This past Saturday was a sad night for Knicks fans, who not only witnessed their team fall 128-112 to the Lakers at Madison Square Garden, but also saw OG Anunoby suffer an injury late in the third period. The forward left the contest with a right foot sprain, as the club still awaits the further results.
The sprain, which was self inflicted, happened during a transition play when he caught the ball close to the three-point line and then planted his right foot in an awkward position, causing him to stumble without any defender making contact with him. His coach Tom Thibodeau called a timeout, which gave OG a chance to recover.
However, the entire crowd went silent when they saw the wing tumbling over, while teammate Karl-Anthony Towns checked if he was okay. Anunoby’s pains seemed to have emerged before this play, as he had left New York‘s bench for an extended amount of time at the end of the first half.
OG Anunoby headed to the locker room after an injury on a non-contact play. pic.twitter.com/1SBnlnCgcE
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 2, 2025
Apparently, the medical staff had been examining him as he didn’t participate in the las six minutes of the second quarter, and then eventually returned from the tunnel area to rejoin his teammates.
“He went to get checked for something at the end of the half,” his coach said after losing to the Lakers on Saturday, then explaining that his injured player had got X-rays and that the tests were negative, but wasn’t sure if the MRI had been performed yet. The team is yet to deliver more details on OG’s situation.
The 27-year-old hasn’t logged more than 70 games in a single season since his rookie year in 2017-18, and last year suffered a hamstring injury during the Eastern Conference semifinals. This past summer, he agreed to a five-year, $212 million deal that kept him in Manhattan.
Anunoby is considered a premier defender, that made an immediate impact in New York after joining the team last season via trade from Toronto. We’re obviously praying for the best, but I know as much as you guys do right now,” teammate Jalen Brunson said about OG, as the team has gone 52-19 with him in the lineup. “He’s huge for our team, so we’re just praying for the best.”
