The New York Knicks’ odds to win the NBA Finals took a hit on Thursday night after superstar guard Jalen Brunson left the team’s overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with an ankle injury.
Brunson was injured on a drive in the fourth quarter, as he turned his ankle on Austin Reaves’ foot on a drive to the basket. The All-NBA guard stayed in the game to shoot his free throws, but he hobbled to the locker room shortly after.
Jalen Brunson headed to the locker room after suffering a leg injury on this play
He stayed in to shoot his FT’s pic.twitter.com/bw4jrE3Uhj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 7, 2025
Without Brunson, the Knicks crumbled over the final minutes of the game, losing by four to Los Angeles. Now, New York is just 3.5 games up on the Milwaukee Bucks in the standings and has lost back-to-back contests.
After losing to yet another top team, the Knicks’ odds to win the NBA title have slipped to +1800 at DraftKings Sportsbook. New York is now behind Oklahoma City, Boston, Cleveland, the Lakers and Denver in the odds to win it all.
On the bright side for the Knicks, it appears that Brunson may have avoided a serious injury, although there has been no official announcement from the team. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Thursday night that there is “optimism” that Brunson only sustained a sprained ankle.
There’s optimism New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson only sustained a sprained ankle, sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 7, 2025
However, depending upon the severity of the injury, Brunson could miss significant time still for the Knicks. He’s also likely out for their matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, which may result in another New York loss.
With Brunson nursing this ankle injury, the Knicks will likely turn to Miles McBride, Cam Payne and rookie Tyler Kolek to piece together minutes at the point guard position. New York will also need more from wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges on the offensive end if it’s going to sustain any sort of success with Brunson out.
The Knicks have now lost every game that they’ve played against the top two teams in each conference (OKC, Boston, Cleveland and the Lakers) this season. That makes it extremely hard to trust New York as a contender, especially if its best player is on the shelf.
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