NEW York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau provided updates on stars Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby after both were injured in Wednesday’s NBA playoff matchup with the Indiana Pacers.
Already beaten by Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Knicks couldn’t afford to lose any more players.
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However, the worst fears of New York fans everywhere came to fruition during the Knicks’ 130-121 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Pacers.
Brunson left the game in the first quarter and was initially listed as questionable after returning with sore feet.
Fortunately for fans, their star finally managed to return in the second half, finishing with 29 points, five assists and two rebounds in 32 minutes on the court.
“He came back, they worked on him and then he warmed up,” Thibodeau said.
“We didn’t know if he was going to be able to go or not. He found a way to do it.”
Thibodeau revealed that Brunson never wanted to leave the game.
“I knew there was something and when it didn’t come back, we waited to hear what the doctors would say,” he said.
“But I know if he can go, he will. That’s how he is.”
Brunson said he was “fine” after the game, adding that he didn’t know how he injured his foot.
The Knicks star revealed that he didn’t take any images, but decided to go back to see how he felt on the court and if he could move freely.
“I had a decision to make and I made a decision,” Brunson said.
He added: “I was going to try anyway.”
As for Anunoby, he ended up going to the locker room in the third quarter before being ruled out with a sore left hamstring.
In 28 minutes, the 1.80 meter forward had 28 points, four rebounds and three assists.
I was going to try no matter what
Jalen Brunson
The status of Anunoby’s injury remains unclear, with Thibodeau admitting he is yet to hear from the medical team after being asked if the forward would undergo any scans.
The Knicks announced they would likely lose Robinson for the remainder of the playoffs on Tuesday, a day after their 121-117 Game 1 victory.
The 7-foot center is dealing with an ankle injury and will be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks.
Meanwhile, Bogdanovic has been sidelined since Game 4 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round series with a foot injury that required season-ending surgery.
And Randle has been rehabilitating his right shoulder since January.
The series will now move to Indiana with the Pacers hosting the Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, May 10.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
