New York Knicks fans collectively held their breath Wednesday night when it looked like they might lose Jalen Brunson.
The star player was injured at the start of Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers and missed the entire second quarter before returning in the third.
During his absence, the Knicks have struggled in several ways.
On “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith said the Knicks ask too much of Brunson, but he knows why they do it.
“Look at how they look when he’s not on the pitch. With greatness comes great responsibility,” Smith said.
No one can blame the Knicks for wanting so much from Brunson.
Wednesday night’s game was another example of how influential he is: he scored 29 points in the game, 24 of which came in the fourth quarter alone.
And in the previous four games, Brunson scored more than 40 points each time.
Brunson was the team MVP all season, averaging 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists on 47.9 percent from the field.
The Knicks asked a lot of Brunson and he consistently delivered.
But now there are fears that Brunson is being pushed too hard at a time when the team needs him most.