The New York Knicks could be without star guard Jalen Brunson for the next 10 days due to a sprained ankle. Brunson has been fantastic for the Knicks this season before suffering the injury on November 12 against the Orlando Magic.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Brunson’s diagnosis of a Grade 1 ankle sprain. He was subsequently ruled out for the Knicks’ NBA Cup matchup versus the Miami Heat on Friday.
According to Stefan Bondy of SNY, coach Mike Brown is unsure if Brunson will be with the Knicks for their upcoming five-game road trip starting on Monday in Miami.
Brunson suffered the injury late in the Knicks’ 124-107 loss to the Magic at Madison Square Garden. There were two minutes remaining in the game, and the game was out of reach, so it was baffling for some people to see the star guard still on the court.
The 29-year-old guard still made two free throws before exiting the game and going back to the locker room. He finished with 31 points, three rebounds and six assists on 10-for-23 shooting from the field. He was averaging 28.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists for the season.
Mike Brown Defends Decision to Keep Brunson in Game Against Magic
The New York Knicks were on a five-game winning streak when they ran into the Orlando Magic on November 12. They didn’t just lose their first game of the month, but they also lost Jalen Brunson to injury. Brunson’s situation might have been avoided if coach Mike Brown had pulled him earlier since the game was already decided with less than two minutes left.
In an interview with Ben Krimmel of SNY before Friday’s game against the Miami Heat, Brown explained his decision to not sit Brunson despite being down by 16 points at the two-minute mark. He was also trying to win the game, and they couldn’t do it with Brunson on the bench.
“I’m trying to win the game. A couple minutes left, stop and two threes, and it’s a two-possession game. And that’s all I was trying to do, is win the game… If I feel like our guys are still being competitive and still trying to play the right way and win the game, and I feel like there’s a chance, then I’m gonna try and win the game,” Brown said.
If Brunson doesn’t join the team on the five-game road trip, that means his return could be on November 28 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks will face the Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets in a span of 10 days.
OG Anunoby Joins Brunson on Injury List
The New York Knicks played valiantly in their first game without Jalen Brunson on Friday in a 140-132 win over the Miami Heat. The Knicks received a massive push from their bench, with Landry Shamet scoring 36 points and Jordan Clarkson dropping 24 points.
Josh Hart added a triple-double of 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. However, the contributions from those three players happened because OG Anunoby suffered a left hamstring strain in the first quarter, as per ESPN. He’s considered day-to-day, but those kinds of injuries are tricky to recover from.
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