On Thursday, March 6, 2025, NBA fans witnessed an absolute thriller between two of the biggest brands in basketball. The New York Knicks came into Crypto.com Arena to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in a clash between top-three seeds.
After a back-and-forth affair, the Lakers ultimately rallied in overtime to secure a 113-109 victory. The Lakers are now on an eight-game winning streak and have lost just two games since the start of February.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, not only did they lose the game, but they also lost their best player, Jalen Brunson to an injury.
What Experts Are Saying About Jalen Brunson’s Injury
It was in the high-pressure, do-or-die moments of overtime when Brunson drove hard to the basket out in transition and, while soaring towards the rim, collided with the Lakers wing Austin Reaves. In the midst of a chaotic scramble under the basket, Brunson landed awkwardly and immediately started to grab at the back of his right ankle.
Jalen Brunson headed to the locker room after suffering a leg injury on this play
He stayed in to shoot his FT's pic.twitter.com/bw4jrE3Uhj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 7, 2025
Thankfully, early reports are suggesting that what initially looked like a potentially devastating blow might actually be “just” a sprained ankle, as noted by NBA insider Chris Haynes:
“There’s optimism New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson only sustained a sprained ankle, sources tell me,” Haynes posted.
While a sprain at this point in the season is certainly no minor inconvenience, it’s a relief considering how much worse it could have been. As soon as he started to clutch at the back of his ankle, the absolute worst possible scenario entered many NBA fans’ minds.
However, any basketball fan knows that even a sprain can sideline a player of Brunson’s caliber for anywhere from one to two weeks, if not longer. Entering the home stretch of the season, Brunson being sidelined is certainly “a bummer,” as teammate Josh Hart said.
A Tough Road Ahead for the New York Knicks
Brunson’s injury could not have come at a worse time for the Knicks. With just 20 games left in the season and New York barely holding onto the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, a few wins or losses here or there could make a big difference in their playoff seeding.
A month from now, they could potentially move ahead of the Boston Celtics to snatch the No. 2 seed or fall all the way down past the Detroit Pistons as the No. 6 seed.
The Knicks’ remaining strength of schedule lands right in the middle among NBA teams (16), so things could be worse. However, considering their next few games are all against hungry teams fighting for a playoff spot, losing Brunson is certainly less than ideal.
In the next two weeks that Brunson is expected to miss, the Knicks will play the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat.
The Knicks still have a very deep roster, but Brunson’s ability to score, distribute, and make clutch plays will be extremely hard to replace, even on a temporary basis.