Is Jalen Brunson Playing Tonight In Knicks vs. Pistons Game 3? Exploring Injury Report For Star’s Status

The Knicks handed the Detroit Pistons their first postseason win in nearly two decades. Safe to say, their head coach, Tom Thibodeau, was not happy. He was upset by both his players and the officials calling the game. But now, the burden of breaking the deadlock in this series falls on the shoulders of stars like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and company.

So, can the New York Knicks manage to bounce back from this loss? And who’ll be on the court helping them to gain an advantage in this series? Let’s see what the injury report has to say!

New York Knicks Injury Report – Will Jalen Brunson play in Game 3?

Jalen Brunson nearly missed the final stretch of the regular season after rolling his ankle quite badly against the Lakers. He did manage to bounce back for the final 4 games. However, doubts still lingered around his fitness despite him averaging 21 points in those games.

But now, Knicks fans, you can put those doubts to bed for good. Jalen Brunson is not on the injury report for the New York Knicks. That means he is AVAILABLE for the third game in the series against the Pistons. But the good news doesn’t stop for Knicks fans.

The New York Knicks haven’t turned in an injury report at all for this game, and it’s not because they’re late or anything like that. The NY Knicks have zero injured players heading into their upcoming game! Despite Thibs treating the regular season like an extended version of the Playoffs, the Knicks’ core rotation remains intact and injury-free.

On the other hand, the Pistons have two players on their injury report. Rotation player Isaiah Stewart is QUESTIONABLE for this game. The Pistons’ backup big man suffered a knee injury during the first game of this series. Hopes of his return linger in Detroit. Similarly, even though he has recovered enough to start shooting practice, 23-year-old Jaden Ivey is OUT of the Knicks game. His dedication to recover might lead to an early return. But, it won’t be against the Knicks in game 3 of this series.

With this series tied at one game apiece, the onus is on the Knicks’ stars to beat a slightly compromised Detroit Pistons. But after a disappointing showing in their last game, do they have what it takes to get the upper hand in this series?

Can the NY Knicks go 2-1 up against the Pistons in Game 3?

Despite registering 37 points against the Pistons in Game 2, Jalen Brunson actually had quite a disappointing showing against the Pistons. The Pistons targeted Brunson’s inability to defend when the player he’s guarding sets a screen. And this strategy has paid off well for the Pistons. Over the course of 2 games, they set 30 screens with Cade Cunningham being the ball handler for 24 of those screens.

Brunson’s defensive deficiencies have left the Knicks exposed in this game. And after the game, he took full responsibility for their loss. “Definitely, it’s on my shoulders.
I’m not gonna point fingers and say some people need to do that and this,” said the Knicks’ point guard, post-game. However, even if Brunson thinks the responsibility is solely his, we don’t. You see, Karl-Anthony Towns, the man brought in to bolster the Knicks’ star power, also had a quiet game 2 against the Pistons.

Dec 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) hugs New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) after their game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

KAT only scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, with none of them being on the Pistons’ end. The Knicks’ best big man grabbing 0 offensive rebounds in a Playoff game certainly won’t suffice if they legitimately want to challenge for a title.

Despite all these issues, though, the Knicks did well to claw their way back into the game from a 15-point deficit. So, it’s clear that they’ve got the quality to do it. They can address these issues with Brunson and KAT, along with the team’s coordination as a whole. If they can do that, well, the Knicks may have this one in the bag!

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