Knicks Injuries: RJ Barrett Out, Jalen Brunson Questionable As Texas Trip Carries On
As the New York Knicks try to pick up the pieces from their historically brutal loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, a major reinforcement could be ready to retake the floor.
The Knicks' official injury report for Thursday night's visit to San Antonio (8 p.m. ET, MSG) lists Jalen Brunson as questionable while RJ Barrett is officially out. Brunson and Barrett respectively stand as the Knicks' second and third-leading scorers entering Thursday night action.
Brunson missed his first game of the season on Tuesday, ironically held out of his first visit to American Airlines Center after spending his first four seasons with the Mavericks. Immanuel Quickley took his place at point guard in the opening five and bestowed a career-best 17 assists in defeat. Brunson endured a hip injury during Sunday's Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Barrett is confirmed to be missing his own first game of the season, limited to 96 seconds of action in Dallas on Tuesday after suffering a lacerated right index finger through a challenge with the hero of the week, Luka Dončić. With Brunson's absence on Tuesday, Barrett was one of four Knicks to have appeared in all 35 games so far this season, joining Quickley, Julius Randle, and Isaiah Hartenstein.
It's fair to assume that Quickley could make his second consecutive start (and third in the past five games), but the Knicks might have more expansive decisions to make: despite losing two regulars from their latest nine-man rotation, head coach Tom Thibodeau only brought Derrick Rose out of exile, keeping Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish nailed to the bench. Fournier, the Knicks' starting shooting guard on opening night, hasn't played since Nov. 13 while Reddish has been out since Dec. 3. Tuesday starters Quickley (51), Randle (45), and Quentin Grimes (48) all played over 40 minutes while Miles McBride, spelling the injured Barrett, played a career-high 46.
Barrett will sit out alongside Obi Toppin, who is missing his 11th consecutive game with a knee injury sustained in Dec. 7's win over Atlanta.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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