Knicks Suffer Major Blow Ahead of NBA Finals as Jalen Brunson’s Teammate Suffers Injury

The New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite an easy path to the championship series, the ECF still featured setbacks.

According to a report by NBA insider Shams Charania, one of Jalen Brunson's teammates suffered from a broken right pinky finger. To make matters worse, there's still no confirmation when he could make his return.

"New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has suffered a broken right pinky finger and there is no timetable on his return," Charania reported on X.

While the Knicks have Karl-Anthony Towns to rely on inside the paint, Robinson has been a reliable backup option for the star center.

When needed, Robinson has the capacity to grab double-digit rebounds for his team. Losing him from the roster might affect the lineup during the NBA Finals.

Knicks insider Ian Begley gave a thorough breakdown of how exactly Robinson broke his pinky.

"Mitchell Robinson got tangled up with several Cavs with 5:25 to go in the 2nd quarter of Game 4," Begley wrote on X. "He ended up on the ground. On the game broadcast, you can see a teammate go for Robinson's right hand to help him off the floor, and Robinson pulls it away. Robinson remained in the game, apparently playing through the injury."

"Unclear if this is the specific point where Robinson suffered the broken right pinky, but if it is, it's good for NYK that he was able to play through it," Begley concluded.

Despite breaking his pinky in Game 4 of the ECF, Robinson managed eight points, 10 rebounds, and one steal.

Based on medical data, broken pinky fingers typically take two to three months to fully recover. But the bones technically patch up within three to six weeks. Either way, if Robinson follows that timeline, he might miss the NBA Finals entirely.

Jalen Brunson is Ready For the NBA Finals

For the first time in his career, Jalen Brunson is headed to the NBA Finals. While he has many critics, Brunson has proven them all wrong by finally breaking through to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Despite it being his first time, Brunson expressed readiness heading into the finals. In a recent interview with Brunson, the Knicks star explained what it means to succeed.

"Honestly, being able to just give everything you got," Brunson said. "If you go out there, obviously, put in the preparation and the work in, you go out there and do everything you can, sometimes you have to live with the results. But I think what's most important is being prepared for the worst."

Last season, Brunson and the Knicks suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Indiana Pacers in the 2024-25 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks managed to force six games. However, it wasn't enough to stop Tyrese Haliburton and company.

Brunson vowed to come back stronger and well-prepared in the following season. He did just that and is now going to the finals.

JB is averaging 26.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in the playoffs. His numbers have been efficient enough to earn him the ECF MVP award. The question now is, can he go all the way?