OG Anunoby’s return from elbow surgery did not last long as he missed Monday night’s 119-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. It does not appear as though it will be a quick absence, either.
As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the forward’s surgically repaired elbow which sidelined him for 19 games experienced a flare-up. It prompted the Knicks to send Anunoby back home to New York to undergo an MRI, as disclosed by head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Wojnarowski disclosed that the Knicks are going to wait for the elbow to “calm down,” before entertaining the idea of a return, meaning that a definitive timetable for a return is unknown. The 26-year-old appeared in just three games since coming back from the initial surgery, which he underwent on Feb. 8 to remove loose bodies in the elbow.
The initial prognosis upon his return last week appeared positive enough, saying that “everything felt good,” but his conditioning was not quite where it needed to be.
Anunoby’s departure heaps more uncertainty on a Knicks side that is attempting to gear up for a playoff run. When he is in the lineup, New York is 15-2 while he possesses a plus-297 plus-minus rating, which ranks third in the NBA since late December.
Across those 17 games he has played with the Knicks since being acquired from the Toronto Raptors, he has averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals while shooting 36.4% from 3-point range.
When he’s not in the lineup, New York is 10-10.
Thibodeau’s men are still without Julius Randle, who suffered a dislocated shoulder on Jan. 27 — the same day Anunoby hit the shelf — and still is unsure when he can get back on the floor.
For more on OG Anunoby and the Knicks, visit AMNY.com
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