Mar 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) walks on the court before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Knicks Lose Star Guard Ahead of Grizzlies Matchup

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Apr 1, 2026 6:48 PM ET

The New York Knicks head into Memphis already on a three-game losing streak, and the injury news that dropped before tip-off made things worse.

New York Post reporter Stefan Bondy confirmed on X: "Jalen Brunson is OUT for the Knicks tonight. He's sitting with right ankle soreness."

Brunson had been listed as questionable earlier in the night before being ruled out.

Jalen Brunson is OUT for the Knicks tonight. He’s sitting with right ankle soreness.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) April 1, 2026

Brunson is not alone on the sideline. Mitchell Robinson is out for injury management on the second night of a back-to-back, and Miles McBride is also sitting out tonight. McBride did return from sports hernia surgery recently and played one game, but is not available for the second leg of a back-to-back just yet.

That is three key rotation players gone in one night. The Knicks are already 48-28 and fighting to hold onto third place in the East, just one game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers with six games remaining.

Memphis sits at 25-50 and is one of the weaker teams in the league right now. But this Knicks team has shown all March that a bad matchup on paper does not always mean a comfortable win. They have dropped games to teams they had no business losing to.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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