NEW YORK – Knicks star Jalen Brunson was ruled out for the remainder of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers with a broken left hand.
Brunson had 17 points and 9 assists in 29 minutes on Sunday before leaving the game twice in a 64-second span with just over four minutes left in the third quarter. He finally headed to the New York locker room.
After not returning to the bench, the Knicks ruled out Brunson for the remainder of the game between the third and fourth quarters.
Brunson's injury, which affects his shooting hand, is just the latest in a litany of injuries New York has suffered in recent weeks. The team's other All-Star, Julius Randle, never returned this season after suffering a shoulder injury during a charge in a game here at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 27 against the Miami Heat.
Mitchell Robinson, the team's starting center, missed most of the season with foot and ankle injuries, and was ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing a procedure on his left ankle after Game 1 of this series. The other member of New York's starting frontcourt, OG Anunoby, returned in Game 7 after missing Games 3 through 6 with a hamstring injury, but was unable to run and played less than five minutes before be out for the rest of the game.
The team's biggest trade deadline acquisition, Bojan Bogdanovic, was also lost for the season after undergoing surgery on his own left foot injury after Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum fell on him in Game 4 of New York's first-round series against Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Josh Hart was doubtful to play in Game 7 due to his own abdominal issue.
Brunson, however, has been one of the biggest stars in the playoffs, entering Sunday's action averaging a league-best 33.7 points in 12 games in these playoffs for the Knicks, and becoming into a cult hero in the Big Apple in the process.
