The New York Knicks had a tough night on Thursday, not only losing a game but possibly one of their biggest stars too.
At the end of the game, the Sacramento Kings walked away with the 122-117 victory, despite a strong rally toward the end of the game by the Knicks.
That wasn’t the only bad news for the Knicks.
As reported by Tomer Azarly and other reporters, Jalen Brunson aggravated a foot injury in the second quarter of the game and didn’t return after heading to the locker room.
Jalen Brunson, who came into today’s game vs. the Kings with left foot soreness, was able to play, but aggravated the injury in the 2nd quarter and did not return.
Clippers host the Knicks on Saturday afternoon.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 10, 2023
This is a troubling development for the Knicks, who face off against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday and desperately want Brunson back.
Brunson actually entered the night still nursing this injury but he seemed ready to play.
Apparently, the hard work against the Kings made things worse.
During his time on the court, Brunson scored 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting in just 19 minutes.
Following the game, head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t seem too worried about losing Brunson for more games, telling the New York Post, “I’ll speak with the medical people. You gotta trust them, and you trust Jalen.”
He added, “They’ll evaluate him, and whatever he needs, we’ll make sure he gets.”
For the season, Brunson is averaging 23.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game on 48.7% from the field.
He has been a major part of their recent success and has added new life and energy to the team.
As the regular season starts to wind down, the Knicks will definitely want Brunson playing as much as possible.
Without Brunson on Thursday, the Knicks fought as hard as they could but they just couldn’t match the intensity and speed of the surging Sacramento team.
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