The New York Knicks had an early injury scare in Game 1 of their 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
New York star point guard Jalen Brunson exited the first quarter of the series opener at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, with an apparent lower-body injury.
The former Villanova Wildcats star appeared to hurt his knee when Spurs veteran forward Harrison Barnes inadvertently collided with Brunson's knee.
Here is a look at that moment:
Jalen Brunson was in some discomfort after Harrison Barnes landed on his right knee.
Hope he is ok 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/jxCWqmxhb2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 4, 2026
Brunson had three points on a salty 1-for-7 shooting from the floor to go with a rebound, an assist and two turnovers in 11 minutes before he left Game 1.
The good news for the Knicks and their legions of supporters is that Brunson made it back to New York's bench, suggesting that he did not suffer anything serious from that collision with Barnes.
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UPDATE: Jalen Brunson is back on the bench for the Knicks. https://t.co/DWwiJXRels pic.twitter.com/VSQmicpCRA
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 4, 2026
The Knicks can't afford to lose the three-time All-Star in this series against a confident Spurs side that is fresh off dethroning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Brunson entered the NBA Finals as the Knicks' top scorer in the playoffs. In the Knicks' first 14 games of this postseason, Brunson paced the Knicks with averages of 26.9 points and 6.6 assists in 36.1 minutes.
Although he's returned to the contest, it will be interesting to monitor his status following the game and heading into Game 2 on Friday, still in San Antonio.
For what it's worth, New York's guard room also includes the likes of Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado and Tyler Kolek.
The New York Knicks had an early injury scare in Game 1 of their 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. New York star point guard Jalen Brunson exited the first quarter of the series opener at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, with an apparent lower-body injury.