The New York Knicks were without Jalen Brunson when they took on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night on the road. The Knicks’ star point guard was ruled out for that contest due to a calf injury, and now, it remains to be seen if he is healthy enough to suit up for the team when they take on the Orlando Magic, the team directly underneath them in the Eastern Conference standings, on MLK Day.
Jalen Brunson missed the Knicks’ most recent game, a 106-94 win over the Grizzlies, due to a calf injury. That was a rare absence for Brunson, as that was his first missed game of the 2023-24 season, having played in 49 consecutive games prior (including the 2023 NBA playoffs). But there’s a chance that his absence extends to two straight games, as he’s currently listed as “questionable” on the latest injury report the Knicks submitted to the league.
Brunson, according to the injury report, is still dealing with a calf contusion, so there will definitely be a bit of concern on the Knicks’ end that this might be an injury that lingers for their star point guard. Nevertheless, their opponent on Saturday night may have had a hand in Brunson’s absence, as the Knicks may have felt that they didn’t need to push Brunson to play through pain against a shorthanded Grizzlies team.
The Magic, however, will be a much more difficult opponent for the Knicks than the Grizzlies were, which may necessitate Jalen Brunson’s presence at the point of attack.
Those two teams have only played each other once this year, with the Magic coming out on top, 117-108, back on December 29. Brunson, however, did not have a very good performance during that night. He may have filled the stat sheet, tallying 20 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, but he struggled from the field, making just four of his 15 field goal attempts while going completely blank from beyond the arc.
If Brunson ends up missing more time, expect the Knicks to turn over more playmaking duties to Julius Randle, while both Miles McBride and Malachi Flynn should get extended run as well.
