Just when it seemed like this spring had limitless potential, a roadblock has been thrown the Knicks’ way.
OG Anunoby, in the midst of a brilliant postseason, suffered what appeared to be a right hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 108-102 Game 2 victory over the 76ers at the Garden.
Anunoby departed with 2:31 remaining and didn’t return. He wasn’t seen on the bench afterward or in the locker room following the win.
“He looked like he was hoppin’,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.
Brown didn’t have any information on the injury. The severity is unknown at this time. Anunoby went up for a dunk with 3:03 remaining, and Paul George blocked the shot.
He looked to be in discomfort on the cut to the basket.
Asked about his teammate’s uncertain status, Jalen Brunson said: “I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I don’t know too much.”
Before he got hurt, Anunoby was enjoying another big game, producing 24 points along with five rebounds and four steals. Entering the night, he was averaging 21 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks in the playoffs. He was also shooting an absurd 59.4 percent from 3-point range on 4.6 attempts and the Knicks were outscoring the opposition by 20.6 per 100 possessions with Anunoby on the floor.
Losing him for any period of time would obviously hurt. He is the Knicks’ top defender and has become a critical piece on the offensive end.
“He’s one of the best two-way players in the league, and it’s tough to replace that,” Miles McBride said. “You don’t replace it with one guy. Everybody’s going to have to step up.”
Two years ago, Anunoby suffered a hamstring injury in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks led that series 2-0 at the time and wound up losing in seven. Anunoby returned in the seventh game, but he was a nonfactor, clearly still injured. They obviously hope history doesn’t repeat itself.
The Knicks would likely go one of two ways if Anunoby misses time, either starting Miles McBride in a small-ball lineup or going with Mitchell Robinson at center and Karl-Anthony Towns at power forward.
“Extremely comfortable,” McBride said, when asked about the possibility of an increased role for him. “I feel like the coaching staff trusts me, I know my teammates trust me and I trust myself overall. So if that happens, I know I’ll be ready.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
