What a difference a player makes—specifically, OG Anunoby for the New York Knicks.
After the Knicks scored the fewest points in an NBA game in over three years without him on Sunday in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden, Anunoby returned from a several-week absence due to an elbow injury to help deliver a 106-79 win over their rivals down Interstate 95.
Anunoby finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists and was a plus-28 in 29 minutes.
“It was a lot more fun all around for New York (38-27) after the Knicks scored just 73 points Sunday. Both the Knicks and Philadelphia (36-29) combined for the lowest point total in more than eight years in the 76ers’ 79-73 win.
New York Knicks Team (Via New York Knicks/Twitter)
In this one, however, New York jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, leading by 20-plus for most of the second half on its way to a more-than-comfortable victory.”
New York had been without its entire starting frontcourt of Anunoby, Julius Randle (shoulder), and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) since both Anunoby and Randle last played on January 27 in a win over the Miami Heat.
But in his first game back, Anunoby played like he hadn’t missed a day, immediately slotting back into his role as a defensive ace and opportunistic scorer with aplomb.
“I thought OG gave us a great lift for the first time back after a layoff,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The energy and just the effort plays and the movement, the shooting, added a lot to the team.”
OG Anunoby (Via New York Knicks/Twitter)
It was a night full of notable injury returns on both sides, as not only did Anunoby return for New York, but All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey came back for the 76ers after missing the prior four games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol.
But outside of Maxey (17 points) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (19), there wasn’t much working for Philadelphia offensively as the 76ers fell to 10-21 this season in games without the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, Joel Embiid.
“That’s what I told them after the game, is that it starts with competing and physicality and execution, and we did not start the game with any of those three things,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.
“You got to have all three of them. Especially against a team that’s pissed off that you just beat them. You’re going to have to take that up a notch. Didn’t learn that very good.”
