Getty OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks dribbles to the basket.
New York Knicks‘ two-way stud OG Anunoby returned from an 18-game absence and his impact was immediately felt.
The Knicks’ odds of winning the Eastern Conference were at +2400 on December 30 before they pulled off the Anunoby trade. His arrival and his subsequent 12-2 start with the Knicks boosted their odds. After his return from an elbow injury on Tuesday, March 12, with a dominant 106-79 win against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks’ odds to win the East significantly jumped to +950 at FanDuel.
Update at @FDSportsbook with All-Defensive forward OG Anunoby returning to the Knicks lineup vs. 76ers tonight for the first time since Jan. 27:
Anunoby proved to be a difference-maker as he finished with plus-28 in 29 minutes for the Knicks. He scored 14 points on 6 of 11 shooting with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
“It felt great. It’s been a while,” Anunoby told reporters as the Knicks improved to 13-2 with him in the lineup. “Missed playing here, missed the fans, missed my teammates.”
OG Anunoby Makes Knicks Teammates’ Life Easier
Anunoby started along with Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein at the Knicks frontcourt. The trip dominated the 76ers starting frontcourt 40-26 in scoring and 28-11 in rebounding.
Hart came one rebound shy of a 20-20 triple-double as his streak of eight games playing 40 minutes came to an end. He played 39 minutes, this time, and delivered 20 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists and was a game-high plus-32 tied with Donte DiVincenzo.
“There we go,” Hart told TNT’s sideline reporter Jared Greenberg. “I told you, once OG’s back man, minutes going down baby!”
Hartenstein, who was plus-17 in just 20 minutes, said Anunoby made their jobs easier.
“It was big,” Hartenstein said. “Just having him back, I think he even makes my job a lot easier on defense, so I can kind of help a little bit more, just knowing either he’s behind me or if he’s on the ball, I know I can veer [away] and defend different players, even 5s easily. So just having him back, I think it makes my life easier. And lets me kind of roam a little bit more.”
OG Anunoby’s Elbow Feels ‘a Lot Better’
There were no signs of ill effects of the elbow surgery as Anunoby smothered Tobias Harris, who only had 2 points on 1 of 6 shooting. Anunoby did not allow Harris to even attempt once against him in 5:17 they were matched up, per NBA.com’s matchup tracker.
Anunoby glided comfortably and even spun to the basket with ease for a highlight slam in the second half. He also had one in transition as Jalen Brunson’s trailer.
“I think it’s a lot better than it was in January, so I’m happy,” Anunoby told reporters via SNY about his elbow. “Should get better & better.”
OG Anunoby on his post-surgical elbow: “I think it’s a lot better than it was in January, so I’m happy. Should get better & better”
“I thought OG gave us a great lift for the first time back after a layoff,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. “The energy and just the effort plays and the movement, the shooting, added a lot to the team.”
The win gave the Knicks (38-27) a one-game lead over the Orlando Magic (37-28) for the fourth seed.
They will attempt to increase that when they embark on a four-game West Coast trip beginning Thursday, March 14 at Portland with Anunoby’s minutes expected to ramp up.