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CLEVELAND – New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson will not return to Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team announced, after suffering a left knee injury. Brunson went down while shooting a jumper early in the first quarter. The Knicks call the injury a “left knee soreness.”
Brunson dribbled from the left wing toward the foul line and lifted the shot, awkwardly kicking both legs to the side as he was on his way up. Brunson was clutching his knee before he even landed, and there was no apparent contact by Cavs defenseman Isaac Okoro to indicate an injury. He jumped a couple of times before falling to the court and was taken to the locker room with 11:13 left in the first quarter.
A possible cause of the injury occurred just seconds before Brunson went down, when he dodged a screen from teammate Isaiah Hartenstein and accidentally hit his knees on the center.
Brunson had not returned to the bench at the start of the third quarter. The Cavs led 53-51 at the half.
This rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series between the Cavs and Knicks had already lost some luster, with the Knicks without Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, who are rehabbing from serious injuries, while Cleveland It did not have Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert. . Especially lately, the injury bug has bitten the Knicks. Hartenstein has been in and out of the lineup with Achilles tendinopathy. Brunson also missed a game Tuesday due to neck spasms.
Brunson, 27, called to the All-Star Game for the first time this season, is averaging 27.7 points and 6.7 assists, both career highs.
This story will be updated.
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)