Brunson of the Knicks exits the game after landing awkwardly; Status Unknown – Winnipeg Free Press

NEW YORK (AP) — There wasn't the usual cheer from the sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden when the buzzer sounded to signal the New York Knicks' 123-113 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

The thoughts of the Knicks faithful have turned to the status of star guard Jalen Brunson, who led the team in minutes, points and assists per game this season. Brunson had 27 points and eight assists before exiting New York's 16th win in its last 19 games with a right ankle sprain and GG Jackson fouling out with 5:31 left.

New York did not provide a postgame update, with coach Tom Thibodeau saying only, “I don't think so,” when asked if he thought Brunson might return. Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein said the injury “looks like a sprained ankle from my perspective” when asked about it after the game.

The injury also resonated in the Memphis locker room.

“Hopefully he's healthy,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “He's obviously having a great season.”

Brunson reportedly left the Knicks locker room without shoes or a visible limp. When asked if he was worried about Brunson missing so much time, New York quarterback Donte DiVincenzo, who played with Brunson in college at Villanova, had confidence in his longtime teammate.

“I saw it go down, I saw it swing back and forth,” DiVincenzo said after the game. “Having played with him for so long, I'm not worried about Jalen at all. He's one of the toughest guys in the league.”

Brunson missed just two of New York's first 51 games. He's proven invaluable over the past three weeks, averaging 32.3 points and 6.8 assists in about 36 minutes per game for New York during that stretch despite losing All-Star Julius Randle and the injured OG Anunoby. Assisted in going 10-1.

If Brunson joins those two, center Mitchell Robinson, who has an ankle injury, and possible forward Josh Hart, who is recovering from a foot injury after the Knicks' win, New York's top five players could play minutes per game. at least until the All-Star Game on February 18th.

“You have a lot of games, so you have times, especially in front of the All-Stars, where you get beat up,” Hartenstein said. “So you have a team of guys ready to step up. We have a lot of guys who can step up. But yeah, we're a little sloppy.”

But according to DiVincenzo, don't count Brunson out just yet.

“I think he will play. I don't question that at all,” DiVincenzo said. I'm not worried about it.”

With injuries come opportunities, and DiVincenzo scored eight of New York's final 10 points on Tuesday and finished with 32 points after Brunson left.

“No matter the lineup, guys are in the NBA for a reason,” DiVincenzo said. “(Thibodeau) has a game plan and a game plan for us, and you're going to execute it and everybody's going to be aggressive, and you've seen guys have big nights, so I'm not worried about that.”