Knicks fans held their collective breath on Tuesday night after another key player went down with an injury, this time Jalen Brunson falling to the floor and clutching his ankle after it turned over during the fourth quarter of New York's win over the depleted Grizzlies.
Brunson walked off the floor under his own power after grabbing at his ankle in pain. He waved off the medical staff, retied his shoe, and went to the bench for a Knicks timeout. But he then went to the locker room under his own power and did not return for the final five minutes of play.
While Knicks fans panicked over the unknown of their best player's health, Brunson's teammates were more optimistic after finishing off their ninth win in the last 10 games.
"Playing with him for so long, I said 'you good?' and he's like 'I'm good,' and I didn't ask anything after that," Donte DiVincenzo said.
"I don't worry about Jalen at all. He's one of the toughest guys in the league. So I'm not worried."
Brunson sat his usual time early in the fourth quarter, returning with New York leading by 20. But the lead dwindled to 10 by the time he rolled his ankle in another Knicks injury that happened late in a game that should have been in the bag (Julius Randle separated his shoulder late in the fourth quarter of a double-digit win over the Heat).
"You read the game," head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I tell you guys that no lead is safe, you gotta read the game."
