Jalen Brunson returned to the court Sunday night after missing 15 games with a significant ankle sprain, and while he showed signs of rust, he delivered when it mattered most.
The New York Knicks guard finished with 15 points, including seven crucial points in the final two minutes, helping the Knicks fend off a late rally from the Phoenix Suns to secure the win, as reported by James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
Despite his modest stat line, Brunson acknowledged he’s still shaking off the effects of the layoff but remains optimistic about his recovery and rhythm.
“I could be better, could be worse,” Brunson admitted after the game. “A lot of room for improvement on my end, obviously. I’m surprised about the conditioning part. I thought that would be a lot worse, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
Brunson also highlighted the mental hurdles that come with returning from injury – not just the physical recovery but regaining full trust in his body and instincts on the floor.
“Mentally … just making sure I can trust myself in the things that I do. Everyone always talks about the physical part (of coming back from injury), but mentally, it’s about trusting your movements, the way you play and not second-guessing yourself. That was a huge adjustment, but I’m feeling a lot better.”
With Brunson back in the lineup, the Knicks now boast a fully healthy roster for the first time this season, an encouraging development as the team enters the final stretch of the regular season.
Sitting at 50-28 with the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference virtually secured, head coach Tom Thibodeau emphasized that the final games are about building momentum and maintaining focus heading into the playoffs.
“As you head down the stretch, you want to check boxes,” Thibodeau said. “You want a winning record at home, winning record on the road. Fifty wins is good, and you want the highest seed possible. And then you want to be playing well. We’re going step by step. We’re not skipping over anything. This is the approach that we’ve taken all season long, so we’re not going to change now. We feel like this will help prepare us for what’s down the road.”
Brunson has played 7 seasons for the Mavericks and Knicks. He has averaged 18.1 points, 5.0 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 483 regular-season games. He was selected to play in 1 All-Star game.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Anunoby, Rotation, Durant https://t.co/rXrZMNHt1v pic.twitter.com/8MG69TElGD
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