Jalen Brunson Faces Major Injury Scare During Game 1 Win vs Spurs

The scoreline reflected a happy ending to the New York Knicks' first NBA Finals game in 27 years on Wednesday night, but there may be cause for concern ahead of Game 2. Star guard Jalen Brunson appeared to be dealing with an injury issue as the Knicks prepare for their second battle against the San Antonio Spurs.

With a minute and 27 seconds left in the first quarter, when the Spurs were up 25-17, Brunson hurt his right knee. He was forced to go back to the locker room during that same period. He did come back courtside in the second quarter, but with a brace around his knee.

The incident occurred when the Spurs' Harrison Barnes hit Brunson's knee. While Knicks fans aren't happy about what happened, it was clearly an accident. New York's Landry Shamet knocked Barnes to the ground, causing the veteran to land on Brunson's right knee.

To make things worse, Brunson also seemed to have suffered from an ankle injury. The injury took place in the second quarter when Luke Kornet landed on him during a drive. But once again, Brunson powered through and came back to the court to continue fighting alongside his teammates.

With around five minutes to go in the second quarter, Brunson subbed back in when the Spurs were up by five. His presence helped turn the game around, as he scored 30, ultimately leading the Knicks to a 105-95 win. Advantage Knicks in this blockbuster series.

Given what was at stake, it's no surprise that the Knicks star didn't back down easily. But it wasn't his best performance overall, as he shot just 12-of-31 from the field. "Wasn't really my night most of the night. But we just kept chipping away. Kept finding a way," Brunson said post-game.

That said, New York's coaching staff should be smart about Brunson's usage. Allowing him to beat himself further could be detrimental to the Knicks in the long run.

Jalen Brunson gets heated with the official in Game 1 win over the Spurs

Brunson was admittedly not having a very pleasant night in San Antonio despite the win. He's a tough player and rarely backs down from a challenge. But even he has his limits, and Game 1 appeared to push him close to them.

When Kornet injured Brunson's ankle in the second quarter, the Knicks star was livid that he didn't get a foul call on the play. The official he ended up clashing with? None other than Scott Foster, a referee who has long been a polarizing figure among NBA fans due to some of his controversial calls over the years.

Brunson screamed at Foster, "Come on, that's a foul! That's a foul, Scott!", but the referee ignored him. Immediately after the final buzzer, Brunson, with the ball still in his hands, appeared to exchange words with the veteran official.

The Spurs were very physical with Brunson, as evidenced by the knocks he took early in the game, and he can expect more of the same in the coming contests. Spurs guard Stephon Castle said postgame, "What's worked for me is trying to be physical with him. He's obviously shorter than me, but he's a very physical guard.

He gets to his spots well, uses deception well, and has great footwork. Trying to be as disciplined as I can, crowd his space, but not give him the angles he’s looking for. At this point, he’s seen pretty much every coverage, been guarded all kinds of ways.”

Thankfully, the injury scare did not last long, even though it was a night filled with frustrations for the 6-foot-2 guard. He will be hoping for a much more straightforward Game 2 when the series resumes on Friday.