CHICAGO — OG Anunoby made his second return and it looked pretty good with the exception of the Knicks losing to the Bulls, 108-100.
The defensive stalwart, who missed nine straight games because his surgically-repaired elbow “flared up,” was back in the starting lineup Friday night and scored 12 points in 29 minutes on 5 of 8 shooting.
Anunoby, who was on a minutes restriction, said it was important to get in work before the postseason.
“I definitely wanted to play some games before the playoffs started,” he said.
Anunoby’s latest absences came after a setback from his arthroscopic surgery in February to remove a loose bone in his elbow.
The Knicks had diagnosed him with elbow tendinopathy.
“Just inflammation,” he said. He said he attacked the rehab this time a little differently.
“Maybe less shooting. Building up the shooting, not just going back to shooting like I normally shoot,” Anunoby said. “So just taking my time and it’s going to get better and better.”
On Friday, he replaced Miles McBride in the lineup and guarded Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan, who played well but still only had 20 points in 42 minutes. DeRozan also recorded 10 assists.
“[Anunoby] was good,” Thibodeau said. “First game back. So that’s a good sign.”
Anunoby’s return is a much-needed boost to a lineup that has stayed afloat despite major injuries — including a season-ender to Julius Randle — but has relied on consistent 40-plus minute nights from Josh Hart and McBride.
Anunoby began practicing this week and was upgraded to “probable” a couple hours before tipoff.
“I’m happy he’s back, happy he’s healthy,” Brunson said. “Obviously, we didn’t win so it clouds my judgment right now (on how Anunoby played), but just happy he’s healthy and out there.”
Anunoby’s recovery has been a rollercoaster. He was originally labeled “day-to-day” with “elbow inflammation” in late January.
Then the designation changed to “bone spur irritation” after about a week.
A day later, the Knicks announced Anunoby underwent elbow surgery.
When he returned, Anunoby clearly re-aggravated the elbow but Thibodeau said it was just soreness and expected. Then the player sat out two-plus weeks before his return Saturday.
Thibodeau is clearly missed in Chicago.
The local media, which hasn’t covered many winning teams since Thibodeau was fired from the Bulls in 2015, greeted the coach with questions and comments about how his reputation for burning out players is unfair.
“Everyone gets put in a box. That’s the way it works,” Thibodeau said. “So the people who have never done this — people have opinions but you don’t listen to those opinions.”
The Knicks entered Saturday with zero players in the top-15 in total minutes (although Brunson was 16th and Hart was 17th).
The Bulls, meanwhile, had two players in the top-5 (DeMar DeRozan and Coby White).
“I think you have to figure out what’s best for your team, what gives you the best chance to win,” Thibodeau said. “And then if you have guys who can handle that, that’s what they should get.”
