New York Knicks Injury Report (Dec. 11): Latest updates on Mitchell Robinson, Jalen Brunson's status
An ankle injury has already derailed Mitchell Robinson from playing for the New York Knicks against the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, and it could also be the case for Jalen Brunson. Both Robinson and Brunson are listed on the Knicks' injury report ahead of their home stand against the Raptors.
The difference is that Robinson has been ruled out for the game, while Brunson is currently listed as questionable.
Jalen Brunson limped off the court after hurting his ankle late in the New York Knicks' 133-123 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
However, if there is a positive sign that Jalen Brunson could eventually play, it could be this video from the Philadelphia Inquirer's Colin Beazley showing him walking normally when he was honored along with fellow Villanova alumni Josh Hart and Saddiq Bey during the university's Saturday night clash against UCLA.
With an additional day of rest as the NBA transitions back to normal after a successful inaugural staging of the In-Season Tournament, Brunson might be healthy enough to play.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks need to fix defense
Before hurting his ankle, Jalen Brunson had 23 points, one rebound, four assists and one steal to lead the way for the New York Knicks. However, the Boston Celtics still prevailed 133-123.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said that the defense has been lacking them again. Thibodeau, one of the NBA's more well-known defensive coaches today, said:
“It's problematic. We've got to fix our defense. It starts individually, containment of the ball, better ball pressure, better challenging the shots in every aspect.”
Thibodeau previously implicitly called on the Knicks to strengthen their defense after getting blown out by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals, but they conceded 109 points to the Boston Celtics by the third quarter.
By halftime, the Celtics made 58.3 percent of their field goals, and they began the third 9-of-13 from the field to eventually blow the game wide open.
The New York Knicks got closer after Jaylen Brown was thrown out of the game after two technical fouls and cut the lead down to seven, but Derrick White scored four straight points to ice the game for the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks travel back to Madison Square Garden in New York City to host the Raptors.