New York Knicks fans on hand at the Madison Square Garden for Jalen Brunson and Co.’s Game 7 NBA Playoffs matchup vs the Indiana Pacers already had to pay through the nose to get a seat. Now, they have to sit through one of the toughest losses in Knicks history.
While the Knicks have gotten much further than just the Eastern Conference Semifinals, this year felt different after making trade deadline acquisitions that helped secure the second seed. Unfortunately, Tom Thibodeau’s team was bit by the injury bug, losing valued contributors such as Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, Josh Hart, Mitch Robinson, and now, Brunson.
Jalen Brunson’s fractured hand ends his season
According to the ABC broadcast, Jalen Brunson has fractured his left hand, knocking him out of action for the rest of the game, causing him to miss the entire fourth quarter of play.
Brunson tried swiping the ball from Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton during a lay-up attempt, but the Knicks guard’s left hand made contact with Haliburton’s knee during his follow-through, leading to Brunson’s hand fracture.
Brunson finishes with 17 points and nine assists in 29 minutes of play, capping an incredible season, including his first All-Star appearance.
The 27-year-old guard will be back to begin the third year of a four-year contract when the NBA season starts again. Brunson is under contract for $24.9 million next season, and he holds a $24.9 million player option for the 2025-26 season. If Brunson keeps performing like a fringe MVP candidate, he’ll absolutely opt out of his contract and land a much larger contract.
Related: NBA Twitter reacts to Indiana Pacers’ near-historic shooting display in first half of Game 7