After last weekend’s controversial finish in Detroit, the Knicks gained a massive edge by going up 3-1 against the Pistons. With the series heading back to New York, many expected Jalen Brunson and Co. to finish the job tonight. But they failed to close the deal at the Garden. A big reason behind the Knicks’ brutal loss was Brunson’s disappointing 16-point performance. But was it just an off night?… Or a sign of a bigger issue?

Last month, JB suffered a brutal right ankle sprain during a regular-season game against the Lakers. The unfortunate incident forced him to miss a month of action. Although Brunson returned a few days before the playoffs, he has been bothered by that lingering injury ever since. In this series alone, the point guard has re-aggravated his ankle thrice.

Even tonight, he mildly tweaked his ankle while closing out on Cade Cunningham. Brunson was in visible pain and could be seen limping right after. Then in Game 4, JB was forced to leave in the third quarter after injuring the same ankle. Sure, he returned in the following quarter with his ankle taped up. But the constant re-aggravation could prove disastrous for him and the Knicks. According to renowned medical expert Dr. Evan Jeffries, “once an ankle is sprained, ligaments are ‘laxed’ and you risk further sprains.”

So, even if Brunson manages to play through the pain in this series and advance to the next round, he could be one incident away from getting completely sidelined for the playoffs. Moreover, the constant blow to Jalen’s ankle has seemingly started affecting his performance.

He struggled all game tonight, shooting 4 of 16 from the field and scoring just 16 points. His lowest score in these playoffs so far. So, the Knicks need to be extremely cautious going forward. Plus, he is not the only star they need to worry about.

Concerns rise for Knicks as key star makes brutal health confession after Game 5 injury scare

While Brunson manages his injury, other Knicks players are not doing much better either. Josh Hart is also feeling the effects of the grueling NBA schedule. Of course, he averaged 37.6 minutes per game during the regular season and was one of Tom Thibodeau’s most used players. And the fatigue might finally be getting to him.

During the closing minutes of tonight’s game, Hart took a nasty fall while guarding Cade on a layup attempt. He seemingly injured his wrist on the play and was forced to leave the floor. Although the forward returned with less than half a minute left in the game, it was too late. With him out, the Pistons took advantage and won the game, bringing the series to 3-2.

After the heartbreaking loss, Josh addressed why he went to the locker room and his current health, “Just needed to regroup, walk it off and try to go back in… My whole body is bothering me.”

Josh Hart admitted he’s not playing at 100%, and a big reason could be Tom Thibodeau’s heavy reliance on his core rotation. The physical toll is nothing new under Thibs—just ask Mikal Bridges, who earlier this year confessed, “Sometimes it’s not fun on the body.” Last postseason, the Knicks limped into the East semis riddled with injuries, a key factor in their elimination. And if they’re not careful, history might just repeat itself. Thoughts?