OG Anunoby helps Knicks roll past injury-riddled 76ers
Knicks forward OG Anunobydunks against Philadelphia 76ers guard Lonnie Walker IV during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Credit: Brad Penner
Big game, big names, big-time excitement.
A little less than a year ago, the brutal first-round playoff series between the Knicks and the 76ers was a must-see featuring two teams that believed they could make some noise in the playoffs.
The vibe at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night was a far cry from that as the Knicks defeated the tanking 76ers, 105-91, to hand them their ninth straight loss.
“It feels like it’s been a bit longer than 50 weeks,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said before the game. “I thought about it obviously today, about the fact a year ago we were battling here in an amazing series.”
Philadelphia (23-53) lost that series in six games and not much has gone right since with top scorers Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George all missing big chunks of the season. The starting lineup that Nurse went with Tuesday night featured two rookies and did not have a single player who played a minute in Philadelphia’s postseason last year.
The Knicks were also missing a chunk of their roster, including All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony towns.
Towns was a last-minute scratch with soreness in his left knee. Brunson, who recently started practicing with the team after spraining his ankle on March 6, was one of three point guards sidelined with injuries. Also out were Miles McBride with a groin injury and Cam Payne, who has a sprained ankle.
Given that the Knicks (48-27) play at Eastern Conference leader Cleveland Wednesday, it’s likely that they decided to give Towns some rest against a weaker opponent. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau left the door open, albeit by the smallest of slivers, that one of the point guards could return for the Cleveland game.
“I’m hopeful. I’m always hopeful. I’m the eternal optimist,” Thibodeau said with a note of sarcasm.
OG Anunoby finished the win with 27 points, five rebounds and two steals while shooting 7-for-16 from the field and 2-for-9 from the three-point range in 33 minutes of playing time. Over his last six games, Anunoby is averaging 28.3 points while shooting 56% from the field.
“Tonight, I like that he took nine threes tonight too,” Thibodeau said.
“He’s attacking the rim, getting to the line, high volume threes. He’s not hesitating. It’s really, really good basketball. His defense is elite and it causes problems. We had a number of plays where he was so disruptive but we didn’t come up with the ball.”
Also coming up big for the Knicks was Landry Shamet off the bench. Shamet was 6-for-11 from three-point range and 7-for-11 overall to finish with a season-high 20 points.
Perhaps the most promising performance was from Mitchell Robinson, who celebrated his 27th birthday by starting in place of Towns. Robinson scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, including seven offensive, in 21 minutes of play. Robinson, who missed the first 58 games of the season after undergoing ankle injury, looked as strong as he has all season.
“I think this one is the best,” Robinson said when asked to rank games he’s played on his birthday. “I came out there with high energy. We had guys out, so it was next-man-up. I’ve still got a lot of work to do but as of right now it’s headed in the right direction.”
Robinson said his goal is to get back to where he was before the injury by the playoffs. Thibodeau was certainly encouraged by what he saw.
“Mitch is getting his timing back,” Thibodeau said. “You can certainly see it. As time goes by, he is getting better and better.”
Philadelphia (23-53) was led by former Knick Quentin Grimes, who scored 26 points.
In the month of March, Grimes was the NBA’s 11th most prolific scorer, averaging 26.6 points while shooting 50.4 percent. He’s had four games in that stretch where he scored 30 or more points, including a career-high 46 points against Houston.
“He’s playing at a very high level,” Thibodeau said before Tuesday’s game. “He can shoot the ball, he can put it on the floor, he’s dangerous in transition. He’s making good plays off the dribble. Defensively, he’s terrific. Very dangerous player on the open floor.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
