Things were going almost perfectly for the New York Knicks through their first 10 games, but the worst-case scenario may have been thrust upon them in Game 11 on Wednesday night.
Captain Jalen Brunson “turned his ankle” in New York’s 124-107 loss to the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden, and The Athletic’s James Edwards III reported he left the arena in a walking boot and crutches.
Brunson led the Knicks with a game-high 31 points on 10 for 23 shooting while playing a team-high 37 minutes. The reigning Clutch Player of the Year leads the Knicks in points-per-game average (28.0) and entered play Wednesday tied with Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics for eighth in the NBA in scoring average.
The Knicks (7-4) are tied for first place with the Philadelphia 76ers atop the Atlantic Division and will next play the Miami Heat on Friday at MSG.
Jalen Brunson ‘Turned His Ankle’ In Wednesday Night’s Loss
Brunson was about the only bright spot for the Knicks offense for much of the night, scoring 16 of their 42 first-half points and finishing with the only player to top 16 points all night.
But with New York down by 16 with less than two minutes in the game, Brunson landed on wrong on his right ankle while trying to elude Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. on a drive to the basket.
Brunson made both free throws then fouled Orlando guard Jalen Suggs, to foul out of the game, and went straight for the locker room. He did not address reporters after the game, but New York coach Mike Brown confirmed the injury.
“He turned his right ankle,” Brown said after the game, “but that’s all I know.”
Brunson had previously aggravated his right ankle last season when he landed on Austin Reaves’ foot in the Knicks’ 113-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6. The injury cost him 15 games, but he was able to play four of the Knicks’ final five regular-season games and played in all 18 Knicks playoff games.
Jalen Brunson Is One Of The NBA’s Most Valuable Players
For how hard Brunson plays, injuries seem inevitable, yet the Knicks can ill-afford to lose their captain based on his offensive consistency each night.
The Knicks around him are averaging just 92 points per game, with the bulk of the work done by center Karl-Anthony Towns (20.7 points, 12.7 rebounds per game). Only four New York players are averaging in double figures — Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby (18.0) and Mikal Bridges (16.6) — even while the Knicks are scoring more than 121 points per game.
So there’s a valid reason why Knicks fans chant “M-V-P!” every time Brunson goes to the free-throw line.
Last season’s ankle injury did nothing to threaten New York’s playoff run, since its postseason spot was effectively sewn up by March — and if anything it helped him avoid the overplaying wrath of then-coach Tom Thibodeau.
But all the eggs are in the championship basket this year, since the Knicks are the hands-down favorite to at least rep the East in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
A Brunson-ankle injury could again be a blessing in disguise, if the Knicks weather his absence and he again can recover in relatively short order. Championships certainly aren’t won in November.
But Brunson is the glue that holds the Knicks together, and there’s no guarantee they’ll stay together if he is out for an extended period of time.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Knicks Reveal Scary Injury To Superstar Guard Jalen Brunson appeared first on Heavy Sports.