Browsing: Anunoby

The Knicks’starting lineup is finally at full strength.

OG Anunoby returned to the floor on Friday against the Jazz, his first game since injuring his hamstring on Nov. 14. The forward missed nine games just when he was putting up some of the best numbers of his career.

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But Anunoby picked up where he left off, scoring 11 points and assisting one in 23 minutes on Friday night. As with any game Anunoby plays, his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. The first defensive possession for the Knicks, Anunoby forced a bad pass from Jazz forward Svi Mykhailiuk, one of many stops by the Knicks as they got off to a 23-0 start, the best in NBA history since play-by-play has been recorded (1997-98), en route to a 146-112 rout.

“I didn’t really notice it. We were just playing. Someone told us later,” Anunoby said. “I didn’t even notice they didn’t score; we were just getting stops and going. So felt pretty good just playing the way we try to play all the time.”

That good feeling extended to Anunoby’s health. He said he felt good after the game and that he missed playing with his teammates and playing for the fans. But he did not have a good time being unable to play. In those few weeks of missing action, Anunoby described his time recovering as “not fun” but still tried to help his teammates however he could.

“Just try to help in any way possible,” Anunoby said. “Be supportive, talk to my teammates, tell them what I’m seeing, and still help.”

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Part of that support is watching film and pointing out little things his teammates are not doing or what teams are doing to the Knicks and trying to get them to incorporate it.

Anunoby’s 23 minutes was good, but head coach Mike Brown was hoping to extend his forward even longer, but the score dictated he empty his bench. Brown did allow Anunoby to play with the reserves as the rest sat on the bench, watching for most of the fourth quarter.

“It was tough because you always wonder… you get a big lead, you donâ€t want anybody to get hurt. But we needed to get OG some game minutes to work on his conditioning,” Brown explained. “He looked good for the time he was out there. I would have loved to get him 25-26 minutes, but 22-23 worked good enough, especially with the way we had the lead tonight.”

Anunoby says he’ll need just a couple of game to feel like he’s in game shape, and he’ll definitely need his conditioning when the Knicks welcome a physical Magic team to the Garden on Sunday.

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Here are the latest news updates and possible return dates forKnicks players…

Dec. 4, 5:10 p.m.

The Knicks are seemingly close to getting OG Anunoby back. According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, Anunoby (hamstring) has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz at MSG.

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Begley noted on Thursday’s episode of The Putbackthat this weekend’s games are a target for the Knicks to get Anunoby back on the court.

Anunoby has missed every game since suffering the injury on Nov. 14 against the Miami Heat.

Head coach Mike Brown said that Anunoby has progressed to taking contact in practice and it seems as though the forward is reacting to it in a positive manner. Of course, this doesn’t mean Anunoby will play on Friday, but it leaves open the possibility.

Dec. 3, 6:40 p.m.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown gave a short update on OG Anunoby (hamstring). The coach said that Anunoby has progressed to taking contact in practice.

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“Itâ€s still the same, heâ€s still progressing in the right direction,” Brown said of Anunoby before Wednesday’s game against the Hornets. “Weâ€re not going to rush him.”

Brown also confirmed that Mitchell Robinson (injury management) will miss Wednesday’s game, as it’s the second of a back-to-back.

Nov. 19, 9:05 p.m.

Jalen Brunson (ankle) will return to the court and start on Wednesday night in Dallas against the Mavericks, the team announced prior to tip-off.

Brunson suffered a Grade 1 right ankle sprain against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 12 and missed the team’s next two games against the Miami Heat. New York split the two contests, winning at home and losing on the road. The team is still searching for its first road win of the season, dropping all four games away from the Garden.

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Over 11 games this year, Brunson is averaging 28.0 points on 46.7 percent shooting and 6.5 assists per game.

Meanwhile, the Mavs will be without rookie Cooper Flagg (illness) on Wednesday night as he’ll miss the first game of his career.

Nov. 18, 6:50 p.m.

The Knicks upgraded Jalen Brunson(ankle) to questionable for their Wednesday tip against the Mavericks in Dallas.

Brunson had missed the team’s last two games since suffering a right ankle sprain back on Nov. 12 against the Orlando Magic at MSG. Already without OG Anunoby (hamstring), the Knicks could use their captain to try and get their first road win of the season.

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Oct. 28, 7:18 p.m.

Before the Knicks’ tip-off against the Bucks, the Knicks announced that Towns (right quad strain) will play, but Yabusele (left knee sprain) will be out, joining McBride (personal) and Robinson (ankle sprain management) as players who are unavailable for Tuesday’s game.

