Knicks star Jalen Brunson has Grade 1 ankle sprain, ruled out vs. Heat

Kristian Winfield and Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Nov 13, 2025

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NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson avoided the worst.

The Knicks’ star point guard was diagnosed with a Grade 1 right ankle sprain, a league source told the New York Daily News.

Brunson was officially ruled out for Friday night’s game against Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. He will be evaluated on a daily basis moving forward, the source said.

Grade 1 is the lowest level of severity.

Brunson’s right ankle rolled awkwardly as he drove to the basket with 1:54 remaining in Wednesday night’s 124-107 loss to the Orlando Magic.

Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. was called for a foul on the play, and Brunson remained in the game to shoot both free throws.

But Brunson committed a foul — his sixth — two seconds later, then went straight to the locker room, appearing to walk with a slight limp.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown did not have an update after the game, other than that Brunson turned his right ankle. But The Athletic reported Brunson left the Garden on crutches and in a walking boot.

The Knicks were trailing 115-99 when Brunson suffered the injury.

Brunson did not speak to the media after Wednesday’s game, during which he scored a game-high 31 points before fouling out.

“I haven’t talked to him,” guard Josh Hart said after the loss. “I have no idea.”

Brunson missed 15 games last season with a right ankle sprain, and the Knicks went 9-6 without him. Brunson appeared to tweak that ankle multiple times during the Knicks’ run to the Eastern Conference finals, though he did not miss a playoff game.

This season, Brunson leads the Knicks in points (28.0) and assists (6.5) per game, while his 33.9 minutes per game rank second on the team. The two-time All-Star started each of the Knicks’ first 11 games.

Backup point guard Miles “Deuce” McBride figures to start Friday in Brunson’s absence.

McBride is averaging 8.4 points in 22.0 minutes per game over nine appearances, including one start. The fifth-year pro offers strong defense in addition to his scoring punch.

Second-year point guard Tyler Kolek, who has fallen out of the Knicks’ primary rotation after receiving early-season minutes, could also see an increased role. Malcolm Brogdon, who was expected to be the Knicks’ main backup point guard, retired suddenly before the start of the season.

Any amount of time without Brunson represents something of a setback for the new-look Knicks (7-4), who are trying to master Brown’s fast-paced system in his first season as head coach.

Before Wednesday’s loss, the Knicks had scored at least 130 points in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.

On Friday, the Knicks are set to face a Heat team (7-5) that is also navigating its share of injuries.

All-Star center Bam Adebayo has already been ruled out with a left big toe sprain, while high-scoring guard Tyler Herro has not played this season after undergoing left ankle surgery in September.

Friday’s matchup marks the end of the Knicks’ season-long seven-game homestand.