Game 1 of the NBA Finals got off to a very ominous start for the New York Knicks.
Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson exited in the first quarter of his team’s opening game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. During a Spurs possession, Brunson got rolled onto by San Antonio forward Harrison Barnes off a shot attempt.
As Barnes was trying to get into rebounding position, he got shoved by Knicks guard Landry Shamet (who was called for a loose ball foul on the play). Barnes then tumbled to the ground and fell into Brunson’s right knee area.
Here is the video of the play.
Jalen Brunson grabbing his knee after Barnes falls into himpic.twitter.com/kQWGpZBRQO
— Tsoj (@TsojBall) June 4, 2026
Brunson left the game on the next dead ball. He was able to walk off under his own power but was clearly hobbled as he made his way to the locker room.
Jalen Brunson headed back to the locker room.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 4, 2026
Prayers up. pic.twitter.com/Sf0YnYUd65
The three-time All-Star Brunson is the heart and soul of the Knicks, averaging 26.0 points per game in the regular season and 26.9 points per game up to this point of the postseason. While Brunson is known as a gamer who plays through all different kinds of ailments, his status will now obviously be worth monitoring closely for the remainder of Game 1 and for the remainder of the NBA Finals at large.