Oct. 28, 3:35 p.m.

Miles McBride has been downgraded from questionable to out for the Knicks’ game on Tuesday at the Milwaukee Bucks, the team announced. This is the second-straight game the guard missed due to personal reasons. He was out for Sunday’s loss against the Miami Heat.

Oct. 27, 6:45 p.m.

Mitchell Robinson still isn’t ready to make his season debut, as the Knicks have officially ruled him out again for Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

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Robinson has been sidelined for the first three games due to left ankle injury management, and it’s still unknown when he’ll make his return to the court.

New York has also listed Karl-Anthony Towns (right quad strain), Miles McBride (personal reasons), and Guerschon Yabusele (left knee sprain) as questionable for the contest.

Yabusele is the only new addition to the injury report. Towns has been included heading into each of the first three games, but played in all three, and McBride missed Sunday’s game against the Heat for personal reasons.

Yabusele left Sunday’s game at one point and had his knee checked, but he was able to return and saw regular time off the bench down the stretch.

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Oct. 23, 6:10 p.m.

The latest NBA injury reporthas been released and the Knicks have designated center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) as out for Friday’s home game against the Celtics.

Robinson missed Wednesday’s season opener and the Knicks are being cautious with their big man this season as they want to have him at close to full strength for an anticipated long playoff run.

The Knicks have also designated both Josh Hart (lower back) and Karl-Anthony Towns(right quad strain) as questionable.

Hart also missed the season opener but has not seen action since the first preseason game where he tweaked his back. Towns almost missed Wednesday’s game but toughed out his quad strain and to help the Knicks’ win against the Cavaliers.

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OG Anunoby,who played Wednesday despite being questionable with an ankle sprain, is probably for Friday’s game.

Oct. 22, 10:59 p.m.

Karl-Anthony Towns was questionable, then doubtful, then questionable again in the hours leading up to the Knicks’ win over the Cavaliers and now we know exactly why.

The Knicks forward told reporters after Wednesday’s win that he is playing through a Grade 2 quad strain.

“Iâ€ve been banged up and havenâ€t really got a chance to practice or play in the last two preseason games,” Towns said. “I didnâ€t want to disappoint the fans, dealing with a Grade 2 quad strain. Itâ€s not something thatâ€s easy to do. We made it happen tonight. Glad the fans respect the effort I put in to play tonight, and my teammates, too. Shoutout to them for supporting me, knowing the situation that I was in.”

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Towns played through the pain to give the Knicks 19 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes.

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• 

  Tim BontempsNov 14, 2025, 08:24 PM ET

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  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

NEW YORK — The Knicks entered Friday night’s game at Madison Square Garden against the Miami Heat without Jalen Brunson, who sprained his ankle against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Then, five minutes into the first quarter, OG Anunoby exited because of a left hamstring strain and was ruled out a short time later.

But it was not a problem thanks to Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and reserve guard Landry Shamet.

Towns scored 31 of his 39 points in the first half, and Shamet poured in 30 of his career-high 36 in the second half, helping New York cruise to a relatively comfortable 140-132 victory in the second NBA Cup group stage game for both teams.

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“JB was missing today,” Towns said of Brunson, “so we all had to step up and contribute to our team.”

The Knicks had to find ways to run their offense without Brunson, who left MSG on Wednesday night in a walking boot after turning his right ankle in the closing moments of a 124-107 loss to Orlando.

Entering Friday’s game, New York had a 123.1 offensive rating with Brunson on the court, tying the Houston Rockets for the best mark in the NBA. With Brunson off the court, the Knicks’ rating dropped to 110.3.

Towns, though, more than picked up the slack in the first half. He went 11-for-16 from the field, including 6-for-10 from 3-point range, to stake New York to a 78-68 halftime advantage.

“When he’s aggressive like that and has things flowing for him early … good luck,” Shamet said.

“Him doing that opens up so much for us.”

And though Towns didn’t do much after the break, taking several minutes to register his first points of the second half, Shamet stepped up.

Shamet had 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting after the break, scoring 15 each in the third and fourth quarters, to give New York the scoring boost it needed.

Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after making a 3-pointer vs. the Heat at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Towns finished with 39 points, including 31 in the first half. Elsa/Getty Images

“It was huge, him coming out, being aggressive, knocking down shots, playing off the dribble,” said Josh Hart, who finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. “He was amazing for us today. That’s something that was big for us. We need him to keep that confidence and continue to be rolling.”

