Knicks seemingly survive major Jalen Brunson injury scare

New York Knicks fans collectively held their breath toward the end of the first quarter of the franchise’s Game 1 NBA Finals contest vs. the San Antonio Spurs, and it had nothing to do with their  27-19 deficit. 

Jalen Brunson’s status for the rest of the contest seemed to be in serious jeopardy, as the Knicks’ superstar limped off the floor shortly before the opening quarter concluded. 

Luckily for New York, Brunson checked back into the game in the second quarter, allowing the Knicks’ fan base to exhale.

Essentially, Harrison Barnes collided with Brunson’s knee, causing him to hit the deck and eventually make his way back to the Knicks’ locker room. While losing Brunson for an extended period wouldn’t have automatically made the Spurs NBA champions, it would surely have given them a leg up on the Knicks moving forward.

New York’s offense runs through the former Dallas Mavericks standout guard, as his ability to lure defenders to sleep on the perimeter, draw fouls due to his high IQ, and make all of the right reads after getting two feet in the paint make the Knicks hard to contain offensively.

The 29-year-old is averaging 26.9 points and 6.6 assists per game with the Knicks so far this postseason, shooting 48.6% from the field and 35.2% from long-range. It’ll be interesting to see how Brunson looks on the hardwood following a brief absence.

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