Coming off a loss to the Sacramento Kings last night, the New York Knicks enter Thursday’s showdown as losers of six of their previous 10 games. Now, they were expected to be without two key contributors against the Warriors on the tail end of this critical back-to-back.
Hours before tip-off, the team marked Jalen Brunson (right ankle) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle) as out for the game. In a bit of positive news, Landry Shamet has been listed as questionable for the first time since his shoulder injury in November, indicating he could finally make his return.
Meanwhile, for the Warriors, it’s a clean injury report with minimal setbacks. The only situation worth mentioning is Seth Curry, who is still recovering from left sciatica nerve irritation. He’s been limited to just two games this season with averages of 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.0 blocks per game on 66.7% shooting and 50.0% shooting from three.
With the Warriors at nearly full strength, the odds do not favor a New York victory. They’ve been struggling in this West Coast road trip so far, going against the 1-2 against the Suns, Trail Blazers, and Kings. A loss tonight would seal a 1-3 record on this trip, and a 25-16 record overall. For a team that was on par with the Pistons a few weeks ago, the decline has been steep for the Knicks, who are now four games back from the top seed in the East.
That’s why Brunson’s return has become a top concern for the fans. With averages of 28.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game on 48.1% shooting and 38.8% shooting from three this season, he’s been their MVP, and a quick return to action could make the difference between securing a high seed or a low seed in the standings.
The problem is, the timeline for Brunson’s return remains unclear. The 29-year-old point guard had to limp off the floor to the locker room less than five minutes into the first quarter against the Kings. He’s been labelled as day-to-day, but the situation remains tentative until he’s given a set return date. Fortunately for Robinson, his absence is part of a longstanding medical plan. He hasn’t played both games of a back-to-back this year, and it has helped him maintain some durability throughout the season.
As the Knicks wait for these key contributors to return, things could get messy in their next portion of the schedule. They’ll be short-handed against the Warriors tonight before facing a Suns team on Saturday that just beat them earlier this month. Brunson should be back in the fold for one of those games, or (at the latest) next Monday against the Mavericks.
