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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 15: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2026 in New York City.
The New York Knicks were without franchise star Jalen Brunson in their win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
While it was Josh Hart leading the way, along with a strong performance from OG Anunoby, getting Brunson back as soon as possible will be a major help for a team that has seen a lot of ups and downs this season.
But though the point guard is currently dealing with a few health concerns, the latest Brunson injury update signals he will return to the court soon.
Jalen Brunson Injury Update
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MAY 31: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks warms up prior to Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 31, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
As reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, Knicks head coach Mike Brown has a new Brunson injury update.
He said that the team’s leader is expected to return for their Friday night game against the Brooklyn Nets, after he sat out on Tuesday with both an ankle and neck injury.
“Brown believes Jalen Brunson will play in the next game Friday at Brooklyn,” he wrote. “Brunson missed Tuesday’s win with a neck strain. It was his first DNP since mid-January, a stretch of 27 consecutive appearances. The Knicks are now 2-4 this season without him.”
While it was New York’s first game without Brunson in two months, the team didn’t reflect the same struggles they’ve faced without him through the earlier stretch of the season. Additionally, as there were initial concerns about his neck injury, Brown doesn’t believe it will be a major issue going forward.
“I imagine [he’ll play in Brooklyn]. … There’s two days off before the next game,” Brown said. “There’s plenty of time to get himself right.”
Brunson was originally questionable against the Pacers, before then being ruled doubtful, and then listed as out for the contest against the Eastern Conference’s worst team.
On the season, Brunson is averaging 26.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on 46.4% shooting in 65 games.
Miles McBride Injury Update
GettyA new McBride injury update for the New York Knicks signals good news after he was originally set to be out for 4-6 weeks after surgery.
While the Brunson injury update points to him just missing the one game, the Knicks have been without another key guard, Miles McBride, for a major stretch this season. He underwent surgery on a core muscle injury in early February, and the initial expectation was that he would return around the time the playoffs started in mid-April.
There were also some concerns that the backup guard had suffered a setback in his recovery process, but according to Bondy, McBride is right on track for a timely return for New York.
“The Knicks announced encouraging news Tuesday about the recovery of Miles McBride, who is taking contact on the court and ‘progressing well,‘ the team said,” Bondy reported.
McBride has missed 24 games in a row for the Knicks, and without his 12.9 points on 42% shooting from three-point range, they’ve missed his energy off the bench. However, he is reportedly recovering well, and when he does return, he will go back to being a key part of New York’s offense in a hopefully deep playoff run for the team.
“Anytime we can get healthy, yeah [I’m encouraged],” Brown added. “Deuce was playing well for us when this happened. It’s part of the season, so keep fingers crossed, allow our medical crew who has done a fantastic job, and when he comes back we’ll all be excited.”
Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado have since taken McBride’s minutes in the backcourt, but even when he does eventually return, it’s likely the two will still hold key roles in Brown’s rotation in the final stretch of the regular season, as well as in the postseason.
The Knicks are 45-25, sitting a game behind the Boston Celtics for the third seed in the East standings. They’ve gone 7-3 in their last ten.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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