New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson is expected to miss Friday night’s matchup against the Miami Heat with a Grade 1 right ankle sprain, per ESPN. The injury isn’t serious, as he’ll be evaluated on a day-to-day basis, which is a huge sigh of relief for the Knicks.
Brunson sustained the injury in the closing minutes of New York’s 124-107 loss to the Orlando Magic Wednesday night. With 1:54 left in the fourth quarter Brunson was attacking the rim, and as he attempted to plant his foot to elevate off the floor he landed on the foot of Orlando big man Wendell Carter Jr. Brunson popped up quickly and shot both of his free throws, though he had a considerable limp. After converting one of the two shots from the line, Brunson intentionally fouled Jalen Suggs to get out of the game, and immediately walked to the Knicks’ locker room without going to the bench.
Here’s where the injury occurred:
After the game, Knicks coach Mike Brown said he didn’t know anything other than Brunson turned his right ankle on the play. The All-Star guard was seen exiting Madison Square Garden in a walking boot with crutches following the loss. It’s the same ankle Brunson injured last season that forced him to miss 15 games, but it sounds as though this situation is nowhere near that severe.
Brunson’s status is a positive outcome after an embarrassing loss to the Magic. Brunson was still in the game despite the game decidedly out of reach, which may raise questions about why he was still out there in the first place. If this injury was more severe that would certainly be a bigger plot point, but the good thing is that becomes a moot point with him not expected to miss much time.
A rejuvenated offense
Knowing Brunson isn’t going to miss a ton of time also ensures the Knicks can keep building on the momentum they’ve built over the last six games. Before that stinker against the Magic, the Knicks were on a five-game winning streak. They have the second-best offense in the league, implementing Brown’s new system that has the Knicks taking the third-most 3s in…
..
