Jalen Brunson Tweaks Ankle, Returns to Knicks Playoff Opener

Jalen Brunson appeared to tweak his previously injured ankle during the New York Knicks' postseason debut against the Detroit Pistons.

Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) gestures after making a three-point shot in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks' captain briefly retreated to the infirmary during the 2025 postseason opener against the Detroit Pistons but has since returned to action.

Madison Square Garden held its breath amidst Game 1 quarterfinal action on Saturday, as Jalen Brunson spent a good bit of the third quarter hobbling after appearing to roll the same ankle that caused him to miss about a month of late regular season action. Brunson was in the locker room at the onset of the fourth period but has since returned to the game.

Brunson brief foot scare, gets up OK pic.twitter.com/peFhcym0sz
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 20, 2025

The Brunson incident occurred in the latter stages of the third period, as he drove against Detroit defender Dennis Schroder. Brunson stayed down for a little longer than usual after the latter was charged for a foul but finished out the third before briefly retreating for the locker room. While New York has trailed for most of the second half, they managed to tread water sans Brunson, keeping the deficit to Detroit manageable while he recovered behind the scenes.

Despite some early struggles, Brunson had 22 points for the Knicks over the first three periods of the game. He missed all but two of his first 13 tries from the field but went on to hit five of his next seven.

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