Jalen Brunson has had an amazing season with the New York Knicks to this point. Not only is he their leading scorer, but Brunson has put the Knicks in a position to actually contend against the best of the best come playoff time. Unfortunately, like so many others on New York’s roster, Brunson is currently dealing with a knee injury that he suffered last weekend against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The good news is that the 27-year-old avoided a major injury. The bad news is that he continues to appear on the injury report. This has led many to ask the question: Is Jalen Brunson playing vs. the Orlando Magic on Friday night?
Jalen Brunson’s injury status vs. Magic
![New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) points during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden.](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jalen-Brunson-pointing.jpg)
Brunson played one minute against the Cavs last Sunday before having to exit due to what appeared to be a serious non-contact knee injury. It was later revealed that the Knicks star was dealing with a left knee contusion and would be day-to-day. He has since missed the team’s only other game against the Atlanta Hawks, which New York lost 116-100 at home.
On Friday night, the Knicks will take on the Magic, who have taken a half-game lead over them for the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference. Having Brunson available in this game is imperative for the Knicks to possibly pull out a victory, but he is listed as questionable to play on the team’s injury report. It is worth noting that Brunson did practice in full on Thursday, despite appearing on the injury report as questionable.
In a total of 57 games this season, Brunson has averaged 27.2 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from three-point range. Brunson has been great in the two games he has played against the Magic this season, recording at least 20 points in both games. In February, he scored a team-high 33 points in a 118-100 loss on the road against Orlando.
The Magic have won all three of their meetings against the Knicks this season, meaning that they will own the season tiebreaker over New York. Still, a win would go a long way for the Knicks, especially since they have lost eight of their last 11 games due to various injuries to key players.
Should Brunson be forced to miss his second straight game, Miles McBride will draw another start. McBride played a team-high 46 minutes in New York’s recent six-point loss to the Hawks. Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks will continue to serve as key offensive weapons off the bench, regardless of Brunson’s status.
So, when it comes to the question of whether Jalen Brunson is playing tonight vs. the Magic, the official answer will be determined later on in the evening.
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About the Author
Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.
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