The Knicks dropped 10 of the 18 games they played without OG Anunoby, but he finally returned to their lineup Tuesday for the first time since he was shut down in late January with an elbow injury that required cleanup surgery.
Tom Thibodeau said before Tuesday’s game against the 76ers that Anunoby would play as long as he suffered no setbacks during pregame warm-ups, and the two-way forward replaced Precious Achiuwa in the starting lineup in his first appearance since Jan. 27.
“He [gives us] a long wing, versatile. Defense, shooting. Just all around play. Movement without the ball,” said Thibodeau, who declined to say whether Anunoby would be subject to a minutes restriction. “First game back, we’ll just see how it goes.”
All-Star power forward Julius Randle and starting center Mitchell Robinson also have been out over the same span, and the Knicks hope they also are progressing toward respective returns before the end of the regular season.
Anunoby became the first of the team’s starting frontline to make it back after he’d been cleared to resume practicing fully last week and then cleared by the medical staff to make his first game appearance since Jan. 27 against the Heat.
The Knicks had won 12 of the 14 games that Anunoby appeared in following his acquisition with Achiuwa from the Raptors on Dec. 30 in a blockbuster deal that sent former first-round picks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto.
The 27-year-old Anunoby averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in his first 14 appearances after the trade, while shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range.
A few hours after executing another trade with the Pistons to acquire Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline, the Knicks announced that Anunoby underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment in his right elbow.
Anunoby’s return likely will start to reduce the heavy minutes several players have logged in his absence. Josh Hart remained in the starting five after logging nine consecutive games of at least 40 minutes played. He was the first player since Rockets guard James Harden during the 2015-16 season to have such a streak.
“He’s back, our savior is back,” Hart joked before the game. “It’ll be good on both sides of the court. Someone who spaces the court with his shooting, and obviously defensively he’s a juggernaut.
“Someone who definitely is going to help us on both sides of the ball.”
Achiuwa also has been a staple in the starting unit with Randle sidelined since also suffering his injury against the Heat, averaging 36.5 minutes per game while starting 18 consecutive games.
“One of OG’s strengths is he can fit with anybody,” Thibodeau said. “He can play off people. He can shoot. He’s good off dribble handoffs, he’s good moving without the ball, cutting, slashing, he’s very good in transition.
“So he can play with your starters, he can play with your bench, he can play the 3, he can play the 4, you can put him at the 2. And he guards everybody, guards 1 through 5. Very unique.”
All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey also returned to the Sixers’ lineup Tuesday night after missing their previous four games — including Sunday’s 79-73 win over the Knicks — with a concussion.
“Great player. Great person,” Jalen Brunson said. “I got to talk to him a lot at the All-Star break. I love what he’s been able to do. Fun to watch. He’s a great player.
“Obviously, I don’t want him to play well against us. But he’s had some pretty spectacular nights. The best part is even if he’s not ‘quote-unquote’ playing well, he’s still very effective. He’s a dangerous player.”