New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson is yet again dealing with a potentially troubling injury concern after he rolled his right ankle during Wednesday night’s loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Brunson was attempting to get around Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud with 7:45 left in the first quarter when he suffered the injury while making his move. He fell and passed the ball before exiting the game. He did not return.
The Knicks did not provide an immediate update after the game, but Brunson reportedly left the arena with only a limp — no crutches or a walking boot.
This right ankle, though, has been a particular issue for the Knicks’ captain and superstar. He missed a month last season after spraining it and then did so again in November, which shelved him for two games.
If Brunson does miss time, Wednesday night provided some alarming foreshadowing. The Knicks looked lost without their leading man in a 112-101 loss to a Kings team that is now 11-30 this season. They shot 8-for-41 from three-point range.
“We didn’t respond at all [after losing Brunson],” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. “I got to give the Kings credit because they took it to us, and we didn’t respond in any way, shape, or form. But even before Jalen got hurt, we weren’t following the game plan, and I’m not sure why. But we were kind of just out there going through the motions. If you go through the motions in this league, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to get your behind kicked.”
Miles McBride, who would step in for Brunson if he is unavailable, shot 4-of-14 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range. Karl-Anthony Towns, the man who is supposed to pick up the scoring load in these situations, scored 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
