Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks’ shooting guard, has become an indispensable player in the team, owing to his on-court dazzle. The young star, since showcasing his on-court potential, has amassed a significant list of awards and accolades.
Amidst a devastating incident involving Jalen Brunson, in the recent Boston Celtics matchup, concerns are high, if the team’s best player will feature in the team’s next fierce regular season encounter with the Toronto Raptors.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson move raises eyebrows before epic Raptors game
The New York Knicks didn’t only lose a matchup against the Boston Celtics by 123-133, but the Knicks also lost their best player Jalen Brunson to a devastating ankle injury. While Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, used his bench, the Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, refused to do the same.
Jalen Brunson significantly turned his ankle on a freak play as Celtics guard Derrick White shot a free throw with barely 21 seconds left on the game clock. After White made the free throw, with his sub eagerly waiting to check in on the sideline, Brunson accidentally stepped on the foot of backup guard Payton Pritchard, twisting his ankle. He was seen hobbling to the sidelines, where he buried his head in a towel while sitting on the bench. The young star was also unavailable for the post-game conference.
Meanwhile, Celtics head coach Mazzulla had taken off AI Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday, and subbed out Jayson Tatum, while White, the final starter, was at the foul line. Thibodeau is known to play his starters late in matchups, even if they are exhausted.
However, this time, it came to hurt the Knicks against the Celtics, which was unclear if Jalen Brunson, would miss significant matchups, owing to his ankle injury. Also, Thibodeau had offered no additional information on Brunson’s health status, and he claimed not to have spoken with the team trainers yet.
Jalen Brunson’s ankle injury
Following the recent loss to the Boston Celtics, in which star player Jalen Brunson sustained an ankle injury, there was high concern about the player missing several Knicks’ games, including Monday’s encounter with the Raptors.
According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau disclosed that point guard Jalen Brunson is “good” with the ankle and will feature in the home game against the Toronto Raptors. It’s worth recalling that the young star had twisted his ankle in the recent 123-133 loss to the Celtics.
Jalen Brunson, against the Celtics, had equaled RJ Barret on a team-high 23 points, before his ankle injury. Unfortunately for the Knicks, they couldn’t contain the dominance of Derrick White, as he finished with 30 points. Star player Kristaps Porzingis, achieved 21 points, as he returned from injury.
After Jalen Brunson’s injury incident against the Celtics, it labeled him as questionable for the Raptors’ matchup. The coach, however, remained unfazed and disclosed that he had no regrets about leaving Brunson on the court. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson, before his ankle injury, had been impressive, averaging a career-high 24.8 points on 46.6% shooting, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists for the Knicks.
The Knicks, on a 12-9 record in the season, and seating 8th in the Eastern Conference’s ranking, will need the prowess of Jalen Brunson, to improve their season results.
