The New York Knicks suffered their first home loss of the 2023 NBA Playoffs last Sunday when they fell prey to Jimmy Butler and the no-quit Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 of this second-round matchup to the tune of a 108-101 score. The result of that game could have been very different if only the Knicks had Julius Randle in uniform.

Randle missed the series opener against the Heat due to a sprained left ankle. It's an issue that can prevent Randle from playing in Game 2 this Tuesday night. Now, the question is this: Is Julius Randle playing tonight vs. the Heat?

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Julius Randle injury status vs. Heat

In the most updated injury report for Tuesday's games from the NBA, Julius Randle is listed as questionable with the same injury that hindered him from helping the Knicks on the court in Game 1. Without a doubt, Randle is a major component of New York. After all, he finished the regular season second on the team in win shares (8.1), No. 1 in defensive win shares (3.1), and also tops in Value Over Replacement Player (3.9).

In the five games he's played so far in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Julius Randle has collected averages of 14.4 points on 33.8 field goal percentage, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 steals.

Without Julius Randle back in Game 1, the Knicks inserted Obi Toppin into the starting unit in his place. Toppin was not too shabby in lieu of Randle, as he scored 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field (including four 3-pointers on 11 attempts from behind the arc) to go with eight rebounds and a steal across 31 minutes of action. He was also the only Knicks starter in that game who finished without a non-negative plus/minus.

If Julius Randle ultimately gets ruled out for Game 2, it's fair to expect Toppin to draw another start alongside center Mitchell Robinson.

So, when it comes to the question of if Julius Randle is playing tonight vs. the Heat, the answer is leaning toward a no, but the door is definitely still open, at the time of this writing.