MIAMI — On Wednesday, Jalen Brunson needed crutches and a walking boot to leave Madison Square Garden. By Monday? The Knicks’ All-Star point guard was already back on the floor, firing up jumpers during his pregame routine at Kaseya Center.
Brunson is as tough as they come. And while the Knicks haven’t offered a concrete timetable for his Grade 1 ankle sprain, the fact that he accompanied the team on their road trip — while OG Anunoby (left hamstring strain) stayed back for treatment — leaves the door open for a return sooner rather than later.
Whether that’s in Dallas on Wednesday, a return to his old stomping grounds, or Saturday in Orlando after two days of rest and a full practice, remains to be seen.
“Just mental toughness,” said Mikal Bridges, Brunson’s former Villanova teammate. “Just going through pain — I know a lot of guys be in pain and some guys sit out longer than usual. But I think it’s just mental toughness to get through it. You ain’t gotta be 100 percent out there. He’s got that.”
SPO DEFERS TO HILL ON BRUNSON’S OLYMPIC STATUS
Does Brunson have a case for the 2028 U.S. Olympic roster? Heat coach Erik Spoelstra — now the head man for USA Basketball — politely punted the decision to Grant Hill.
“We have plenty of time for that,” Spoelstra said pregame. “And I’ll defer to Grant and those guys.”
Spoelstra served as Steve Kerr’s lead assistant during the 2023 World Cup, where Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton split point guard duties. The Americans finished fourth after losses to Germany (semifinal) and Canada (bronze game).
“What I can say is I really enjoyed working with him,” Spoelstra said. “I really dislike myself — I can’t look in the mirror — because of how much I grew to like him.
“He texted me the other day, just checking in on me and the family. He has such a great heart. My two sons are Jalen Brunson fans, but I told them it’s not allowed in my house.”
The 2028 Team USA point guard race is expected to include Brunson, Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Darius Garland, Cade Cunningham and Trae Young.
BROWN: RUN UP THE SCORE IN CUP GAMES
Knicks head coach Mike Brown made it clear he’s not apologizing for piling on points late in games — something the NBA Cup’s point-differential rules incentivize, but also something he saw Kerr embrace long before the In-Season Tournament existed.
“[Steve] used to preach to our guys, ‘Nah, we’re not holding the ball. Finish the game. If they don’t wanna play defense, screw ’em,’” Brown said Monday. “We’re gonna finish the game. We’re gonna keep getting better.”
Brown admitted he feels “a little bad” running up the score, but the NBA Cup removes the guesswork.
“In this situation, it’s natural because of the point differential,” he said. “And I think at the end of games, it should be the way Steve says: just freakin’ play. The guys on the floor need reps. You want execution, not turnovers. Keep playing. That’s what competition is about. I like it. I hope others do, too.”
