The margin for error narrowed fast for the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, and not because of the scoreboard alone.

What began as a manageable road test in Sacramento shifted sharply just five minutes in, when the Knicks’ offensive engine hit the floor and didn’t return. From that moment on, the result almost felt secondary to what came next.

That moment arrived early in the first quarter of New York’s 112–101 loss to the Sacramento Kings on January 14, when Jalen Brunson rolled his right ankle, attempted to play through it, and then headed straight for the locker room. The Knicks never recovered on the floor, but the first update afterward offered at least some breathing room.

According to Knicks insider James Edwards III, Brunson was seen walking around after the game without a walking boot or crutches, a small but meaningful sign that immediately shifted the conversation from panic to cautious optimism.

That detail matters because for this Knicks team, everything still runs through Brunson.

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The injury occurred roughly five minutes into the game as Brunson attempted to pass out of pressure while being guarded by Maxime Raynaud. His right ankle turned awkwardly, sending him to the floor. Brunson briefly stayed on the court before checking out moments later, clearly limping as he made his way to the tunnel.

The initial broadcast angle left some confusion, but the issue was quickly confirmed as an ankle injury, not a knee problem, and Brunson was ruled out before halftime.

That’s where the postgame sighting became important. Players leaving arenas in walking boots or on crutches often signal structural damage or extended absences. Brunson avoiding both doesn’t guarantee good news, but it keeps a short-term outcome firmly in play as imaging continues.

It also aligns with how the Knicks have handled him before. Just months ago, Brunson dealt with a Grade 1 sprain in the same right ankle and missed roughly a week. Last season, a similar issue sidelined him for close to a month. The team has historically erred on the side of caution, especially when their entire offense tilts so heavily in one direction.

Without Jalen Brunson, New York Had No Answer for Sacramento’s Surge

The Knicks barely had time to settle before losing their floor general, and the fallout was immediate.

Brunson finished with just four points, snapping an 18-game streak of 20-plus scoring nights. From there, New York’s offense unraveled. Sacramento jumped out to a 32–17 first-quarter lead and never really looked back.

New York went 1-for-19 from three-point range in the first half, struggling to generate clean looks or any kind of rhythm. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine combined for 52 points, slicing through a defense that couldn’t compensate for its offensive stagnation.

There were isolated sparks. Russell Westbrook pushed the pace and brought energy, while Precious Achiuwa battled inside. But the structure was gone. Possessions turned into forced attempts, spacing collapsed, and Sacramento controlled tempo.

Any lingering hope faded early in the third quarter when the Kings opened with a 7–0 run, pushing the lead beyond 20. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 points on 20 shots, a stat line that captured the night’s larger problem more than his individual performance.

This isn’t just about one game or one ankle.

Brunson has carried enormous responsibility for a Knicks team that entered the night firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff mix. He logs heavy minutes, orchestrates nearly every late-game possession, and acts as the stabilizer when things drift off script. Without him, New York’s offensive identity thins quickly.

That’s what made the Kings’ game revealing. This wasn’t simply a bad shooting night; it was a reminder of how fragile the Knicks’ offensive ecosystem becomes without its centerpiece.

The good news is that early indicators point away from a worst-case scenario. The bad news is that even a short absence would force adjustments, and the Knicks don’t have much margin to experiment with consistency at stake.

More clarity is expected once imaging is completed. Until then, the focus stays on availability, not speculation.

Because for the Knicks, the takeaway from Sacramento was simple: losing the game hurt, but losing Brunson, even briefly, would hurt far more.

And that’s why the sight of him walking unassisted mattered as much as anything that showed up in the box score.