Knicks’ Jalen Brunson expected to miss time
Star point guard Jalen Brunson suffered an ankle injury in the New York Knicks’ overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. He will miss an extended stretch.
Brunson made two free throws but immediately left the game. He finished the game with 39 points and 10 assists, which nearly put the Knicks past the Lakers.
“His mental toughness is through the roof,” Thibodeau said via ESPN. “It doesn’t surprise me the way he played the whole game. He still keeps battling and battling.”
The Knicks are in third place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 40-22 record. They are on a five-game road trip and have lost their first two games against the Lakers and LA Clippers.
New York will face the Sacramento Kings on Monday, the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, and finish up against the red-hot Golden State Warriors on March 15.
Brunson is putting together another impressive campaign. He’s seventh in the league with 26.3 points and eighth with 7.4 assists. His absence leaves a significant void for playmaking and scoring.
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All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns will step into the primary scoring role. Since returning from injury, Towns has struggled to find his rhythm, averaging 18.0 points and 13.3 rebounds while shooting 37.8 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Josh Hart may also play a more significant role in the ball-handling duties with Brunson out of action. Hart is coming off posting a double-double with 14 points, 20 rebounds, and six assists in the loss against the Clippers.
