New York Knicks starting point guard Jalen Brunson is nursing a contused right quad and his status for Sunday’s match against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies is questionable.
Brunson hit the floor hard after colliding with Portland guard Josh Hart late in the Knicks’ 132-129 overtime loss Friday night. The 26-year-old Brunson was seen wincing in pain after the collision in the final 3:08 of the overtime that netted Hart’s sixth foul.
Brunson still finished the game with team-high 32 points, his second straight 30-point effort. But he missed a potential game-winning floater at the end of the regulation.
More than Brunson’s team-leading 21.4-point and 6.5-assist average, his leadership and composure will be big shoes to fill.
If Brunson misses time, Immanuel Quickley could be given a spot start as Derrick Rose remains questionable with a sore right toe.
Quickley is averaging a career-low 9.5 points on 37.6 percent shooting off the bench this season. But he’s made a splash in his three career starts, averaging 22.3 points while shooting 46.3 percent, with 6.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
Julius Randle could also revert to his old ways as a point forward for the Knicks without Brunson.
Ja Morant and the 11-8 Grizzlies, coming off a massive 132-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, will be a handful to the Knicks if they miss the two players who played well against them in their first meeting.
Cam Reddish, who had 22 points in Memphis on opening night, is still questionable with a sore right groin.
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