Brunson misses second straight game
Three extra days without a scheduled game couldn’t get Jalen Brunson back into the Knicks’ lineup Monday night.
The $104 million point guard missed his second straight contest, and he was shown several times during the Knicks’ 137-115 win over the Rockets wearing a brace over his troublesome right hand and wrist.
Brunson now has sat out seven times in the Knicks’ last 11 overall with two different injuries.
The first five games without Brunson earlier this month were due to a bruised left foot. But after returning to play three games through Wednesday’s visit to Miami, he sat out the Knicks’ loss the following night in Orlando with the issue on his non-shooting hand.
Neither the Knicks nor Tom Thibodeau have said what kind of testing Brunson has undergone, although the coach had said that Brunson practiced fully on Sunday. The former Villanova star was listed as questionable but held out against the Rockets.
“He went through a good part of the shootaround today, but we just felt the smart thing was [waiting] one more game,” Thibodeau said after the game, referring to Wednesday’s home game against the Heat.
➤ The Knicks and their coaching staff all wore blue-and-orange Knicks T-shirts during pregame warm-ups with “Reed” and the number 19 on the back.
Before their first home game since the passing last week of Knicks legend Willis Reed, the organization honored the Hall of Famer and former captain with a moment of silence and a video tribute.
“I was blessed to meet Willis when I was a rookie, and all the things that he said to me helped me to be the player that I became,” fellow Knicks legend Patrick Ewing said in a video message posted by the team on its social media accounts. “I was sad when I heard the news that Willis had passed away.
We’ve lost a great one.
“Willis is the true embodiment of what it means to be a New York Knick. He will be missed. I will miss him. And I know he’s up in heaven looking down on us and smiling. New York Knicks for life.”
The black stripes the Knicks wore on their uniforms for Reed in Orlando were updated Monday night with The Captain’s No. 19, and his number also was added to the floor next to the team’s bench.
➤ Derrick Rose only has played two minutes since Dec. 31, but he was unavailable due to an illness.