While the Golden State Warriors have been without Jonathan Kuminga now for over two months, they've otherwise been relatively healthy while others around them facing growing injury concerns.
No one can take away from the Warriors recent hot form that's seen them win 10 of their past 12 games, but there's also little doubt that they've taken advantage of some star absences on opposing teams.
On the recent five-game road-trip, Golden State played the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid (though they lost that game) and the New York Knicks without Karl-Anthony Towns. In the two games prior to the road-trip, the Warriors faced the Dallas Mavericks without Anthony Davis or really any of their usual center rotation, while LaMelo Ball was also missing in a 36-point blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Jalen Brunson will miss next Saturday's matchup with the Warriors
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As Golden State now prepares for a seven-game home-stand starting with the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, they're already aware of one opposing star who won't be visiting Chase Center next week.
Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson will be out at least two weeks with a right ankle sprain, having been injured in the final 90 seconds of his team's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
> New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a right ankle sprain.
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> — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) [March 8, 2025](https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1898161818004005149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Golden State are set to face New York next Saturday, and while they'll almost assuredly have Towns this time around, losing Brunson is going to put a major dent in the Knicks chances of avenging a 114-102 defeat at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Brunson had 25 points and seven assists on 9-of-18 shooting in that matchup, but the Warriors did a reasonable job containing the 2x All-Star as they outscored the Knicks 67-47 in the second-half. Brunson has averaged 26.3 points and 7.4 assists in 61 games this season, leading his team to a 40-22 record and to third spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
While the Warriors will now see an under-manned Knicks team next weekend, so too will a number of Western Conference rivals between now and then. New York will have to quickly move on from the Brunson injury and the overtime loss on Thursday when they face the L.A Clippers at Intuit Dome on the second night of a back-to-back.
They will then travel to Sacramento to face the Kings, who just like the Clippers are breathing down Golden State's neck in the West standings. New York will also play the resurgent Portland Trail Blazers before making their way to Chase Center.