Some games tell two stories at once. Friday night’s dominant win over the Miami Heat was one of them. On the surface, the Knicks delivered one of their most impressive performances of the young season, blowing out a tough rival despite missing their superstar point guard and losing their best defender within minutes. But underneath that momentum sits a harsher reality: the Knicks are entering a stretch where their depth, discipline, and identity will be tested more than at any point this year.
Brunson’s ankle sprain and Anunoby’s hamstring injury don’t change what the Knicks are capable of, but they do change how hard it will be to get there in the short term.
Brunson’s red-hot start is on pause, but not for long
There was a moment earlier in the week when it looked like Brunson might miss significant time. Instead, early scans revealed a Grade 1 sprain — the best possible scenario — and the Knicks expect him back much sooner than feared. That’s critical, because Brunson was carving up opponents to start the year. His averages — 28 points, 6.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds — only scratch the surface of how in control he looked running the offense.
He shot .467 from the floor and .369 from deep, mixing efficiency with poise and improvisation. Every possession felt steadier with him on the ball. Losing that for even a brief stretch forces the Knicks into uncomfortable territory, reshuffling roles the coaching staff hoped wouldn’t need adjusting this early in the season.
But at least there’s a light at the end of that tunnel.
OG Anunoby’s injury hits the Knicks in multiple ways
Anunoby’s impact is always measured by more than the box score, but the numbers this season still speak loudly. Before exiting Friday’s game, he was averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, while shooting .476 overall and .392 from deep. His defensive versatility glues the Knicks’ structure together, and losing him for a few weeks is a different type of loss than missing a scorer.
He handles the toughest matchups. He closes passing lanes. He sets the tone physically. Without him, the Knicks lose one of the league’s rare wing defenders who can flatten entire offensive game plans.
That absence puts enormous pressure on the rest of the rotation.
Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and the new ball-distribution load
In Brunson’s absence, the Knicks didn’t hesitate to shift responsibilities. Mikal Bridges showed more aggression, attacking early in possessions and looking for lanes he normally yields to Brunson. Josh Hart stepped into the role of secondary distributor, picking up 10 assists on Friday in a performance that blended toughness with control.
That kind of effort is sustainable in stretches but not something the Knicks can lean on indefinitely. Bridges is at his best when he balances scoring with facilitation, not when he’s forced into primary creation. Hart can connect actions and make the extra pass, but running an offense for weeks at a time isn’t his ideal workload.
That’s where Jordan Clarkson comes in.
Jordan Clarkson’s role is about to expand — significantly
Clarkson was brought in for moments like this. His ability to handle the ball, score in isolation, and create without structure gives the Knicks the offensive oxygen they’ll need while Brunson recovers. He’s streaky, but he’s fearless, and that alone fills a gap the Knicks can’t manufacture internally.
Miles McBride remains in the mix, but Friday showed the gap between his current creation ability and what the offense demands when Brunson sits. He’ll get minutes, but Clarkson becomes the pressure-release valve who keeps the offense from stalling.
We can’t forget about the God-like performance Landry Shamet put up against Miami, but that might’ve been an anomoly.
The Knicks can survive this — but only if the depth keeps showing up
Friday night was a blueprint. Tough defense. Ball movement. Timely shooting. Unexpected contributors stepping into bigger moments than usual. Performances like that can keep the Knicks afloat until they get Brunson back and ultimately reintegrate Anunoby.
But they can’t rely on one player’s eruption or a single hot hand. It will take shared responsibility and a nightly grind.
The Knicks proved they can rise to the moment. Now they need to prove they can sustain it — until their two biggest pillars return to anchor the structure again.