Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson exited Wednesday’s loss to Sacramento after just five minutes of action due to a sprained right ankle, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
According to Bondy, Brunson wasn’t using crutches or wearing a walking boot when he left the arena, which is a positive sign. Still, the team figures to be careful with the two-time All-Star, who missed about a month last season – and multiple games this past November – when he sprained the same ankle.
The Knicks struggled without their star guard available for most of the night on Wednesday — Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby made a combined 16-of-47 shots (34.0%) from the floor en route to a 112-101 loss to the Kings. New York will be back in action on Thursday as the team visits Golden State.
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland suffered a right foot injury on Wednesday in Philadelphia and is considered doubtful to play on Friday in a rematch with the Sixers, head coach Kenny Atkinson said after Wednesday’s victory, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). However, Donovan Mitchell told reporters that his teammate was in “good spirits” in the locker room. “That’s always a good sign,” Mitchell said. “That’s all we have.” Cavs wing Sam Merrill, who missed 14 games earlier in the season due to a right hand injury, also appeared to re-injured that hand on Wednesday and may miss time, Fedor notes.
- An already banged-up Mavericks squad lost two more players on Wednesday night vs. Denver, as Cooper Flagg exited the game with a left ankle sprain while Daniel Gafford aggravated a right ankle sprain he initially dealt with during training camp, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. It’s unclear if either player will be available when the Mavs host Utah on Thursday in the second game of a back-to-back set.
- Although Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija is unlikely to play on Thursday after missing Tuesday’s game vs. Golden State due to lower back soreness, it bodes well that his injury designation is “doubtful” rather than “out,” tweets Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report. That’s a signal that Avdija shouldn’t be facing an extended absence.