Jalen Brunson worries a lot, Paolo Banchero reassures a little

It wasn’t playoff-style trench warfare yet. But this Knicks-Magic Wednesday could leave a mark on both sides. Franchise players of two franchises, Jalen Brunson etc Paolo Bancherohad to go to the locker room earlier than expected, heading to the infirmary. That didn’t stop Orlando to emerge victoriousfor New York’s first home loss of the season.

The Florida franchise had to cope without its leader, who played just 12 minutes on Wednesday. Banchero was hit in the adductor muscles in the second quarter and gave way very quickly, six minutes from half time. With the weather uncertain for the remainder of the match, he ended up not returning to the game without hurting his team too much. “We’ll see how I feel tomorrow“, he reacted and The Athletic. “I’m going for an MRI and we’ll start treatment. But I hope it won’t be long.“

More than Coue’s method, Paolo Banchero, who missed two months last season with a hip muscle injury, was reassuring, trusting his instincts. “I just slowed down and immediately felt something” explained the American international after the injury against the Knicks.Then I made the purchase, but it was still there. So I asked to get out because I didn’t want to risk aggravating the injury. I had an oblique muscle injury last season, a tear. By feeling, it was so painful that I couldn’t do much, I couldn’t move. I can do some moves tonight. It’s just pain. The medical staff told me that if it was a tear or something, there was nothing they could do. So that’s encouraging.“

Without Buncher, Jamal Mosley could count on the very good Franz Wagner as the leader of the attack, as well as the contribution of his bench, Tristan Da Silva by switching position for position and Anthony Black to contribute in goal.

Brunson on crutches and a safety boot

If Orlando is hoping for good news, the mood could be a little more somber in New York. Not just because of this loss, but because the Knicks may have also lost Jalen Brunson for a while. At the very end of the match, the leader was hit by a penetration and a few moments later he had to make the mistake of leaving the field without going through the bench. “His right ankle turned, that’s all I know“, coach Mike Brown assured at the press conferencewhile his star Wendell Carter Jr. injured his leg with less than two minutes left.

Brunson is a bit silly pic.tvitter.com/5vKZBfjLCv

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His teammates haven’t been more vocal about Jalen Brunson’s health. But his exit from the locker room after the match, on crutches and with his ankle in a protective boot, hardly inspires optimism. “The Knicks know it’s a real injury“in Ian Bagley, franchise insider for SNI. Due to a similar problem with the same ankle last season, Brunson missed 15 games.

The situation is all the more frustrating because with less than two minutes to play, New York trailed by 15 points and no longer seemed able to turn the situation around. “The most important thing is to try to track each player’s game time instead of chasing wins.Mike Brown said in the preseason in Abu Dhabi, seemingly to mark a departure from his predecessor Tom Thibodeau.There could be games where we could throw in the towel.” What he didn’t do on Wednesday that could serve as a lesson.