Injuries are starting to add up for the Knicks.
Already missing point guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks lost forward OG Anunoby to a left hamstring early in Friday night’s 140-132 win over the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden.
At the 6:52 mark of the first quarter, Anunoby grabbed the back of his left leg after missing a lay-up in transition. A timeout followed, and when the Knicks returned to the court, Josh Hart replaced Anunoby.
Anunoby would go to the locker room before the Knicks ruled him out ahead of the second quarter. He scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting with three rebounds before he exited.
Head coach Mike Brown did not have an update on the severity of Anunoby’s injury after the game.
The Knicks are now dealing with injuries to two-fifths of their starting lineup, as Brunson sat out of Friday’s win due to the Grade 1 right ankle sprain that he suffered in the waning minutes of Wednesday night’s 124-107 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Miles “Deuce” McBride replaced Brunson in the starting lineup Friday, while Jordan Clarkson joined the rest of starters in place of Anunoby to begin the third quarter.
Landry Shamet stepped up in Anunoby’s absence, scoring a career-high 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a season-high 37 minutes off the bench.
So did Clarkson, who scored a season-best 24 points. Hart delivered his first triple-double of the season, contributing 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
That trio was part of the Knicks lineup that closed out Friday’s win, leading a bench unit that erupted for 75 points.
“We always preach it: Next man up,” Hart said. “And games like this show you we’re not just saying it. We actually mean it. We know everybody in this locker room is capable of having big nights, is capable of contributing. So when guys go out, obviously we don’t want that, but the next one’s ready to step up.”
Anunoby, 28, entered Friday averaging 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while delivering his typical standout defense.
Earlier in the week, Brown advocated for Anunoby to earn an All-Star selection, which would be the nine-year NBA veteran’s first.
“He’s worked his tail off in the summertime, first of all, and then secondly, he’s just getting comfortable with what we’re trying to do,” Brown said after Tuesday night’s 133-120 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. “He knows where guys should be on the floor when he drives. He’s making quick decisions with the basketball.”
Anunoby started each of the Knicks’ first 12 games, despite dealing with an ankle sprain earlier in the season.
But injuries have hampered Anunoby throughout his career, including a left hamstring strain that cost him four games during the 2024 postseason and limited him to only five minutes when he returned for a do-or-die Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers that year.
Last season, Anunoby matched a career high with 74 appearances, though he missed six consecutive games in February with a right foot sprain.
The Knicks have not given a timetable for Brunson’s return and are evaluating his status on a daily basis.
Hart, who started each of his 77 regular-season appearances last season, is embracing a reserve role this year. But he has said he prefers to come off the bench all season, rather than being the next in line to replace an injured starter, in order to maintain consistency with his routine.
The Knicks don’t play again until Monday night, when they begin a five-game road trip in Miami.
“Whatever it takes,” Shamet said. “We’ve got Jalen out. We lose OG early there, and we got great contributions across the board from everyone. It’s the mentality we have to have and we’ll continue to have.”
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/14/knicks-og-anunoby-hamstring-strain-heat-nba/
