Knicks’ Jalen Brunson suffers ankle injury in loss to Lakers

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson could be sidelined for an extended period after sustaining an ankle injury during overtime in a 113-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game that Brunson was still being evaluated by medical staff.

“It’s a bummer of an injury. We expect him to be out for a little bit,” forward Josh Hart said.

Brunson, who is averaging 26.3 points and 7.4 assists per game, rolled his right ankle with 1:24 left in overtime after landing on the foot of Lakers guard Austin Reaves following a foul on a drive to the basket. He remained in the game to make both free throws, tying the score at 107, before heading to the locker room.

The 27-year-old led the Knicks with 39 points and 10 assists, forcing overtime with a three-point play after the Lakers erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter.

“His mental toughness is through the roof. It doesn’t surprise me the way he played the whole game,” Thibodeau said.

Brunson’s injury comes at a difficult time for New York, which opened a five-game West Coast trip with the loss. The Knicks, currently third in the Eastern Conference (40-22), remain in Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Friday before games against Sacramento, Portland, and Golden State.

“It’s next man up. He’s a huge part of our team. We’ve been playing with grit and have to go out there and do it again,” center Karl-Anthony Towns said.