BOSTON — Jalen Brunson was injured when his workforce had no likelihood to win.
The purpose guard twisted his ankle with about 20 seconds remaining and his Knicks down 12, leaving Friday’s 133-123 defeat with a limp and bolting from the locker room earlier than talking to reporters.
Tom Thibodeau, identified for driving his starters deep into rubbish time, mentioned he didn’t remorse protecting Brunson within the recreation.
“Nope,” the coach mentioned.
He didn’t elaborate on that call or the severity of Brunson’s harm.
“I haven’t talked to the trainers but,” he mentioned.
The Celtics had already emptied most of their bench throughout a stoppage about 20 seconds earlier, however Thibodeau had Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett nonetheless on the courtroom.
After a Celtics free throw, Brunson stepped again together with his left foot and landed on Celtics guard Payton Pritchard. The ankle turned, and Brunson doubled over in ache after going to the bench.
Virtually two years in the past, Barrett suffered an identical ankle harm in rubbish time, and it contributed to the derailment of that Knicks season.
Barrett missed 4 video games, the Knicks misplaced three of them, and the workforce by no means recovered.
“I didn’t see what occurred with [Brunson],” Barrett mentioned. “I keep in mind mine was just a little freak play; my foot simply bought caught, tangled. … These issues occur. It may have occurred within the first quarter. Ended up occurring at the moment.”
Mitchell Robinson’s X-rays on his left ankle have been unfavorable, however he didn’t play for your entire fourth quarter.
Thibodeau labeled the X-rays as precautionary and mentioned he benched Robinson down the stretch as a result of the reserves have been making a run.
Because the NBA world awaits and compels the Knicks to boost their “center” ceiling with a blockbuster commerce, Barrett appears snug with being doubted.
“First, we have been by no means going to be good. Now, we’re good, and now, we’re not ok,” the ahead mentioned. “I believe we do, for not having one of the best participant, we do very effectively for ourselves.”
Barrett’s remark Friday adopted a pointed critique from TNT analyst Kenny Smith, who declared his hometown workforce’s greatest situation is it doesn’t have one of the best participant on the courtroom in matchups in opposition to the seven different prime squads within the Jap Convention.
“Because of this the Knicks are going to remain within the center. Each recreation they play, they’re going to have the second-best participant,” Smith mentioned on a latest TNT broadcast. “You play Boston, you bought the second- or third-best participant. You play Orlando, with [Paolo] Banchero, they don’t have a participant that’s higher than Banchero. Milwaukee, we all know they don’t. Philadelphia, they don’t.
“The Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton is one of the best participant on the ground. If you happen to play the Miami Warmth, Jimmy Butler is one of the best participant on the ground. You play the Cleveland Cavaliers, you could have Donovan Mitchell. You don’t have one of the best participant on the ground.”