The New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 2-0, moving them two wins away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. The bad news is that New York continues to be hit with injuries, making it much harder to come away with wins. The slowest was OG Anunoby, who left late in Game 2 with a hamstring strain that will keep him out for at least Game 3. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson, who has become a full-fledged New York legend, plans to officially suit up and play in Game 3, although it’s unclear.
Brunson is warming up for Friday night’s Game 3, and the Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, “Let’s take a look.” We’ll see how Brunson’s feet react before deciding whether or not to play. It’s no surprise that Brunson’s legs responded well enough to not only play, but take regular starting duties.
Brunson came back in the second half and put on a great (even more incredible) show. 54 years since Willis Reed limped out of the locker room during Game 7 of the Finals.. Game 2 of the conference semifinals won’t be nearly the same as Game 7 of the finals, but unlike Reed, Brunson will have to keep playing. This is not a one-time situation. The Knicks need Brunson in the worst possible way, not only if they want to finish off the Pacers, but also if they want to have a chance in a likely matchup with Boston in the conference finals.
Remember, the Knicks have already lost Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic for the rest of the playoffs.they’re playing with seven guys include Anunoby and Branson. If you defeat Anunoby, there will be six of you. If you eliminate Brunson, well, you do the math. Forget about the productivity the Knicks are losing. This only requires a warm enough body. Get ready for about 44 minutes of Deuce McBride, sprinkled with plenty of Alec Barks.
What a crazy contrast these unfortunate injuries are for a team with as electric an atmosphere as we saw in the game NBA For a short time.
I feel like the energy the Knicks have on board should be enough to at least get past Indiana, but that depends heavily on Brunson for now. If he can’t go, it’s a dangerous time. Unless Tom Thibodeau dons a white coat and clones about four more Josh Harts.
