New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson is expected to miss at least two weeks after spraining his right ankle late in Thursday night’s overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“You don’t replace a guy like him individually,” coach Tom Thibodeau said Friday before the Knicks lost to the LA Clippers 105-95, their third straight defeat. “We’re going to have to do it collectively.”
The team said it will provide an update on Brunson’s status in “approximately two weeks.”
Thibodeau said he didn’t know if Brunson would return before the regular season ends in five weeks.
“He’s as tough-minded as they come,” the coach said. “Whatever he has to do to get back on the court, he’ll be working at it around-the-clock I know that.”
Brunson, attempting a shot with 1:24 remaining in overtime, rolling the ankle when he came down on the foot of Lakers guard Austin Reaves after being fouled on a drive to the basket. Visibly in pain, Brunson was helped up by teammates and stayed in the game to make both free throws and tie the score at 107. He then went to the locker room.
Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 10 assists. He sent the game into overtime with a three-point play after the Lakers rallied from a double-digit deficit midway through the fourth quarter.
It’s hard to overstate Brunson’s importance to the Knicks’ explosive offensive attack. The two-time All-Star, who finished fifth in last season’s MVP voting, has controlled the ball for an NBA-high 8.7 minutes per game this season, according to Second Spectrum data. Brunson’s late-game play has been particularly noteworthy, with his 145 points in clutch scenarios tied for most in the league.
The 28-year-old captain is seventh in the league in scoring (26.3 points per game) and eighth in assists (7.4).
Brunson remained with the team Friday. New York’s West Coast trip continues with games at Sacramento, Portland and Golden State. The Knicks are third in the Eastern Conference, 3 games ahead of fourth-place Milwaukee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
