SAN FRANCISCO — After OG Anunoby said he was “ready” to defend Steph Curry, the Knicks forward was ruled out of Monday’s game against the Warriors due to “injury management.”
Anunoby, who underwent surgery to remove a loose bone in his elbow in early February, played three games since returning but aggravated the area last week during a victory over the Blazers.
Anunoby and the Knicks said “soreness” was anticipated, although they’ve dismissed the idea that he’d be sitting out games. Then after being listed as questionable on Sunday night for the Warriors matchup, Anunoby was downgraded to “out” by Monday morning.
The timeline suggested his rest wasn’t planned. Anunoby didn’t participate in the morning shootaround at the Chase Center.
The Knicks had also labeled Anunoby “day-to-day” with elbow soreness before his surgery, not acknowledging publicly that there was a bone spur until he had missed games for over a week. At best, they’ve been inconsistent with their public info.
“I just had surgery five weeks ago,” Anunoby said Saturday. “So it’s ice and strengthening. Just a lot of different exercises. Still repairing. Still getting better. … Just stuff in the weight room, stuff with bands, stuff with medicine balls. Just building up the strengths.”
Anunoby’s presence has been a major boost to the defense of the Knicks, who are 15-2 with him in the lineup.
But he shot 1-for-8 in Saturday’s win over the Kings and has looked uncomfortable with his release since the pain resurfaced in Portland.
“It’s getting better,” Anunoby said in Sacramento.
Josh Hart tried to recruit Kyle Lowry to the Knicks before the point guard signed with the Sixers.
“I texted his ass,” Hart told CBS Sports. “I told him, ‘Pull up.’ Told him, ‘F–k with us.’ But obviously that didn’t happen.”
Lowry, who was a free agent last month because he was bought out by the Hornets, is from Philadelphia and wanted to go home. He also has a bigger role with the Sixers than playing behind Jalen Brunson in New York.
Lowry and Hart both attended Villanova, though nearly 10 years apart.
Around the time Lowry committed to the Sixers, the Knicks traded for Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic to boost their offense off the bench. They later signed Shake Milton from the buyout market, although the former Sixer has yet to crack Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.