The Knicks’ injury woes haven’t improved.
OG Anunoby, Quentin Grimes and Julius Randle have been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against the Grizzlies at the Garden.
Mitchell Robinson will also miss 30 consecutive games while rehabbing from ankle surgery.
Anunoby will miss his fifth straight game due to inflammation in his right elbow.
He had previously applied kinesio tape to his shooting elbow during games, but was concerned about it during warmups in Charlotte on January 29th. He got hurt in that game and hasn’t played since.
There have been few updates on Anunoby’s status, but he appeared in at least 70 games in a season only once in his first six years with the Raptors.
Manager Tom Thibodeau said Anunoby’s elbow was “inflamed” before the Hornets game, reiterating that the 26-year-old was “day-to-day.” Anunoby appeared in his first 14 games with the Knicks, averaging 35.7 minutes per game.
Grimes is also expected to miss his third straight game with a sprained right knee, which will be his third straight game. The shooting guard was injured last Tuesday trying to guard Utah’s Collin Sexton, apparently twisting his knee and leaving Grimes lame. Grimes returned for that game but has not played since.
Randle will miss his fifth consecutive tournament after dislocating his right shoulder during the win over the Heat. On Thursday, the Knicks announced they would re-evaluate Randle in the next two to three weeks, with the earliest possible date being February 15th. Randle has begun rehabilitating his shoulder in hopes of playing again this season, but that would mean avoiding (or postponing) his surgery.
The Knicks won three of the four games Randle and Anunoby played in, but their shooting was ice cold in Saturday’s loss to the Lakers.
The team was already lacking offensive power before the injury. Jalen Brunson will continue to carry a heavy workload, and Donte DiVincenzo (averaging 23 shots and 15.5 3-point attempts in four games) will continue to get the green light.
“We’re down two starters, Mitch, right now we’re missing about three or four,” Josh Hart said Saturday. “We still have enough strength to win, we still have enough strength to compete.”
But the Grizzlies are in even worse shape than the Knicks.
From Memphis: Ja Morant (shoulder), Desmond Bane (left ankle sprain), Brandon Clarke (Achilles tendon), Victor Oladipo (knee), Marcus Smart (finger), Ziare Williams (hand), Jake LaRavia (ankle sprain) will participate.
Listed as questionable are Jaren Jackson Jr. (right hip soreness) and Xavier Tillman (knee).
Those who are questionable include Derrick Rose (left hamstring soreness), Santi Aldama (coccyx contusion), John Conchar (right calf contusion) and Vince Williams Jr. (left wrist soreness).
Brunson was nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Week after shooting 49.1 percent from the field and dishing out 34.3 points and 6.8 assists per game in four games from January 29 to February 4.
Hawks guard Trae Young (31 points, 11.3 assists, 65.5 percent from 3) won the championship.
