This spring, things were looking promising for the Knicks, but they faced an unexpected setback.
During their exciting postseason game, OG Anunoby appeared to injure his right hamstring late in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 108-102 win against the 76ers. He left the court with just over two minutes to go and didn’t come back. After the game, he was notably absent from both the bench and the locker room.
“He seemed really fired up,” said Knicks coach Mike Brown, reflecting on Anunoby’s energy before the injury.
Brown, however, didn’t have any details regarding the severity of the injury. It remains unclear how serious it might be. Anunoby had tried to make a dunk with just over three minutes left when Paul George blocked his attempt, and he seemed to struggle with his movement afterward.
When Jalen Brunson was asked about his teammate’s injury, he responded, “I’ll deal with it when I need to. I don’t have all the details right now.”
Before the injury struck, Anunoby was having an impressive game, contributing 24 points, five rebounds, and four steals. Coming into this game, he had been averaging 21 points, nearly eight rebounds, and solid defensive numbers during the playoffs, shooting nearly 60% from beyond the arc. While he was on the court, the Knicks had a significant positive impact on their offense.
Clearly, losing him, even temporarily, would be a significant blow. Anunoby is crucial not just as a defender but also as an offensive player.
“He’s definitely one of the top two-way players in the league, and it’s tough to fill that void,” Miles McBride commented. “You can’t just replace one player. Everyone’s going to need to step up.”
A couple of years back, Anunoby also faced a hamstring issue in the second game of the Eastern Conference semifinals, which was particularly unfortunate since the Knicks were leading the series at that time. They ended up losing that series in seven games. Anunoby did return for the decisive game but wasn’t able to contribute much due to his lingering injury, and they surely hope history doesn’t repeat itself.
If Anunoby’s absence extends beyond a few games, the Knicks may opt for a small-ball lineup with Myles McBride or keep Mitchell Robinson at center and use Karl-Anthony Towns at power forward.
Asked about potentially stepping into a larger role, McBride expressed confidence: “I feel really ready. The coaching staff and my teammates have faith in me, and I trust myself as well. So if the opportunity arises, I’ll be set.”
