Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Spotted Walking Unassisted After Ankle Injury—Has the Recovery Surprised Everyone?

When you hear a loud thud early in a game and then see a key player hobbling off the court, your heart just sinks a bit, doesn’t it? That was the scene on Wednesday as Jalen Brunson, the very heartbeat of the Knicks, went down with a right ankle injury barely seven and a half minutes into the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings. Now, despite the grim moment when he limped off and didn’t return, there’s a silver lining that caught my eye—later chatter from reporters and eyewitnesses noted Brunson left the locker room without the hefty boot or crutches you’d dread seeing. Sure, no formal update from the team yet, which always leaves the door wide open for speculation and nail-biting. His early exit seemed to knock the wind out of New York’s sails, and they struggled mightily on offense the rest of the way, but here’s hoping this isn’t the start of another extended absence—remember, he’s wrestled with that same ankle before. Knicks fans have a long night ahead heading west to face the Warriors, and the question hanging large is just how soon their captain might rally back. LEARN MORE

Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffered a right ankle injury in the first quarter of Wednesday’s 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings and never returned. However, there was a good sign following the game.

According to multiple eyewitness accounts, including from The Athletic’s James Edwards, the guard left the locker room without a boot or crutches.

There wasn’t an update on Brunson’s condition from the team.

The incident occurred with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter when Brunson tried to cross up Maxime Raynaud on the wing, but slipped and fell, appearing to turn his ankle.

Brunson tried to remain in the game, but checked out with 7:01 on the clock and headed to the locker room.

New York trailed Sacramento, 16-8, at the time and never recovered. Without their captain, the Knicks shot just 39 percent from the field, including 8-for-41 from three (19.5 percent).

Brunson was initially designated as questionable to return, but the Knicks delivered the update just before the second half started. Brunson had scored four points on 2-for-3 shooting, missing a three-pointer, in five minutes of action.

The Knicks guard missed two games last November when he sprained the same ankle against the Orlando Magic.

It’s unclear whether Brunson will miss games this time around, but the Knicks have a quick turnaround as they continue their road trip against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.