Getty OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks heads for the basket.
New York Knicks‘ prized trade acquisition OG Anunoby brushed off the anxious moment in the second quarter of their 105-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, March 14, on the road.
“It’s just sore,” Anunoby told reporters, per The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “Nothing really happened. Just went for a ball. And it hurt randomly, but it’s fine.”
Anunoby added he plans to play on Saturday, March 17, when the Knicks continue their four-game road trip at Sacramento.
“That’s the plan,” Anunoby told reporters, per New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. ” I wasn’t thinking about not playing.”
OG Anunoby’s Re-injury Scare
Anunoby appeared to have re-aggravated his surgically repaired right elbow when he swiped the ball off Portland’s big man Deandre Ayton‘s hands. He immediately clutched his right elbow as he winced in pain, his scream loud enough to be captured on TV.
Did OG Anunoby re-aggravate his elbow on this play?
You can hear him yell as he goes for the steal 😬
Anunoby left the game in the next play but he returned to finish the game, playing 36 minutes in his second game back after an 18-game absence. He finished with a near double-double, tallying 12 points and nine rebounds with two assists and two steals.
The Knicks momentarily lost their focus when Anunoby exited in the second quarter. Portland cut New York’s double-digit lead to 46-39 right after he left in the second quarter.
Miles McBride’s basket sparked a 9-2 Knicks closing run as they sat on a 14-point halftime cushion.
Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 45 points, his 10th game scoring 40-plus in his career.
The Knicks improved to 14-2 with Anunoby, who has drawn comparisons to former Tom Thibodeau’s defensive stalwart Luol Deng.
Anunoby is fine for now. But the question about his long-term health heading into the playoffs will linger for a while.
“(It’s) not even pain tolerance,” Anunoby said, per Katz. “This is just a random thing.”
Josh Hart Outrebounded Deandre Ayton
Josh Hart returned to Portland after spending a half-and-half season spanning the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons before his trade to the Knicks.
Hart made a splash in his return as he grabbed 15 rebounds, one more than Ayton, who bragged about his dominance the previous night after a 33-point, 19-rebound effort in a win against Atlanta.
“I’m more dominant. People like to laugh at it but it’s the truth,” Ayton told reporters after he led the Trail Blazers to a 106-102 win against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, March 13. “I just be trying to bust that ass.”
Ayton tried to back up his words against the Knicks, leading Portland with 31 points and 14 rebounds. But he was a minus-12 in 40 minutes.
Hart, who returned to play big minutes anew after his 40-minute eight-game streak was momentarily halted in Anunoby’s comeback game, added seven points, three steals and two assists in a team-high 42 minutes.
Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein also held his ground against Ayton, chipping in nine rebounds and nine points in 24 minutes.
Knicks Bench Comes To Life
Hartenstein’s backup, Precious Achiuwa added seven rebounds, four points, two steals and two assists as the Knicks’ big men countered Ayton’s productivity.
McBride led the Knicks bench with 6 points as they outscored the Trail Blazers’ second unit 20-17.
Alec Burks, who did not play in the second half, and Bojan Bogdanovic added five points apiece.
The win pushed the Knicks’ record to 39-27 and maintained their one-game lead over the fifth-place Orlando Magic (38-28). The Magic hold the tiebreaker as they won their season series 3-1.