Knicks preparing to play without Jalen Brunson (again)
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives against Kings guard Malik Monk during the first quarter of an NBA game in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday. Credit: AP/Randall Benton
LOS ANGELES — Imaginations were running wild as the Knicks made their way through nine consecutive wins, capturing interest across the NBA and ascending the Eastern Conference standings. And much of that success and the rising hopes of playoff success centered around the play of Jalen Brunson.
And now? The Knicks again are wracked by uncertainty, uttering bold statements about how they’ll move forward but waiting to find out just how long they might have to endure without their floor general.
Brunson sat out two games with a sore left foot and returned Thursday in Sacramento. But after fighting through the pain (and scoring 19 points in 19:25 to keep the Knicks in the game), he gave in to the injury and was held out for the second half.
He has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Clippers.
While the Knicks have been vague in their description of the injury and a timeline, the way he was laboring and the nature of a foot injury could mean an extended stay on the sideline.
“Obviously, it’s tough because we were playing so well,” Josh Hart said. “He’s playing at an All-Star-caliber level this whole year. So it’s tough not to have him. But we are a talented team, a tough group and a resilient group. We went into Boston, one of the best teams in the league, without him and won a tough double-overtime game.
“So I mean, obviously, it [stinks]. First and foremost, we want him healthy and want to get him back. At times a group can overcome adversity. That’s something we have to do. We have three more games on the road trip. We have to focus on whoever we play. Who do we play next? The Clippers? Focus on them.”
Perhaps it’s a sign of that focus that as Hart finished off a 15-rebound (eight offensive) game, his mind was on the Kings, not anything beyond the task at hand. And that certainly will be required if the Knicks are to survive without Brunson.
After the Clippers, the Knicks will face the Lakers on Sunday and the Trail Blazers on Tuesday before three days off.
“I mean, it’s obviously going to be tough to replace his production,” Julius Randle said. “We’ll do it. We’re up to the task. Right now we’ve just got to find a way to lock in, basically really the defensive end more than anything, and get off to a little bit better starts . . . I feel like we’ll be fine.”
While Tom Thibodeau said “different injuries” when asked if this is comparable to what Quentin Grimes faced in training camp and early in the season, the sore foot he dealt with nagged him for more than a month.
The Knicks lead the sixth-place Nets by a half-game and the seventh-place Heat by three games. Finishing higher than seventh would mean avoiding the play-in tournament.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
