For some players, this could be a reality. Pre-match training to test for an injury could really be a last-second decision. But for Jalen Brunson, it seems like it’s just a formality.
Testing his bruised left knee about 90 minutes before Friday night’s game, Brunson showed few signs of the pain that kept him sidelined 47 seconds into his last game and forced him to miss the following. He needed help to get off the court and into the locker room Sunday, scaring Knicks fans. But if he can go, Brunson will go. So when the starting lineup was announced Friday night at the Garden, he was back.
And maybe it was that simple for the Knicks: get Brunson back and get back on track. With their All-Star point guard in the lineup, the Knicks rolled to an easy wire-to-wire 98-74 victory over the Magic, pushing their way past Orlando into fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The 74 points given up by the Knicks (37-26) marked the first time they held an opponent under 75 since April 13, 2012. It was the fewest allowed by an NBA team this season.
Brunson led the Knicks with 26 points in 28:42. Josh Hart had another night of doing a little bit of everything with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Precious Achiuwa added 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and five blocked shots and Deuce McBride had 14 points in 19:18 off the bench.
The Knicks once again got a lead from their star and something up and down the roster with the replenished roster.
“You have nothing but respect for him because he’s doing everything he can to come back,” coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson. “Two training sessions a day, he’s on the ground. He pushes himself in training. He comes early, stays late. Go through practice. He comes back at night, gets treatment. He trains again, then prepares, doesn’t take any days off, and that’s why he can do what he does.
“A big boost,” Hart said of Brunson’s return. “We have guys who can fill the void, but it’s important to find him, to get a good win against a good team, especially when tough games are coming up. I hope we get the guys back and get back to regular programming.
It was vital to have Brunson available against the Magic, who had beaten the Knicks three times this season before Friday night. In two of those games, the Knicks didn’t have Brunson.
When he went down Sunday, it might have looked like it was a long-term injury, something that could deal a serious blow to their playoff chances.
“I thought of a thousand different situations of what it could have been,” Brunson said. “And I’m just glad that’s not the case.”
With Brunson returning, everything seemed to click into place as the Knicks took an 8-0 lead. By the end of the quarter, he had 10 points and appeared to show no ill effects from his injury. Behind Brunson’s 17 points, the Knicks opened a 16-point halftime lead.
The lead grew to 26 points in the second half, and Brunson finally ended the night when Hart flew in for a dunk following Brunson’s miss with 3:13 left and the Knicks leading by 23.
It was a relief for the Knicks and perhaps a sign that with a tight seeding and the playoffs not far away, they might finally be headed toward good health and ready for the final run.
“We’re not at full strength, but we still have to find a way to get there,” Thibodeau said before the game. “We have more than enough.”
That’s Thibodeau’s default statement, but the Knicks — who were without four starters in their loss to the Hawks on Tuesday — might have enough before long. Brunson is back and OG Anunoby appears to be close to a return to play, as he has started practicing fully with the team.
“Every game we have a chance to win,” Thibodeau said. “If we defend, if we rebound and if we take care of the ball, we will be in a position to win. It doesn’t matter who you play, it doesn’t matter where.
