Knicks fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
The team announced Friday that Jalen Brunson will miss at least two weeks due to an ankle sprain suffered in Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks say they will update Brunson’s status in approximately two weeks.
As SNY’s Ian Begley notes, while the specific sprain grade is unknown, there is a feeling that the diagnosis is much better than what was initially feared when Brunson landed on Austin Reaves‘ foot after he was fouled while going up for a layup in the final moments of overtime.
Brunson writhed in pain and was helped to his feet. The All-Star guard hit his two free throws before he was helped to the locker room, where he remained for the duration of the game.
Begley reported that initial X-rays of Brunson’s ankle came back negative, with the image showing no broken bones.
The Knicks ruled Brunson out for Friday’s matchup with the Clippers before this latest update, and this new timeline will keep New York’s point guard out for much longer.
Entering Friday, the Knicks (40-22) are just 3.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Brunson has played in all but two games this season, averaging 26.1 points and a career-best 7.4 assists per game while averaging 35.4 minutes per contest.
SNY
