The New York Knicks were already missing Jalen Brunson and now will have to trek forward without RJ Barrett against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. The swingman was forced out after suffering a finger injury in just over a minute during the Mavs tilt.
The injury appears to have occurred on an early drive with Luka Doncic poking at the ball from behind. Check out the play below:
He is the RJ Barrett injury 👇 pic.twitter.com/8CESutcyEV
— Knicks Lead (@KnicksLead) December 28, 2022
Knicks PR confirmed that RJ Barrett will not return due to what's being deemed a right index finger laceration. He finished with just one shot attempt and one assist.
“RJ Barrett (right index finger laceration) will not return to tonight’s game.”
With the Knicks hitting a rough patch, losing both Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett is the last thing New York needs.
They've lost three games in a row entering Tuesday's matchup, all of which have been at home against Eastern Conference playoff contenders. This comes just after their celebrated eight-game win streak that gave the impression that the Knicks had turned the corner on the season.
Before New York's Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, RJ Barrett had played arguably the best two-game stretch of his career. He posted 37.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 64.1 percent from the field. He also shot a scorching-hot 10 of 12 from three-point land in that span.
It remains to be seen just how long RJ Barrett will be out – or if he misses any time at all. Knicks fans will certainly hope to get him back in action right away.
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