Knicks star Jalen Brunson has injury scare in Game 1 of NBA Finals
Jalen Brunson's First Quarter Was a Wild Ride in Game 1 of the NBA Finals
By Maine News Now Staff
The NBA Finals tipped off Wednesday night, and for the New York Knicks, the first quarter of Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs delivered more drama than anyone in their fanbase bargained for, with their franchise player at the center of every bit of it.
It started barely four minutes into the game. Brunson, the All-Star guard who has carried New York through these playoffs, collided with Spurs reserve Harrison Barnes near the baseline. Barnes was falling to the floor and made contact with Brunson's right knee. Brunson immediately grabbed at the leg, his body language unmistakable, and checked out of the game before heading to the locker room for evaluation.
The Knicks' bench area went quiet. Brunson is averaging 26.9 points and 6.6 assists this postseason, and there is no version of this team that can simply absorb his absence. He is the engine. He is the offense. He is the reason New York is playing in its first NBA Finals since 1999.
Trainers kept Brunson on the sideline, and after several tense minutes he returned to the bench. He was still in his warmups. Medical staff were discussing with him whether to put a knee brace on before letting him back in, and the television cameras lingered on Brunson as he watched his team play without him. When the decision was made, he checked back in, and for a brief moment, relief washed over the New York side of the court.
Then things got worse, in a different way.
On a drive along the left side, Brunson rose for a high floater that rattled home. As he came back down, his left ankle rolled, and to make matters worse, Knicks center Luke Kornet stepped on the same ankle during the play. Brunson stayed down, limped, and walked directly over to veteran referee Scott Foster, clearly furious and arguing that he had been fouled. He wanted free throws, and he wanted the league's officials to acknowledge the contact.
After a brief timeout, Brunson didn't retreat to the bench or the tunnel. He stayed on the floor, stayed in the game, and slowly started to find a rhythm.
The early body of work, though, was rough even before the injuries. Brunson opened the game by knocking down his first three-pointer, then went cold in a hurry, missing his next six attempts in the opening quarter. By the time the first quarter ended, he was 5-of-15 from the field for 11 points, with three rebounds and two assists. Not the start New York had hoped for from the man they depend on most, especially given the stakes.
For a team that waited a quarter-century to get back to this stage, and against the same opponent it last played here, the opening 12 minutes were a stress test. The Knicks are still waiting to see exactly which version of Jalen Brunson they will have for the rest of this series, and so is everyone else watching.
