The New York Knicks suffered a rough loss against the Sacramento Kings, and they lost Jalen Brunson early in that game due to an ankle injury. With them having to face the Golden State Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back, Brunson has already been ruled out, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
“Knicks' Jalen Brunson is out tonight against the Golden State Warriors with a right ankle sprain and listed day to day,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
It's uncertain how serious Brunson's injury is, but since he's listed as day-to-day, so it can't be that bad. If the Knicks do have to play without Brunson for some time, they should be able to manage with their guard depth, and also the other key pieces they have on the team.
The Knicks have stayed near the top of the Eastern Conference for most of the season, and it's been because of Brunson's play, who is averaging 28.2 points. When the Knicks need a bucket, they know who to go to, and when it's time to close a game, Brunson's number is called.
Article Continues Below
Brunson has been relatively healthy this season, which is good news for the Knicks, and the hope is that this injury doesn't slow him down. It was obvious the Knicks needed him against the Kings, but overall, they didn't look prepared to play. Head coach Mike Brown saw it as well.
“This is one of the worst if not the worst I've seen us play the entire year in terms of following a gameplan… gotta give the Kings credit… We were out there going through the motions, you go through the motions in this league you're gonna get your behind kicked,” Brown said after the game.
Hopefully, the Knicks can come out with better energy and focus against the Warriors.