New York Knicks Star Jalen Brunson Leaves Game Early With Apparent Ankle Injury

It was supposed to be a narrative-driven night at the Golden 1 Center. Knick Head Coach Mike Brown was returning to Sacramento. It was set up as a classic “revenge game” scenario. Instead, the storyline shifted in a matter of seconds from a coach’s homecoming to a franchise’s worst nightmare.

The Knicks fell to the Kings 112-101, but the score was the least of anyone’s concerns. The real story was Jalen Brunson limping to the locker room less than five minutes into the first quarter.

The Moment Every Knicks Fan Feared

There are injuries where you see the contact, you see the collision, and you understand the damage. Then there are the non-contact injuries—the ones that make sports fans mute the TV and stare at the ceiling.

Brunson was doing what he does best: sizing up a defender. He had Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud on an island, went into his dribble package with a hesitation move, and then he just went down. No stepped-on foot, no knee-to-knee collision. He rolled his right ankle, collapsed on the ball, and the air immediately left the building for the Knicks faithful.

He tried to shake it off, but he couldn’t stay out there. He exited with 7:01 left in the first, snapping a streak of 18 straight 20-point games. The immediate panic was about the long-term health of the engine that makes this Knicks car run.

A Sigh Of Relief On the Injury Front

While Brunson didn’t return to the game, the post-game vibes were significantly less apocalyptic than the in-game visuals. According to reports from the arena, the All-Star guard left the locker room walking under his own power. No walking boot. No crutches. No wheelchair.

For a guy who just rolled his ankle badly enough to leave a game in the first quarter, walking out in his own sneakers is basically a victory parade. While the team hasn’t given an official timeline yet, avoiding immediate immobilization suggests this might be a day-to-day irritation rather than a season-altering disaster. With a game against Golden State looming less than 24 hours later, his status is obviously in doubt, but the long-term prognosis looks like a bullet dodged.

No Brunson, No Offense

Once the shock of the injury wore off, a basketball game still had to be played, and it got ugly for New York fast.

Without their floor general, the Knicks looked like a team trying to assemble furniture without the instructions. They missed 19 of their first 20 three-pointers. They fell behind by 20 in the second quarter and by 25 in the third. While they made a run late to make the final score look respectable, this game was decided the moment #11 walked down the tunnel.

To make matters worse, the Knicks got torched by a ghost from their past. Precious Achiuwa, who bounced from New York to Sacramento, decided to look like an All-NBA center against his former squad. He put up 20 points and snatched a season-high 14 rebounds.

Mike Brown’s Unhappy Homecoming

You have to feel a little bit for Brown. He walked into the arena to a nice ovation, acknowledging what he built in Sacramento. He wanted to leave with a win. Instead, he left with a loss, an injured star, and the sound of Kings fans chanting “Light the Beam!” ringing in his ears.

Brown was blunt after the game, admitting his team “got their behind kicked” and noting that even before Brunson went down, the team wasn’t executing the game plan. The Kings’ duo of DeMar DeRozan (27 points) and Zach LaVine (25 points) did whatever they wanted, dismantling a Knicks defense that usually prides itself on being gritty.

What’s Next for New York?

The Knicks (25-15) have now lost six of their last eight. It’s officially a slump. The team has zero time to feel sorry for themselves. They have a back-to-back against the Warriors coming up immediately. If Brunson can’t go, someone else has to wake up. Mikal Bridges had a rough first half, and while Karl-Anthony Towns had 13 points, the team needs him to be a dominant force, not a complementary piece, when Brunson sits.

For now, Knicks fans can sleep a little easier knowing their star walked out of the arena on two feet. But the loss in Sacramento served as a stark, somewhat terrifying reminder: This team goes exactly as far as Brunson takes them, and not a step further.