Knicks Lose Star Guard vs. Clippers

Life without their star guard has officially begun for the New York Knicks.

Dec 16, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Amir Coffey (7) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

California dreaming is officially a nightmare for the New York Knicks.

The injury report for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET, MSG) lists Jalen Brunson as out due to an ankle injury following Thursday's heartbreaker against the Los Angeles Lakers.

This will be the second game that Brunson misses this season, having previously missed Jan. 1's win over Utah as a late scratch due to calf tightness.

Brunson was in the mist of finishing off his latest masterpiece, a 39-point, 10-assist double-double as the Knicks (40-22) sought a statement win against the streaking Lakers. The point guard's attempt at a driving, equalizing double ended in disaster as his right ankle rolled after making contact with Austin Reaves.

Brunson struggled to put weight on the affected ankle in the immediate aftermath but stayed on the floor to sink the free throw awarded after Reaves was charged with a foul. The Knicks then gave their last foul to get Brunson off the floor and he immediately ventured to the visitors' locker room with 1:24 remaining. New York fell by a 113-109 final and remains winless in nine showings against the Association's top four teams by record.

With Brunson out, the Knicks have a plethora of backcourt options on the bench, including Miles McBride, Cameron Payne, and Landry Shamet, though they could opt for a bigger lineup now that Mitchell Robinson has retured from his own ankle woes. New York played Thursday's game without Precious Achiuwa, who stepped out due to a hamstring injury.

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