OG Anunoby helped transform the Knicks into one of the top defensive teams in the NBA in January, and a third straight stifling team-wide performance in his return to the lineup following an 18-game absence helped Tom Thibodeau’s squad secure a much-needed bounce-back victory.
With Anunoby starting for the first time since going down in late January with an elbow injury that required cleanup surgery, the Knicks avenged their ugly loss to the 76ers two nights earlier by crushing the same divisional rival, 106-79, Tuesday night to late chants of “Philly sucks” at the Garden.
Anunoby netted 14 points and was a plus-28 over 29 minutes in his first appearance since Jan. 27, as the Knicks (38-27 overall) improved to 13-2 with him in the lineup this season following a late-December acquisition from the Raptors.
“Everything felt good. Excited to be back out there. It was fun,” said Anunoby, who received standing ovations during pregame warm-ups and again when he checked out of the game for the final time in the fourth quarter. “It felt great. It’s been a while. Missed playing here, missed the fans, missed my teammates. So it was a great feeling for sure.”
Anunoby replaced Precious Achiuwa in the starting lineup, and backup center Jericho Sims was dropped for now from the rotation.
Josh Hart remained in the starting five and recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 20 points, a career-high tying 19 rebounds and 10 assists in 39 minutes.
Jalen Brunson scored 20 points with nine assists and Achiuwa contributed 13 points off the bench for the Knicks, who had dropped 10 of the 18 games they played without Anunoby.
Defensively, it marked the first time the Knicks have held three-straight opponents under 80 points since 2000.
“I thought OG gave us a great lift for the first time back after a layoff,” Thibodeau said. “The energy and just the effort plays and the movement, the shooting, added a lot to the team.
“And I thought Josh Hart was incredible, just his defense, his rebounding, his scoring, his playmaking, everything, just all-around play.”
With All-Star power forward Julius Randle (shoulder) and center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) still sidelined for the Knicks, 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.
“He’s back, our savior is back,” Hart joked about Anunoby before the game. “[He’s] 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.”
Coming off what Hart and Brunson had described as a “s–t” performance in committing 21 turnovers and scoring an NBA season-low 73 points in Sunday’s home loss to the Sixers, the Knicks raced to a 17-7 lead nearly midway through Tuesday’s first quarter.
Anunoby sank his first two shots, a midrange jumper along the baseline in the opening minute and his initial 3-point attempt shortly thereafter. Every starter was at least plus-10 in the first quarter as the Knicks held the Sixers to six field goals on 18 attempts in building a stingy 26-14 advantage through one.
After Kelly Oubre and Buddy Hield combined for all of the points in an 8-0 Philly run in the second to close within seven, Brunson found Anunoby for a fast-break dunk that enlivened the home crowd.
Donte DiVincenzo (16 points) followed with his second trey, and Brunson buried two more from long distance to push the lead back to 13 en route to a 59-41 game at intermission.
Two additional dunks by Anunoby and one by Isaiah Hartenstein keyed a game-breaking 22-4 run en route to a commanding 87-61 lead entering the final period.
“I think we played to our strengths. We played faster, we took care of the ball and we rebounded the ball,” Hart said. “OG was great out there. “Knocked down shots. Big defensive stops. That’s his game. It’s great to have him out there. He helps this team go.”
