn’t no way I was sitting out at all,” Randle said.