The New York Knicks really let one get away from them on Thursday evening. In the first of a five-game West Coast road trip, the Knicks squandered a nine-point halftime lead, losing the contest 113-109 in overtime.
The biggest reason why they almost won is, funnily enough, the same reason why they lost in the end: Jalen Brunson. He finished the night with 39 points, 10 dimes, and four boards.
But he could've had even more if not for a nasty ankle roll he suffered while being fouled by Los Angles' Austin Reaves with just 1:24 left in OT. Brunson went up for a lay-up and earned the foul, but his right foot came down on top of Reaves', which resulted in a jarring ankle roll that will make you wince.
Significant ankle injury for Jalen Brunson tonight
-X-Ray will need to rule out fracture
-MRI will determine severity of ankle sprain
Timeline of healing will be based on severity
Grade I: 1-2 weeks
Grade II: 3-6 weeks
Grade III: 6-12 weeks pic.twitter.com/ryDJbTGPuN
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) March 7, 2025
Brunson, gritty as he is, stayed in to nail both free throws against the Lakers, which actually tied the game at 107. However, he exited immediately after, unable to put much weight on his right leg.
Considering Brunson had scored all eight of New York's overtime points at that juncture, it was no surprise that they were outscored 6-2 in the finale 84 seconds without him on the court to seal the loss.
After seeing the severity of the roll, Brunson was always going to be closer to doubtful than probable for the back-half of New York's L.A. back-to-back against the Clippers on Friday.
The NBA Injury Report on Friday confirmed that Brunson had been ruled out for that night's game and would be inactive.
The news that he'll be in street clothes on Friday comes after the Knicks faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief upon learning that Brunson's X-rays came back negative with no bone issues.
I don't know the severity of Jalen Brunson's ankle injury but the X-ray of the injury last night came back negative, per SNY sources familiar with the matter. Initial image showed no broken bones for the All Star guard.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 7, 2025
While any ankle fractures are thankfully out of the realm of possibilities, there's still a wide range of outcomes here. Depending on if the ankle sprain turns out to be a Grade 1, Grade 2, or Grade 3 issue, he could be out anywhere from one week to three months.
The Knicks have a good cushion in third place in the East at the moment, with their 40-22 record giving them a 3.5-game edge over the Milwaukee Bucks in fourth. That means they don't need to rush him back, no matter how badly Knicks fans will want that.
Knicks fans running to donate our ankles to Jalen Brunson
pic.twitter.com/m3c06QXWLM
— EverythingKnicks (@EverythinKnicks) March 7, 2025
Besides, New York won the only game he's missed this season by 16, and they're a decent 10-12 straight up without Brunson since he joined the Knicks in 2022.
Brunson is averaging 26.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in 61 games for New York this season.
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 5:20 PM.