Jalen Brunson could not avoid the injury report for Saturday’s home game against the Pistons.
Brunson, who didn’t play the final 14-plus minutes of Thursday’s win over the Hornets after crashing hard to the floor in a third-quarter collision, has been listed as questionable with a lower back contusion.
Tom Thibodeau said after Thursday’s game that the All-Star point guard “could have gone back in” after returning to the bench midway through the fourth quarter. But there was no reason to put Brunson back in the game with the Knicks up by more than 20 points.
Brunson, who has started all 22 games this season, said after the game he felt “amazing” but would wait to see how he felt Friday.
Brunson also was listed as questionable for the Knicks’ Nov. 13 game against the Bulls, but he played and scored 24 points with eight assists in 34 minutes.
With the return of Precious Achiuwa against the Hornets, backup center Jericho Sims played just three minutes — all in the first half — with no points.
Sims has appeared in all 22 games this season with one start, averaging 1.9 points and 4.0 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per appearance.
Asked if Sims now will be a situational player with Achiuwa’s return, Thibodeau replied, “No, I didn’t like the energy of the group, so we just started searching for something that could get us going. He’s got to make sure that you’re getting things done out there.”
Cam Payne has been listed as questionable after missing Thursday’s game with left-elbow effusion, which is a condition in which the elbow joint swells because of a buildup of fluid.
“We’ll see where he is [Friday],” Thibodeau said Thursday night. “Deuce [McBride] has been terrific, but I like having the bench with Deuce and Cam together. That gives us a big spark and huge energy. I think what Precious will add to that [second-unit] group will be even more speed and athleticism.”
