Jalen Brunson Leaves NBA Finals With Injury - What's Latest On Knicks Star?

Unfortunately for the New York Knicks and their fans, Game 1 of the NBA Finals is shaping up to be a nightmare.

As if going down 27-19 wasn't bad enough, the Knicks lost All-Star guard Jalen Brunson to a knee injury. During the late stages of the first quarter, Spurs forward Harrison Barnes fell right into Brunson's right knee. He was visibly in pain as he hobbled off the court.

ESPN's camera crew caught Brunson limping to the locker room before the first quarter came to an end. It's unclear if he'll miss an extended period of time.

As for the extent of Brunson's injury, most fans are convinced it's an MCL injury. Of course, we won't know until his MRI results are shared with the public.

"Brunson appeared to twist the knee in a collision," Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix said. "Was grabbing at it then running gingerly the next two possession. Potentially a huge development."

What does this mean for the Knicks?

The Knicks may have a "next man up" mentality, but there's no replacing Brunson. He's averaging 26.9 points and 6.6 assists per game this postseason.

If Brunson misses time, the Knicks will need to run their offense through Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. Additionally, they'll need Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart to step up.

Brunson has returned to New York's bench at the time this was published, but his status for the remainder of Game 1 is unknown.

Hopefully, Brunson will be cleared to return during this series.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 6:19 PM.