Just when the New York Knicks started getting healthier, they got hit with another bit of bad injury news. Midseason acquisition OG Anunoby, who returned from an elbow injury on March 12, is now out again with that same injury. Though he has only officially been ruled out for Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that he will miss more time because his elbow has flared up again. It is not clear how long Anunoby will be out, according to Wojnarowski.
In a pregame update, head coach Tom Thibodeau said Anunoby's MRI came back clean and that he remains doubtful for the Knicks' road matchup against the Nuggets on Thursday.
The Knicks acquired Anunoby in a midseason trade with the Toronto Raptors, and his presence elevated their performance on both ends of the floor. The Knicks are a remarkable 15-2 with Anunoby in the lineup. He has played 598 total minutes as a Knick and New York has won those minutes by 297 total points. His defense and 3-point shooting fit in perfectly on a Knicks team that has added plenty of shot-creation in recent years, but health has been a major concern.
Anunoby initially went out due to this injury in late January. He missed 18 consecutive games before returning on March 12 against the Philadelpha 76ers. The Knicks went on to go 3-0 immediately following that return, but Anunoby's injury has put things on hold.
Anunoby isn't the only prominent Knick that is injured right now. Both starting power forward Julius Randle and starting center Mitchell Robinson are sidelined as well. Virtually every member of the Knicks rotation has missed time due to injury, but the team has persevered. New York sits at 40-27 as of this writing with a half-game lead over the Orlando Magic for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Notably, though, the gap between New York at No. 4 and Philadelphia at No. 8 is only three losses. If Anunoby has to miss more time, the Knicks are going to have a hard road ahead of them when it comes to seeding.
