Knicks Face Competitive Crossroads With Jalen Brunson’s Ankle Injury

It initially looked like Brunson could not prolong his fight after the fall.

Brunson stayed on the ground while officials reviewed the Lakers’ challenge. He eventually stood up with assistance, but he limped any time he tried to put weight on his right foot. He hesitated to join a team huddle near the Knicks bench.

Instead, Brunson and Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns stood near the free-throw line until the officials finished their review. Once the officials upheld their call, Brunson kept a stationary stance while he shot the two free throws. Though a team official stood near him, Brunson walked toward an entrance tunnel on his own.

“He wanted to shoot them. So we were going to do everything in our power to help him shoot those two free throws,” Towns said. “He went up there and did what he does best. At times of high pressure, he made both of them.”

The Knicks (40-22) couldn’t handle that high pressure after Brunson left the floor.

Towns, who scored only 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting, committed fouls on consecutive possessions. The Lakers (40-21) made all six free-throw attempts. And the Knicks missed three of their last five shots.

Technically, the Knicks will have more clarity on Brunson’s health after he undergoes tests on his right ankle beginning Friday morning. The Knicks said Brunson only received treatment after the game. Thibodeau added that he hadn’t talked with him afterward to gauge his spirits.

Inside the locker room, though, Brunson’s teammates spoke as if they would play without him in Friday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers (33-29) at Intuit Dome.

“We have to put up some new plays, get other guys involved,” Hart said. “You never want anyone to get hurt. But now this is an opportunity for other guys’ names to be called. We have confidence in everybody here. So we have to go out there, be aggressive and everyone step it up and compete.”

New York has fulfilled that job description well enough to rank third in a crowded Eastern Conference. Though Brunson received M-V-P chants from visiting Knicks fans throughout Thursday’s game against the Lakers, the Knicks have respectable depth.

After New York acquired Towns from Minnesota before this season, he made his fifth All-Star appearance for his offensive versatility. The Knicks have three consistent two-way wings (Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby). But that did not prove good enough against the Lakers, who featured Luka Dončić (32 points, 12 assists) and LeBron James (31 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) showcasing their brilliance. Plus, the Knicks are a combined 0-5 against Cleveland (52-10) and Boston (45-18), the East’s top two teams.

With 20 regular-season games left, the Knicks don’t have much luxury to rest players, let alone absorb Brunson’s absence. New York trails Cleveland by 12 games for first place and the Celtics by 4 ½ games for second. The Knicks only have a 3 ½-game edge over Milwaukee (36-25) for third.

Just as Brunson stayed determined to attack the basket and to shoot his two foul shots after his injury, however, New York suddenly doesn’t have any other choice but to adopt the same mindset.

“We’re going to keep this team intact with the way we’ve been playing all year,” Towns said. “We’ve been playing with grit. We have to go out there and do it again.”