Jan 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Knicks guards Josh Hart (3) and Jalen Brunson (11) at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Knicks Stars Address Statuses After Game 5 Injury Scares

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Maggliocchetti | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The medical nightmare may be over for the New York Knicks.

Metropolitan hearts stopped on Tuesday night when the team lost both Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart to separate incidents in the same minute of fourth quarter action of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Detroit Pistons.

While each almost immediately returned to the scorer's table to check back in after briefly retreating to the bench for an analysis, the nightmare extended when the two essentially became trapped on the side thanks to the Knicks' lack of timeouts (they had one remaining) and the fact they lingered in the penalty while trailing Detroit in later stanzas. By the time they returned with 27 seconds left, the Pistons had essentially clinched a series-extending 106-103 win.

Jalen Brunson Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Both Brunson and Hart spoke publicly after the Knicks' latest postseason heartbreaker: per Ian Begley of SNY, Brunson labeled him self "fine" when asked "a couple times." In a report from Colin Martin of SNY, Hart was a little more despondent, remarking that his "whole body is bothering" him but also stressed the need to "regroup, walk it off, and try to go back in," hint that he should ready for the Knicks' next opportunity at an advancing clinch on Thursday in Detroit.

Brunson appeared to tweak the right ankle that has been a bit of a storyline in the latter stages of this Knicks while defending Pistons star Cade Cunningham. The ankle kept him out for a month of late regular season action and also briefly removed him from Game 4 of the series before he returned to score 15 fourth quarter points in a clutch effort.

The Hart incident occurred less than a minute later, as he endured a hard fall on a Cunningham drive. Hart's pained reaction was particularly alarming to New Yorkers, who have grown accustomed to the veteran's toughness and resiliency since he arrived to Manhattan at the 2023 trade deadline.

Josh Hart Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

At the time of the departure of the "Roommates," the Knicks trailed 97-95 with just under three minutes remaining. A lengthy stretch of whistle-free basketball forced Brunson and Hart to wait by the scorer's table for a stoppage, but, by the time it came, Detroit had built a six-point advantage and had killed all but 27 seconds on the regulation clock.

Tuesday was a struggle for Brunson, who shot 4-of-16 from the field, including 1-of-4 in the fourth quarter. The 16 points he ended up earning were his playoff career-low in a Knick uniform and he was also charged with a technical foul for arguing with officials during third period action.

"Offensively, I didn't make good decisions personally," a somber Brunson said in video from SNY. "The ball wasn't going in the hoop for me. I've just got to control things I can control and go from there."

Further clarity on Brunson and Hart's health should be available when the Knicks release their injury report on Wednesday.

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

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