Knicks' Jalen Brunson leaves in first quarter with ankle injury, doesn't return in blowout loss to Kings
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson takes a shot in the paint during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Kings on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Credit: AP/Sara Nevis
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Knicks took the floor at Golden 1 Center well-rested and comfortable as they readied to face the last-place Kings.
And it took just minutes for it to fall apart.
A dreadful start in Mike Brown’s return to the city where he was fired just over a year ago was exacerbated by the one thing that the Knicks cannot bear — losing Jalen Brunson to an injury.
The Knicks lost, 112-101, and now face the uncertainty of whether they will be without Brunson with a game less than 24 hours away at Golden State.
“We didn’t respond,” Brown said. “We didn’t respond at all. I got to give the Kings credit because they took it to us. And we didn’t respond in any way, shape or form. But even before Jalen got hurt, we weren’t following the game plan. And I’m not sure why. But we were kind of just out there just going through the motions. And if you go through the motions in this league, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to get your behind kicked. And we got our behind kicked.”
Just 4:15 into the game, Brunson was dribbling in front of the Knicks’ bench, attempting to make a move against Maxime Raynaud, and without contact caught the toe of his right foot, twisting his ankle. He went to the floor and lost the ball, and Brown attempted to help him to his feet as play went the other way. After trying to remain on the floor for the next two possessions, he exited with 7:01 left and went directly to the locker room.
He remained in the back the remainder of the game and left the locker room afterward without speaking to the media, but he was not wearing a protective boot and seemed to be walking without a limp.
In the second quarter, his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, went back to the locker room five times to check on his status, hopeful that he could find his way back onto the floor.
The injury was to the same ankle that Brunson injured earlier this season, which cost him two games, and last March, when he was sidelined for a month.
Even with Brunson, the Knicks (25-15) got off to a miserable start en route to their sixth loss in their last eight games. Without him, they fell behind by 20 points in the second quarter, misfiring on their first 11 attempts from beyond the arc before Josh Hart finally ended that with a corner three-pointer with 8:49 left in the half.
They wound up missing 19 of their first 20 three-pointers and fell behind by 25 points in the third quarter.
Without Brunson, the Knicks needed a team effort. They got it, in the sense that no one stepped forward for them.
The best performance came from a former Knick. Precious Achiuwa, who was let go after the season and landed in Sacramento after a stop in Miami, started because of injuries and responded with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan had 27 points and Zach LaVine added 25 for the Kings (11-30). Russell Westbrook had 19 points and 11 assists.
Mikal Bridges (19 points) shot 1-for-7 in the first half before scoring 15 second-half points. Karl-Anthony Towns shot 5-for-14, finishing with 13 points. After Brunson’s 2-for-3 start, Josh Hart (4-for-7 for 10 points) and Mitchell Robinson (3-for-3 with eight points) shot at least 50% from the floor.
Deuce McBride missed his first nine shots — five from three-point range — before finally connecting on a three on a break with 3:20 left in the third quarter. But by that time the damage was done; his shot cut Sacramento’s lead to 20. McBride finished 4-for-14 (2-for-7 from three-point range).
But it wasn’t the offense that the Knicks took issue with afterward. Brown said he showed the team the video clip at halftime of a play in which Towns fell and never got back past midcourt as a long rebound went to the Kings, who got a three-point field goal off of it.
“We didn’t do enough to win, and they took advantage of our lackadaisicalness, you could say,” Towns said. “But the guys came ready. They hit shots and we didn’t do enough to stop the bleeding.”
The game spoiled Brown’s return to Sacramento, where he was fired in December 2024. Arriving Sunday after the win in Portland, he hit his favorite restaurants and made the most of his stay (until the game began).
He got a nice ovation from the crowd, appreciative of what he’d accomplished with the Kings, ending a 16-year absence from the playoffs in his first season. But that might have been the last moment he enjoyed as the game ended with the fans chanting, “Light the beam!”
“I’m human just like everybody else, and when you think about it, it feels a little funky,” Brown said before the game. “But at the end of the day, they want to beat us and we want to beat them, and so at the end of the day, we’re going to try to do what we can to get a win just like they are too, and that’s what it’s all about.
“Time here was great. People here were special. I enjoyed it, but I want to get out of here with a win.”
Notes & quotes: Robinson, who has yet to play in back-to-back games, was on the floor against the Kings. Brown said he was unsure if he’ll be available Thursday night against Golden State. “At the end of the day, it’s going to be the medical team’s choice,” Brown said. “As we’ve gone along, his minutes have increased and he’s been able to do more things in practice in terms of their eyes. So whatever they tell us tomorrow, we’ll listen to.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
