In their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson suffered an ankle injury in overtime. Brunson drove to the rim on a fastbreak and fell awkwardly on his ankle. Given that the Knicks, who are on a two-game losing streak, are looking to remain the No. 3 seed in the East, Brunson’s injury could be a big problem for them. Fortunately, there is some optimism regarding his injury.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, there is optimism that Brunson’s injury is just a sprained ankle. Nothing is official yet, but this is good news for Brunson and the Knicks.
There’s optimism New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson only sustained a sprained ankle, sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 7, 2025
In the loss, Brunson recorded 39 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists in 41 minutes.
New York Knicks Star Receives Promising Injury Update
Jalen Brunson Is Crucial to the Knicks’ Success
After finishing as the No. 2 seed last year, many had high hopes for the Knicks this season. After acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, these expectations grew even higher. With just a little over a month remaining in the season, it is fair to say that they have mostly lived up to those expectations. They are 40-22 and are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. It is well-known that they have struggled against the top teams in the league this season. However, there is no doubt that the Knicks have a talented roster and could make a deep playoff run. Regardless, it is important that Brunson is available as often as possible for the Knicks to be contenders this season.
Now in his third season in New York, the Villanova alum is averaging 26.3 points, 3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1 steal per game. Furthermore, he is shooting 49% from the field and 38.4% from the three-point line. After finishing fifth in MVP voting last year, Brunson is putting together another solid campaign this year. Additionally, a slightly overlooked aspect of Brunson’s importance is his availability. The guard has missed just one game this season (a New Year’s Day battle against the Utah Jazz). This makes him even more important to the Knicks, and it is another reason the team relies on him so heavily.
The Last Word On Jalen Brunson’s Injury
It is too early to know the extent of Brunson’s injury. However, it sounds like it is a good news, bad news situation. On one hand, it is fair to assume Brunson will miss some time with this injury. With the Knicks’ slight recent skid (and the fact that they are now just 3.5 games ahead of the No. 4 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the standings), this is not a great time for the team to deal with an injury like this. However, on the flip side, it sounds like Brunson’s injury may not be too serious, and he should return sooner rather than later.
Brunson’s injury status is one to monitor as the Knicks aim to end the season on a high note.
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