The Knicks aren't without Jalen Branson with the Clippers on Friday.
Branson was listed as appearing in the Knicks injury report after suffering an ankle injury Thursday night in a 113-109 overtime loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles.
His first X-ray on Thursday I've returned to negativeand is believed to have taken further testing on Friday.
Knicks (40-22) faces the Clippers on Friday night in the second game of consecutive sets at Crypto.com Arena.
“Obviously, that's a pity for the injury. Josh Hart said Thursday. “There are guys. Now we need to step up. The roles of others will be bigger. There's more opportunity. Float until he comes back, get offensive, get out there and compete.”
Branson was injured after working overtime while driving to the hoop as he landed awkwardly, causing his right ankle to turn at an unusual angle.
He stayed in the game, hit two free throws and tied the game together 107-107, leaving him with 1:24 overtime before leaving the court.
Losing Branson on every stretch is a tough hit for the Knicks as the All-Star Guard averages a team-leading 26.1 points, 7.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Branson loaded offensively in overtime in the fourth quarter and Thursday, with the team changing buckets and the Knicks rely heavily on his excellence.
Miles McBride could receive a bump in playing time with Brunson Sidelided, with him averaging 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
It is even more expected to have scored six more points along with Karl Anthony Towns and the inconsistent Mikal Bridges, and disappeared after losing to the Lakers.
Friday's match was also the second contest of this five-game West Coast trip, winning the upcoming games against the Kings on March 10th, the Trail Blazers on March 12th and the Warriors on March 15th.
The Knicks are 3½ games ahead of the Bucks, the third seeded in the East, but are now 4½ games behind the Celtics' second seed.
– Post Stefan Bondy contributed report
