Jalen Brunson reveals when he suffered playoff wrist injury before Knicks' title run

Jalen Brunson has revealed he played through a left wrist injury during the New York Knicks’ championship run: and pinpointed when it first flared up.

Speaking on ESPN NY Radio’s Don, Hahn & Rosenberg on Wednesday, Brunson said he couldn’t recall the exact moment he got hurt but knew it happened earlier than most assumed.

What happened?

Brunson told reporters he first felt weakness in his wrist at the free-throw line in the third or fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks point guard still managed 19 points in 40 minutes as New York beat Boston 109-93 to take a 2-0 series lead, which they later swept.

He added that the injury lingered after that game, forcing him to figure out how to manage it. “I just remember being at the free-throw line … and my wrist is starting to feel weak,” Brunson said.

How bad was the injury?

The Knicks’ captain underwent surgery to repair the left wrist/forearm injury earlier this month. Doctors expect his rehab and recovery to take at least two months, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.

Despite the setback, Brunson refused to regret a second of the experience. “I would do it all again,” he said.

What did Brunson do in the Finals?

Brunson delivered his biggest moments during the NBA Finals. He sparked the Knicks’ improbable Game 4 comeback and then dropped a franchise-record 43 points in Game 5 to clinch the title: all while playing through the injury to his shooting hand.

The 43-point outburst set a new Knicks franchise scoring record in a Finals-clinching game, capping a postseason where Brunson averaged 24.8 points and 6.8 assists per game.

What’s next for Brunson?

Brunson is now focused on recovery. He said life after the championship has been a rollercoaster: euphoric at first, then grounded by the need for surgery.

“Once we won and everything, everything was up high,” Brunson said. “And then getting back to real life, it was probably best to get surgery done for my wrist.”