A marquee reunion matchup for Jalen Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks won’t be that enticing this Tuesday.
Brunson won’t be available to play in the New York Knicks’ road duel against the Dallas Mavericks, with the Knicks citing a sore right hip as the cause of absence (h/t SNY).
Brunson notably took an untimely exit last Christmas day matchup for the Knicks against the Philadelphia 76ers with a hip injury, as he finished with 23 points and 11 assists in 35 minutes on the 119-112 loss.
The duel between the Knicks and the Mavs this Tuesday could have been the first time that Brunson will play in front of Dallas since leaving them in a controversial free agency last offseason. Brunson opted to leave for New York, inking a four-year, $104 million contract in which the said deal was flagged by the NBA earlier this month due to violations.
As the league found out that both Brunson and the Knicks had early illegal talks of a deal prior to free agency, the league stripped the franchise’s 2025 second-round pick as a sanction.
Sporting a newfound primary ball-handling role, Brunson is averaging a career-best 20.2 points and 6.6 assists in 32.5 minutes played for 34 games with the 18-16 Knicks that is surging now as the East’s sixth-seed.
New York will face a Luka Doncic-led team that holds an 18-16 card and eyeing to elevate further on the Western Conference ladder.
