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Jalen Brunson watched from the sidelines as the New York Knicks managed to hold off the LA Lakers 112-108 on the road. The point guard has been dealing with a left foot injury and has now missed New York's last five games.
Brunson previously had a walking boot on, but has reportedly progressed so that he can move around without it anymore. He was questionable over the last two games but still couldn't suit up tonight.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau expressed reservations about Jalen Brunson's return during the Knicks' West Coast trip. Brunson has now been officially ruled out by the team for New York's last leg with a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Thibodeau told the media in a post-game interview that Brunson will "continue to do treatments and see where he is."
After the game versus the Blazers on Tuesday night, Thibodeau's squad will not play again until Saturday. The four-day break might just be enough for the Knicks' starting point guard to be available again.
How Jalen Brunson injured his foot has not been ascertained based on reports. What is clear, though, is that he has hobbled, particularly since the Knicks lost to the Sacramento Kings last Thursday.
Brunson played great during that game, finishing with 19 points in 19 minutes but had to leave the game before the first half ended. He has missed the last two games against both Los Angeles teams and will miss the third one in Portland.
The New York Knicks are struggling in crucial games without Jalen Brunson
The New York Knicks have often looked disorganized and unsure when their veteran floor general is unavailable. They barely managed to eke out a win against the LA Lakers simply because they struggled without their primary shot creator.
The Knicks were on a nine-game winning streak that started with a 126-120 win over the Utah Jazz last Feb. 11. It was snapped with a 112-105 loss to the Charlotte Hornets last Mar. 7.
In their losses to the Hornets, the Sacramento Kings and the LA Clippers, Tom Thibodeau's offense stalled without Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks outlasted the Boston Celtics in two overtimes on the road without Brunson. Julius Randle played his mind out while Immanuel Quickley dropped a career-high 38 points to lead the team.
They will need something of that sort of performance from Randle and from somebody else to muster a win sans Brunson. In New York's win versus the LA Lakers, Randle was once again a beast.
The All-Star forward's blistering first half set the tone for the Knicks. RJ Barrett answered the bell tonight with 20 of 30 points in the second half. It was barely enough to hold off the hard-charging LA Lakers.
The New York Knicks are firmly in the top six in the Eastern Conference. They hold a 40-30 win-loss card, which puts them in sixth place, just three games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-27) for fourth place.
The Knicks might just have enough cushion to wait for Jalen Brunson to get fully healthy as they try to nail an outright playoff berth.
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