LOS ANGELES — In the hallway outside the Knicks’ locker room in the bowels of Crypto.com Arena, Jalen Brunson had just finished his pregame workout when from behind a curtain down the corridor, a voice yelled, “JB!” Brunson immediately took off running to greet the hidden player.
The voice came from Luka Doncic, taking the opportunity to reunite with his former teammate, as unlikely as it may have seemed that the Dallas Mavericks would part with both of them with both clearly in their prime.
The next time Doncic called for Brunson, searching him out, came after the game as the Lakers celebrated a 113-109 overtime victory. Doncic wanted to pay his respects, but Brunson already was gone. He had limped to the locker room with 1:20 to play in overtime after suffering a right ankle injury that ended his night and could turn into an extended absence.
With the Knicks down two in overtime, Brunson drove through the lane, trying to do what he has done so many times: carry the Knicks on his back in the most crucial moments. But as he drew a foul, he landed with his right foot on Austin Reaves’ foot, badly turning his right ankle.
He remained in the game to shoot the free throws, tying the score at 107. But after that, the Knicks quickly fouled to get him out of the game and he limped to the locker room.
His father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, came out to bring Jalen’s wife back to see him, but other than that, there was no clarity on just what he and the Knicks are facing now.
“Obviously, it’s a bummer of an injury,” Josh Hart said. “We’ve got to expect him to be out for a little bit. We’ve got guys. Now we have to step up. Other guys’ roles are going to be bigger. There’s more opportunity. Keep it afloat until he comes back, be aggressive, go out there and compete.”
Just how long won’t be known until he undergoes more testing Friday morning. Doncic said Brunson told him he would be OK, but for Brunson to leave the overtime was an indication of just how badly he was injured.
Remaining at the free-throw line allowed him to reenter if somehow he could have, but it also was a reflection that even walking to the other end of the floor to the bench would have been an arduous journey.
“He’s being examined,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I haven’t spoken with him. He was back with the medical people.
“His mental toughness is through the roof. It doesn’t surprise me. The way he played the whole game, they were loaded up on him the whole game.”
“It’s next man up,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “A huge part of our team, as y’all know with Cap. So you don’t know yet. But praying for him and we’re going to keep this team intact. And the way we’ve been playing all year, we’ve been playing with grit. Got to go out there and do it again.”
Brunson converted those two free throws to tie the score at 107-107, giving him the Knicks’ first eight points in overtime, but that was as far as he and the Knicks would go.
The Lakers took over from there, scoring the next four points, but all that and the back-and-forth contest seemed inconsequential. The much bigger picture is how the Knicks will survive if Brunson is sidelined for an extended period of time. They will play the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night as the second step in their five-game West Coast trip.
It’s easy to see just why the new-look Lakers suddenly have struck fear into the rest of the league. Trailing by 13 in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth, they held the Knicks to 15 points in the fourth and earned their eighth straight win.
Doncic had 32 points and 12 assists and LeBron James added 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. That was just enough to overcome the 39-point, 10-assist performance by Brunson.
While few doubted the recent acquisition of Doncic, just how fast it has come together for the Lakers might be the most impressive part.
“I always feel like great players always figure it out,” Thibodeau said. “They’re used to playing in a lot of different situations where you had to adapt quickly. All of LeBron’s experiences with Team USA and those teams come together very quickly. They understand the game so well and how to adapt. It really doesn’t surprise me. As time goes on, they add layers to it.”
The Knicks held a 90-80 lead with 6:57 left, but James’ three-pointer tied it at 96 and Gabe Vincent’s three with 1:21 left gave the Lakers a three-point lead.
Brunson’s three-point play tied it at 99 with 46.4 seconds left in regulation.
Dorian Finney-Smith missed from three-point range, but James grabbed the rebound, and after a foul, the Lakers had the ball with 22 seconds to play. James missed a three and the Knicks rebounded with 9.1 seconds remaining.
The Knicks put the ball in Brunson’s hands, but the Lakers quickly sent two defenders at him. He gave it to Hart, who hit a driving layup, but the ball left his hand just after time expired, sending the game to overtime.
After Brunson hit the two free throws on the play in which he was injured, Jaxson Hayes sank two free throws and James hit two more for a 111-107 Lakers lead with 38.6 seconds left in overtime. OG Anunoby (20 points) drove for a layup and was fouled but missed the free throw, and James hit two free throws with 9.4 seconds left to clinch it.