After the win, the focus shifted to the health of Anunoby, who quickly exited the game at the 6:52 mark of the first quarter shortly after missing a layup. He headed to the locker room and was ruled out of the game a short time later.

Anunoby, 28, entered Friday’s game averaging 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds. He played 74 games last season to tie his career high — the second time he has eclipsed 70 games in a season.

The Knicks said they would see how Anunoby feels Saturday, though it’s expected he will get an MRI to reveal the extent of the injury.

Considering New York’s lack of depth, losing Anunoby would be a problem under normal circumstances. But that’s compounded by the loss of Brunson. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that Brunson has a Grade 1 sprained ankle and is day-to-day.

Before Friday’s game, Knicks coach Mike Brown didn’t provide further details regarding Brunson’s status. But, as Friday’s win showed, the Knicks believe they can withstand injuries and continue to produce. Now, they’ll find out if they’re right.

“It’s what it’s about,” Brown said. “It’s about the next man up. Who is that next man going to be? I don’t know.

“I just know we all go out and play the right way. We have a standard we’ve all bought into, and we’ve all embraced. If we stay within that, good things will happen.”

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The Knicks continued their preseason schedule at the NBA’s Abu Dhabi Games, beating the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, 112-104.

With Josh Hart sidelined due to back spasms, OG Anunobyreentered the starting lineup and made his 2025 preseason debut.

Here are the takeaways…

— After missing New York’s first preseason game on Thursday, Anunoby got out to a strong start in the first quarter against the Sixers. He missed his first shot of the night, but nailed his next two, including a three-pointer, and then found Mitchell Robinson in transition for an alley-oop jam.

After an early breather, Anunoby came back into the game with about three minutes left in the quarter. He hit his second three of the game to extend New York’s lead, finishing the quarter with eight points. The wing stayed hot and made another three-pointer to open the second quarter, going 3-for-5 from deep in the first half with 11 points.

— Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, and Guerschon Yabuselewere new head coach Mike Brown‘s first substitutions of the game, midway through the first quarter. Clarkson took after Anunoby and hit Robinson for another fast break alley-oop to put the Knicks up 27-22 with about two minutes left in the quarter. The pair connected again with the clock winding down, as the guard cut through the defense and found the big man underneath the rim for another easy dunk.

— The Knicks shot 60 percent as a team (12-for-20) in the first quarter and led the Sixers, 31-23. They held Philly to 36.8 percent shooting (7-for-19), as Tyrese Maxey paced them with eight points.

— Malcom Brogdon started the second quarter as he and McBride ran the offense for about four minutes before Jalen Brunson subbed back in to the game. Yabusele showed how he can be a big contributor to the team in the second, hitting a three and getting back on defense to block Justin Edwards at the rim.

New York coasted through the rest of the second quarter, outscoring Philadelphia 28-24, and leading 59-47 at halftime. Anunoby led the way with 11 points and Brunson had nine of his own. Maxey had 16 points for the Sixers, playing nearly the entire first half.

— With the starters ending their days early, Brown opted for a lineup of Brogdon, Clarkson, Yabusele, Pacome Dadiet, and Landry Shamet to open the second half. Tyler Kolek and Ariel Hukporti were the first group of subs, while Kevin McCullar Jr., Mohamed Diawara, and Garrison Matthewsentered with about three minutes left in the third quarter.

All fighting for roster spots and potential rotational minutes, the bench unit showed effort defensively toward the end of the third quarter, forcing a shot clock violation that got the starters off their seats. Although the 76ers won the third quarter 28-23 and trailed, 82-75, heading into the fourth quarter.

— Philadelphia did not give up in the fourth quarter, cutting the Knicks’ lead down to five points with under two minutes left. Kolek followed up a miss with a floater to push the lead back to seven with under a minute left. New York held on for the 112-104 win.

Brunson finished with 14 points, Anunoby scored 13, and Mikal Bridges had 10 points. McCullar, Matthews, and Tosan Evbuomwan each scored six points off the bench.

Highlights

the DEMON is BACK pic.twitter.com/KcjyCdPtDj

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 4, 2025

things we missed… THIS
OG TO MITCH SLAM pic.twitter.com/7zqiZLsQKR

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 4, 2025

Guerschon Yabusele says no pic.twitter.com/WvxC7CwDrG

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 4, 2025

Kolek Hukporti pic.twitter.com/jQvVVpddq5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 4, 2025

Up next

The Knicks return home to The Garden to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves and old friends Julius Randle and Donte Divincenzo on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

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