The New York Knicks recently suffered a major setback. Their All-Star guard Jalen Brunson suffered a knee injury that looked quite scary during their last matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, Brunson has been out of the team and fans have been concerned about his availability in the upcoming games. Currently, the Knicks are 5th in the Eastern Conference with a 36-26 record and they’d want their star player to get back on the court as soon as possible, as the regular season slowly nears a conclusion.
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As per the Knicks’ recent injury report, Brunson has been listed as ‘Questionable’ for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. There are three other players mentioned in the report, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson. All of them are listed to be ‘out’ for the Orlando game.
Brunson, who has been incredible for the team so far this season, is still dealing with his left knee contusion. But reports have revealed that his injury is just a bruise. So his availability will probably be a game-time decision. The Knicks star is averaging 27.2 points, 6.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds, while shooting 47.7% from the field in 57 games.
Brunson has been key for the Knicks this season
Brunson suffered the knee injury within the opening minutes of the Cavs game. After he went for a jump shot, the 27-year-old landed awkwardly and immediately went down holding his knee. Prior to that, his knee appeared to make contact with Isaac Okoro. Despite his attempts to get back up on his feet, Brunson was visibly in immense pain. He was immediately escorted off the court and did not come back for the remainder of the game.
Full possession of the Jalen Brunson injury.
It appears to be a non-contact knee injury. He grabs at his left knee. pic.twitter.com/HnYUzMtXuS https://t.co/hs8vKIpCu5
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) March 4, 2024
As concerns grew over his absence, some comforting news came in related to his MRI scans. Tom Thibodeau at the post-game presser said that all reports are fine and there’s nothing to worry about. New York Basketball posted the clip of Thibodeau where he said, “It’s a knee contusion & everything was negative, so we’ll see where he is tomorrow.” However, Brunson missed the next game against the Hawks pertaining to the injury. The Knicks lost the game 100-116.
“…That news is good…It’s a knee contusion & everything was negative, so we’ll see where he is tomorrow…”
–– Thibs full postgame comments on Jalen Brunson’s knee injury pic.twitter.com/vlCPumbLQB
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 4, 2024
With their star forward Julius Randle sidelined, the Knicks are in dire need of Brunson at this point. Otherwise, they run the risk of losing spots in the standings. However, they would also have to be careful not to risk a major injury for their star guard ahead of the playoffs.
Facing an in-form Magic without their key player might be a huge problem for the Knicks. The Magic are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference with a 37-26 record and they’re also on a 5-game winning streak.
