The New York Knicks evened their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks at 2-2 on Saturday night, winning 114-98 in Atlanta. The win was big, but it came with a serious scare when their best player went down in the third quarter with an ankle issue.
Knicks fans watching from Madison Square Garden or their couches already know this feeling too well. Any time Brunson goes down or heads to the locker room, the whole city stops. He has been the engine of everything New York has built this postseason, and one wrong landing could change the entire series.
After the game, Brunson walked into the press conference in sunglasses and a beanie, calm as ever. The Athletic’s Fred Katz asked him directly about the ankle, whether he got subbed out because of it and if he needed treatment after the game. Brunson gave a short answer, then smirked:
“I’m right here. I’m all good.”
What actually happened on the court
The scare happened during a loose ball scramble. Hawks guards Dyson Daniels and CJ McCollum both wrapped Brunson up for a jump ball, and Daniels landed directly on his left ankle during the play. Brunson also appeared to tweak his right ankle in the process.
He took the jump ball but lost it, then asked to come out and jogged down the tunnel with 10:29 left in the third quarter. The team offered no immediate update on his status.
Brunson returned with 6:53 left in the quarter and checked back in at the 5:38 mark, showing no real limitations after that. He took one more hit in the fourth when Onyeka Okongwu fell backward into his left knee, but he stayed in the game and played it out.
Knicks take control without breaking a sweat
Even without Brunson playing his best, New York was never really threatened. Karl-Anthony Towns put together his first postseason triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and OG Anunoby added 22 points. The Knicks led 68-44 at halftime and kept the foot on the gas from there.
It was a statement win at the right time. New York had dropped two straight games by one point each, including a CJ McCollum game-winner in Game 3 on April 23. Another loss would have meant a 3-1 deficit and a season on the brink.
Brunson finished with 19 points and 3 assists, which on most nights would be considered a quiet game for him. But the bigger relief for the Knicks was seeing him walk out of that press conference smirking, not limping. Game 5 is at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, and New York will need him healthy and locked in.
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