It didn’t take long for Miles “Deuce” McBride to give the Knicks a spark.
A mere 14 seconds after he checked into Sunday’s 112-98 win over the Phoenix Suns for the first time, McBride drilled a 3-pointer.
Less than three minutes later, he drained another.
McBride didn’t look like a player who had missed the previous eight games with a nagging groin contusion.
“It felt great,” McBride said of making those first-quarter 3-pointers. “My teammates found me, and I just wanted to do whatever I can to contribute.”
McBride finished with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, two assists and two steals in 16 minutes at Madison Square Garden, marking a successful return for the Knicks’ sixth man.
The backup point guard initially hurt his groin during a March 19 loss in San Antonio, then aggravated the injury the next night in Charlotte on the second leg of a back-to-back.
“I would say I’m in the clear,” McBride, 24, said after Sunday’s game. “I leave it up to God.”
McBride is averaging a career-high 9.4 points in 24.8 minutes per game in his fourth NBA season, all with the Knicks. He is shooting 37.3% on 3-point attempts.
His injury came at an inopportune time, considering starting point guard Jalen Brunson was already out with a right ankle sprain.
Fellow point guard Cameron Payne also missed four games with a right ankle sprain while Brunson and McBride were injured, leaving the Knicks to rely on second-round rookie Tyler Kolek and trade-deadline acquisition Delon Wright.
“It’s really difficult,” McBride said of missing time. “I’m just glad the guys were able to get a lot of wins while I’ve been out, and l just want to come and fit right back in.”
The Knicks went 6-2 without McBride and 9-6 without Brunson, who also returned Sunday and scored 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting with six assists in 34 minutes.
Sunday marked the first time in a month that the Knicks’ backcourt was fully available.
“Usually what happens when a guy comes back, he has to get a feel for the game again, and then there’s a play or two where he’ll be tested a little bit,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said, referring to Brunson.
“Once he realizes he’s good, he takes off. I thought the whole second half there was a different gear for [Brunson], and that’s to be expected. I felt the same way with Deuce. I thought Deuce gave us good minutes the first time back.”
The Knicks have navigated injuries all season. Mitchell Robinson missed the Knicks’ first 58 games as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery. Karl-Anthony Towns has dealt with thumb and knee issues. OG Anunoby sat out of six consecutive games after suffering a non-contact foot sprain in February.
But with four regular-season games remaining — including Tuesday night’s meeting with the defending-champion Boston Celtics at the Garden — the Knicks (50-28) are getting healthier at the right time.
McBride credits the Knicks’ training staff for helping him maintain his conditioning while he was out.
“If you watch me, I’m explosive on both ends of the ball,” McBride said. “I just really wanted to make sure I was comfortable cutting and being explosive.”