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RJ Barrett missed the Knicks’ 118-109 win over the Wizards on Sunday — which clinched a playoff berth — with an undisclosed, non-COVID illness.

He’ll be available and ready to go for the team’s game against the Pacers on Wednesday night, head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed following practice on Tuesday.

Though, his return won’t come with the pressure of securing the No. 5 seed, after the Knicks clinched while off on Tuesday night.

Barrett admitted he’s still “feeling a little under the weather,” but wouldn’t say what the illness was.

“It’s a thing,” a coy Barrett said.

The right combination of events transpired Tuesday to solidify the Knicks’ first-round matchup.

The Nets lost to the Timberwolves and the Cavaliers beat the Magic, which clinched the No. 5 spot for the Knicks.

The 76ers win over the Celtics sealed the fourth spot for the Cavs.


  RJ Barrett will be back in the Knicks lineup after a non-COVID illness. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con RJ Barrett will be back in the Knicks lineup after a non-COVID illness. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Julius Randle, who is expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season with a sprained left ankle, will not travel with the team to Indiana. He’ll instead continue to rehab at the team’s facilities in Westchester.

Randle has already been sidelined for the Knicks’ past two games, wins over the Cavaliers and Magic. They were the first two games Randle missed this season.


  Julius Randle USA TODAY Sports Julius Randle USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks are one of just two teams, along with the Kings, with a better record on the road than at home this season — 23-16 on the road and 23-17 on the road. In the playoffs, the Knicks will likely not have home-court advantage, and their chances of pulling an upset likely hinge on continuing that trend.

“Whether you’re home or on the road, you’ve got to look at, ‘OK, what’s the challenge that’s in front of us’ and prepare yourself for that challenge,’ ” Thibodeau said. “Obviously there’s advantages to being at home or whatever you want to say — you’re in your own bed, it’s your fans, it’s your arena, all those things. And then if you’re on the road, you try to take advantage of it a different way, where you’re more isolated, so there’s less distractions and you can lock in that way.”

The Athletic reported Monday that the Mavericks were considering shutting down stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season amid their late-season slide.

That would not be beneficial to the Knicks, who own the Mavericks’ first-round pick this year. The pick is top-10 protected, and Dallas currently has the 10th-worst record in the league. If it does not convey this year, it will transfer to next year as a top-10 protected pick again.

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