The New York Knicks dodged a bullet with their superstar point guard, Jalen Brunson. At the beginning of the second half of Tuesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Brunson took an awkward fall after stepping on Caleb Martin’s foot, rolling his right ankle in the process.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson suffered an ankle injury against the 76ers
Brunson would then limp toward the Knicks’ bench before heading to the locker room. Luckily for them, Brunson emerged from the locker room fairly quickly and was able to return to the game. The Knicks’ captain would score 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and turn around what was a rough game prior to the closing period.
New York has already had injury trouble to begin the season, as Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) have yet to take the court this season and Cameron Payne missed four games with a strained left hamstring. Payne returned to the floor Tuesday night against Philadelphia, where he recorded three points, three rebounds, and three assists in nine minutes off the bench.
The Knicks need Brunson to stay healthy
New York cannot afford to lose Brunson, as their depth has already been depleted this season thanks to the aforementioned injuries as well as the offseason trades to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Brunson was a part of the Knicks’ slew of injuries last season, as he suffered a broken hand in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and underwent surgery in the offseason to repair it. The Knicks would go on to lose Game 7 and head home early during the playoffs.
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The All-Star guard could still be getting over the effects of that injury, as it has been somewhat of a slow start to the season for him. He is averaging 24.3 points and 6.4 assists on 46% shooting from the floor and 38% from three, but is also averaging 2.2 turnovers per game. He had a season-high six turnovers in the win over the 76ers on Tuesday.
Regardless, Brunson seems to have avoided a serious ankle injury and the Knicks can breathe a sigh of relief as they prepare to take on the Chicago Bulls back home at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 P.M. EST.
