"He's a warrior” - Jalen Brunson’s Villanova turned Knicks teammate shows utmost respect for All-Star battling through injury
Jalen Brunson, who left Game 2 with a right foot injury late in the first period against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, returned to the Madison Square Garden court during halftime to test whether he could continue playing through the pain.
"MVP" chants resonating from the arena signaled Brunson's return, ready to take charge. His comeback invigorated the depleted Knicks in the second half, fueling their rally and overcoming numerous injuries to defeat the Pacers, 130-121, securing a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference conference semifinals series.
Brunson's college teammate from Villanova, Donte DiVincenzo, had this to say about the Knicks All-Star:
"He's a warrior."
DiVincenzo continued:
"There was no doubt in our minds he'll be back."
Brunson's involvement, coupled with the Pacers' efforts to trap him, quickly shifted the momentum of the game. In just over the first five minutes of the second half, New York produced a 15-point swing to capture a five-point lead.
What happened to Jalen Brunson?
Brunson appeared to limp following an apparent non-contact incident as he shadowed T.J. McConnell across the defensive lane, with roughly 3:45 left in the period.
He signaled to the Knicks' bench that he needed to come out as he limped down the court. He exited the game with four minutes remaining in the first quarter, and by halftime, the team announced that Brunson was questionable to return because of a sore right foot.
However, nursing that sore right foot, Brunson returned to contribute 29 points and five assists. OG Anunoby, after scoring 28 points and grabbing four rebounds, was sidelined in the fourth quarter due to a hamstring injury. Despite the absence of Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic, the team's performance didn’t falter.
Donte DiVincenzo delivered 28 points, six rebounds and four assists, making 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Josh Hart also excelled with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
With each game, Jalen's legacy continues to expand. Averaging 35.31 ppg in April, he has propelled the Knicks, who have been without Julius Randle since late January, to the No. 2 seed. His 35.5-point average against the Philadelphia 76ers helped usher New York into the second round.
Facing Indiana and its star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, Brunson has been sensational. He scored 43 points in Game 1 and followed up with 24 points in the second half of Game 2.
Game 3 is set to take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday as Jalen Brunson and Co. will look to further extend their leads in the series.