The Knicks are currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference and are four games up on the fourth-place Milwaukee Bucks. A new Jalen Brunson injury update has the Knicks star guard not coming back out for at least a couple more weeks, but the timing isn’t all that bad. The Knicks game against the Warriors showed just how essential Brunson is to the Knicks’ ability to close tight games. However, the upcoming Knicks’ schedule should allow the team to stay afloat while their star gets healthy.
Knicks’ Upcoming Schedule is Key After Brunson’s Injury Update
Knicks vs Warriors Game Shows How Key Brunson Is
The Knicks lost to the Warriors in a tight back-and-forth contest on Saturday night, 94-97. The game came down to the final few minutes, where the Warriors pulled ahead as the Knicks were unable to find late-game offense.
The game was tied with about three minutes remaining, 88-88. From then, the Knicks didn’t score a single point until OG Anunoby made a free throw with 17.1 seconds left, and the game was already decided. Even with Karl-Anthony Towns scoring a game-high 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting, the Knicks just didn’t have enough offensive firepower late without Brunson. In fact, the Knicks played nine players throughout the Warriors game, but only four of them scored more than two points.
Brunson’s Injury Update
Although it was originally expected that Brunson would only miss about two weeks with his sprained ankle, a new Brunson injury update from Shams Charania makes it sound like the Knicks will have to wait a little longer for their savior to return.
Reporting for ABC NBA Countdown — Knicks’ Jalen Brunson expected out through late March/early April, and fallout from Mikal Bridges and Tom Thibodeau meeting: pic.twitter.com/NtkgNMyI6R
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 16, 2025
Charania said, “Sources tell me it’s more of a three to four week minimum return timeframe. That sidelines him through late March (or) early April.” The Knicks are prioritizing Brunson’s health for a playoff run, which they should. Still, if the Knicks aren’t able to hold down the fort with Brunson out, they could slip in the standings, giving them a more difficult path in the playoffs. This is why their schedule over the next few weeks is so important.
The Knicks Upcoming Schedule
Let’s say the Knicks play things safe with Brunson’s ankle. If this injury update is accurate, he could return before the Knicks vs Cavaliers game on April 2nd. That would put him out for the team’s next nine games. This obviously isn’t ideal, but the Knicks’ schedule over that stretch is quite manageable. The Knicks will only play two games against over .500 teams during that span, giving them a good chance to hold onto the third seed while Brunson heals.
The Knicks’ most difficult games during those weeks will be against the Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Bucks are right behind the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings. The Clippers are just a solid Western Conference playoff team that will give any team a tough fight on any given night. So, although the timing of Brunson’s injury isn’t perfect, the Knicks’ schedule may allow Brunson to take his time returning while the Knicks prepare for a deep playoff run.
Photo credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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