CLEVELAND — New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson will not return to Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team announced, after suffering a left knee injury. Brunson went down while shooting a jumper early in the first quarter. The Knicks are calling the injury a “sore left knee.”
Brunson dribbled from the left wing toward the foul line and hoisted the shot, kicking both legs out to the side awkwardly while he was on the way up. Brunson was clutching his knee even before he landed, and there was no apparent contact by Cavs defender Isaac Okoro to signal an injury. He hopped a few times before falling to the court, and was carried to the locker room with 11:13 left in the first quarter.
One possible cause of the injury occurred only seconds before Brunson went down, when he shuffled around a screen from his teammate, Isaiah Hartenstein, and accidentally banged knees with the center.
Brunson had not returned to the bench by the start of the third quarter. The Cavs led 53-51 at the half.
This rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series between the Cavs and Knicks had already lost some serious luster, with the Knicks missing Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson — who are rehabbing major injuries — while Cleveland was without Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert. Especially lately, the injury bug has bitten the Knicks. Hartenstein has popped in and out of the lineup with Achilles tendinopathy. Brunson just missed a game Tuesday because of neck spasms, as well.
Brunson, 27, an All-Star for the first time this season, is averaging 27.7 points and 6.7 assists — both career highs.
This story will be updated.
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
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