Peyton Watson may not have meant to, but he ended up throwing another spotlight on just how far Jalen Brunson was willing to go for the Knicks.
On a recent appearance on Curious Mike, Watson talked about the pressure that comes with trying to play through injuries in the postseason. He also opened up about his own experience from this past playoff run, when a Grade Two hamstring strain kept him out of Denver’s six-game quarterfinals series against the Timberwolves. Watson said that going into the playoffs, he “didn't feel healthy,” and that feeling left him sidelined.
That kind of decision is easy to defend. If a player knows his body isn’t right, sitting out is the right call. But there’s another side to it too: the players who do decide to push through pain, take the risk, and keep going for their team deserve their flowers.
Brunson fits squarely in that group.
The Knicks star played through an undisclosed wrist injury that lingered throughout New York’s title run and eventually required surgery once the season was over. The injury involved a snapped tendon in his dominant wrist, and he still powered through one of the most impressive postseason runs in the league.
Brunson finished the 2026 postseason leading all players in scoring at 28.4 points per game, while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three. In the Finals, he raised the level even more, averaging 32.6 points. Then he put the series away with 45 points in Game 5 against the Spurs, shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from deep.
Nearly three months after that series, and almost two months after surgery, Brunson still hasn’t been cleared for basketball activities. With training camps set to open in just a few weeks, his availability remains uncertain.
Still, it’s hard to imagine Brunson would choose any other path if he had the chance to do it over. What he gave the Knicks, and what he sacrificed to do it, has already secured him a permanent place in franchise history.
In Other News...
Donovan Mitchell Still Can't Shake What Doomed Cavs Against Knicks
The Cavaliers playoff run against the Knicks still seems to start and end with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, when Cleveland had control and let it slip away. New York rode that series opener on its way to a sweep, and the loss has lingered enough that Donovan Mitchell is still reflecting on how quickly the matchup changed from there.
Mitchell framed it as a lesson he does not want to carry forward again, saying the disappointment remains part of his motivation as Cleveland looks ahead to next season. For a Cavs team trying to position itself as a contender in 2026-27, the memory of what happened against the Knicks is the kind of postseason scar that can shape everything that comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Need To Watch One Clippers Center Situation Closely
The Clippers are now dealing with one of the heaviest punishments the NBA has handed down in recent memory after an investigation into salary-cap circumvention, with the league issuing a massive fine, taking away five first-round picks and suspending owner Steve Ballmer and other executives. For teams around the league, the fallout could reshape roster planning in more ways than one, especially if Los Angeles is forced to rethink pieces of its frontcourt as the season moves along.
For the Knicks, the situation is worth monitoring because it could eventually create a path to a veteran center availability that was not on the radar before all this surfaced. A potential buyout scenario is still only speculative, and there is no assurance anything comes of it, but New York would be among the teams with a clear reason to keep tabs on how the Clippers manage the rest of their roster. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Still Have One Rivalry They Desperately Need To Flip
The Knicks finally got back to the mountaintop in 2023, ending a title drought that had stretched back to 1973, but one old obstacle still sits uncomfortably on the ledger. For all the progress in New York, the Pacers remain the matchup that keeps hanging around, and the league still sees enough juice in this pairing to slot Knicks-Pacers among the NBA rivalries worth watching in 2026-27.
Indianas recent slide in the standings has not erased what this series means, especially after the postseason history these two teams have built over the years. The next chapter figures to draw even more attention with key Pacers pieces set to be back in the mix, which only raises the pressure on New York to change the tone of a rivalry it has spent too long chasing rather than controlling. [Read more 🡒]