Lately, there have been dueling reports about Jalen Brunson’s future availability.
After the New York Knicks star went down with a sprained ankle, several reports suggested it could take some time before Brunson is back on the floor. After missing just two games, Brunson was upgraded on the Knicks’ injury report to questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Brunson will make his return to the court on Wednesday.
Brunson’s setback occurred during the Knicks’ November 12 matchup against the Orlando Magic. As New York was in the midst of a 124-107 loss, Brunson checked out after nearly 37 minutes of action.
When he went back to the locker room, Brunson had shot 10-23 from the field to score 31 points. He dished out six assists and came down with three rebounds.
When Brunson was seen leaving Madison Square Garden that night, he was spotted with a walking boot and needed crutches for assistance. That was a concerning sign for his future availability.
When Brunson received an MRI the following day, he was clear of any concerning damage, although the sprain diagnosis still called for a stretch of absences.
Over the past two games, the Knicks faced the Miami Heat twice. In the first outing without Brunson, the Knicks defeated the Heat in a high-scoring matchup with a 140-132 win. During the second game, the Brunson-less Knicks couldn’t follow up with the same success. They ended up losing a tight 115-113 battle.
The Knicks are 8-5, sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Philadelphia 76ers heading into Wednesday’s action against Dallas. While they remain one of the top contenders in the East, the Knicks need to do what they can to keep Brunson healthy long-term.
Before going down with his setback, Brunson appeared in 11 games, averaging 33.9 minutes of action. He made 46 percent of his shots from the field and 36 percent of his threes to produce 28 points per game to begin the season. Along with his scoring, Brunson averaged 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
The Knicks and the Mavs are slated for a 9:30 PM ET tip on Wednesday.
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