Knicks Injuries: Why is Jalen Brunson Out vs. Magic?
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The New York Knicks announced shortly before their Thursday night game against the Orlando Magic that primary point guard Jalen Brunson would not play due to a sprained right hand.
Mitchell Robinson was also listed on the late injury report, originally labeled questionable with a knee injury. He was ruled available and was in his usual spot in the starting five against Orlando.
Though Brunson missed five games with a foot injury sustained in his previous visit to Florida, briefly leaving the Knicks' penultimate-second victory in Miami on Mar. 3, this is a new ailment. Immanuel Quickley started in Brunson's place again while reserve Miles McBride took his spot in head coach Tom Thibodeau's nine-man rotation.
Thibodeau was mum on specifics about the injury in his pregame comments, remarking only that it happened “during the course of the game" according to the New York Post, referring to the Knicks' Wednesday loss in Miami.
The injury keeps Brunson out of a suddenly important Knicks contest: New York (42-32) is on relatively safe ground in terms of earning some kind of postseason spot but Wednesday's loss to the Heat put them only two games ahead of the hosting seventh-placers to avoid the purgatory of the Play-In Tournament. They're facing a Magic group in fatal territory, a stone's throw away from elimination for the third straight season. A rematch with the Heat awaits next Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Miami does not play on Thursday night, returning to action against sixth-place Brooklyn on Saturday.
New York has posted a 5-4 record sans Brunson last season, including a 3-2 mark in the Western Conference tour last week.
Orlando had a 24-22 lead over the Knicks at the end of the first quarter on Thursday night.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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