The New York Knicks received a massive scare when star point guard Jalen Brunson went down after suffering a left leg injury seconds into Sunday’s contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, a scare is all it appears to be.
After the game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that Brunson had suffered a knee contusion and X-rays were negative. So, both parties breathe a sigh of relief for now.
Thibodeau said Brunson had just “bumped knees” but didn’t say one way or the other whether or not further testing would be done, like an MRI.
Brunson went down less than a minute into Sunday’s matchup. After going up for a jump shot, he appeared to suffer the injury before hitting the ground, which fits Thibodeau’s explanation. Upon landing on the hardwood, Brunson immediately grabbed the knee before being helped off the court.
Initially, the Knicks ruled Brunson questionable to return before officially ruling him out soon after. Without him, fellow starters Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo stepped up, helping lead the Knicks to a 107-98 win over the Cavaliers on the road.
Hart had a triple-double, recording 13 points, 10 assists and 19 rebounds, while DiVincenzo posted a team-high 28 points, including six three-pointers. The Knicks improved to 36-25, which is good enough for fourth in the Eastern Conference, a full game ahead of the sixth-seeded Orlando Magic (35-26).
The day started with what looked to be a devastating blow to the Knicks season but ended with a win and good news on the team’s star, who’s likely the key to any success they might have in the postseason.