OG Anunoby is day-to-day after an MRI revealed that the sprain in his right foot was mild.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed the news shortly before New York’s thrilling comeback win over the Houston Rockets, which featured 42 points from Jalen Brunson — 17 of them coming in a 46-point fourth-quarter outburst that ensured a sixth victory in their last seven games.
Anunoby’s results is a best-case scenario for the Knicks, who likely were expecting much worse when the 27-year-old departed Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers early in the third quarter after suffering the non-contact injury. As he caught a pass from Brunson and squared up to take a three-point shot, he fell to the floor in pain and immediately walked off to the locker room.
“It’s good that it’s a mild sprain,” Thibodeau said. “Just work your way through the treatment and get ready to go.”
The Knicks have been a different team since acquiring Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors in December of 2023. They went 20-3 in the regular season with him in the lineup last year, got past the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, and won the first two games of of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Indiana Pacers. But a hamstring strain held him out Games 3-6, which the Knicks lost three of before crashing out in Game 7.
New York inked Anunoby to a five-year, $215 million extension over the summer and he has continued to thrive. In 49 games this season, he is averaging 16.4 points per game while continuing to provide his trademark, staunch defense. Monday night against the Rockets was the first time this season they played without him.
