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The consecutive games streak of the Knicks’ Big 3 is in jeopardy.
Jalen Brunson suffered a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 112-99 victory over the Kings, limping off the court with an unknown status for the next game Wednesday in Chicago.
“I don’t know (if he’ll play),” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “To be totally honest, we’ll see where he is tomorrow. I’ll get a further update from the medical team when I get back in the locker room.”
Neither Brunson nor RJ Barrett nor Julius Randle have missed a game this season, giving the Knicks the benefit of durability compared to many teams dealing with star DNPs across the NBA.
Brunson, who finished with 18 points in 27 minutes Sunday, was hurt while challenging a drive under the basket. Kings guard Davion Mitchell landed on Brunson’s leg, and Brunson limped to the locker room.
In the first half, Brunson collided in the air with a Kings player and landed on his elbow after a nasty spill.
If Brunson is unavailable in Chicago — which would be a homecoming for the Illinois high school product — Thibodeau may have to reinstall one of the veterans into the rotation. Derrick Rose, who has logged four straight DNPs, is the obvious choice with many ties to Chicago.
Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish have also been out of the rotation.
“Everything is on the table,” Thibodeau said. “That’s why you have a team.”
The Knicks play consecutive games in Chicago against the Bulls (on Wednesday and Friday).
NOTES:
The Knicks held a moment of silence before the game for Paul Silas, the former All-Star power forward and coach. Silas, 79, died Sunday from a cardiac arrest, his daughter told the NY Times.
Before serving as the head coach of the Hornets and Cavaliers, Silas was an assistant with the Knicks from 1989 to 1992. He was also an assistant with the New Jersey Nets under Chuck Daly and Butch Beard. Silas’ son, Stephen, is currently the head coach of the Houston Rockets. …Obi Toppin, who fractured a bone in his right leg last week, was on the bench Sunday in street clothes and a walking boot. The Knicks said he’ll be re-evaluated in a few weeks. …With Toppin out, Thibodeau again used a two-center lineup with the second unit, with Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims in the frontcourt. “I like the look. I thought the rebounding was really good,” Thibodeau said of the first time he utilized the two-center lineup in Friday’s win over the Hornets.
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