The New York Knicks trail the Indiana Pacers 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and while tying the series will be a difficult task, it will be even tougher if guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are unable to play on Tuesday night.
According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Smith is questionable with an illness, which limited him in Game 3, and Shumpert is also questionable due to a knee injury:
Their statuses are far from certain at this point, but neither Smith nor Shumpert practiced on Monday, according to the Knicks' official Twitter feed:
Smith is the Sixth Man of the Year and has provided an offensive punch off the bench all season, while Shumpert is one of the premier perimeter defenders in the NBA, so their health is likely to be a major factor in Game 4.
There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about both players at this point, but Smith appears to have a better shot at playing. According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, both Smith and forward Kenyon Martin, who is also dealing with an illness, attended today's shootaround.
Shumpert's situation is a bit more touch-and-go, as Isola is reporting that the Knicks have called in Dr. Answorth Allen.
Allen performed surgery on Shumpert last year after he tore his ACL in Game 1 of the Knicks' first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat. The Knicks are obviously worried about Shumpert if they are going to such great lengths to have him checked out, so it seems quite possible that New York will be without the dynamic second-year man in Game 4.
The Knicks are in no position to cry over spilled milk, though. A loss to Indiana in Game 4 would put New York in a 3-1 hole, so the No. 2 seed must battle through injuries and turn in a strong effort on the road regardless of who plays.
Link: Raphael Varane is operated successfully from his knee injury
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