Miles McBride's uncertain availability against the 76ers could make the Knicks' bench thinner

Miles McBride is on the injury report again, but with a different illness.

The guard, who is the sixth man and the only reserve coach Tom Thibodeau has trusted, is considered questionable for Tuesday's game against the Sixers because of inflammation in his left knee.

It's the same knee that McBride hyperextended in a win over the Pacers in October. He's been wearing black tape around it ever since.

McBride was also questionable for Sunday's game at Indiana due to an illness, but played 29 minutes and finished the game with seven points and two steals.

After starting the season on fire with his shooting, McBride cooled off in five games in November, shooting just 34 percent overall and 30 percent from distance.

If McBride goes out, an already thin bench would be decimated. This would make the availability of Cam Payne, who has missed four straight games with a muscle strain, more important.

Payne is also considered questionable for Tuesday.

Precious Achiuwa is out again with a hamstring strain he sustained in the pre-season finale more than three weeks ago. He hasn't played yet this season.

“Cam is more advanced because he obviously does a lot more on the court,” Thibodeau said. “Precious doesn’t have training clearance yet. He is on the pitch a lot but is not cleared to train. So it’s still one more step before we can say it’s close.”

Tyler Kolek and Jericho Sims were part of the rotation due to injuries, but only played for three minutes combined in the second half of Sunday's loss as Thibodeau mostly played with six players.

The Knicks go straight from the site of playoff failure to playoff triumph.

After losing to the Pacers in Indy on Sunday, Thibodeau's squad opens its NBA Cup schedule against the Sixers for Joel Embiid's expected season debut.

It will be the Knicks' first time in Philadelphia since they eliminated the Sixers in Game 6 of the opening round last May. And although there are no playoff berths, the matchup has taken on greater importance as both franchises struggled from the start.

“It’s extremely important,” said Josh Hart, who buried the dagger 3-pointer from Game 6 at Wells Fargo Arena. “For us, the new team, we are trying to find a rhythm, especially defensively. So we have to keep working and developing, especially against a team like this. Joel is coming back so it will be a good test, obviously a difficult environment. So it will be a good test for us. I think that’s the biggest thing, just her talent.”

Karl-Anthony Towns is a newcomer but brings a history with Embiid to this rivalry.

When both were represented by Leon Rose in 2019, they got into a fight on the court and were ejected. Embiid then went on to use expletives on social media, calling Towns a “bitch” and a “p**sy.”

“I kicked your ass and please make it to the playoffs before you talk,” Embiid posted at the time. “It is well known that I OWN you.”

That was also five years ago, and Towns said he wasn't worried about Embiid.

“I'm just worried about us trying to get a win,” the Knicks center said. “None of this stuff means anything. For me it means something to have this in the left column. That's all we should all care about. Finding ways to win, putting ourselves in a good position to win every night, taking those learning experiences and making ourselves a better team.”

Embiid hasn't played yet this season due to load management and a three-game suspension for shoving a reporter.