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OG Anunoby’s hamstring injury sidelined him for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but his return proved crucial when the Knicks needed it most.
Throughout the initial rounds, Anunoby had been the Knicks’ standout player, yet after a 13-day absence, he found it difficult to regain his usual agility and intensity during Tuesday night’s series opener.
Despite the setback, Anunoby rejoined the action when the Knicks were down 93-71 with just under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. Battling through the challenges, he played a pivotal role in overtime, adding nine points, three rebounds, and a steal to secure a 115-104 victory over the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.
“It was all about perseverance,” Anunoby remarked. “Our mental toughness showed. We knew we could make a comeback. We just had to keep playing until the end.”
While the Knicks’ sweep of the 76ers gave Anunoby some time to heal, Cleveland’s extended series against the Pistons added to his recovery period, yet it also left him a bit rusty.
The sellout crowd welcomed back Anunoby with a deafening roar during the team’s introductions, understanding the importance of the team’s top defender to their title hopes — just two years removed from an Anunoby hamstring injury essentially flipping the outcome of their second-round loss to the Pacers — but the excitement quickly evaporated.
Anunoby missed the game’s first shot. His next attempt was off, as was his next 3-pointer, which went long for an airball.
He appeared shaky, his steps somewhat measured, just two weeks removed from a stretch in which he dominated both ends of the floor with explosiveness and decisiveness.
One drive ended with an awkward Euro step and a traveling call. Another possession ended with him fumbling a pass in the lane, as the Cavs turned an 11-point deficit into a 50-48 halftime lead.
Anunoby went to the break with two points, one rebound, one turnover and a team-worst minus-12 rating.Entering Tuesday, Anunoby was averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a team-best 1.9 steals in the playoffs, while shooting 61.9 percent from the field (a team-high 53.8 percent on 3-pointers).
“[There was] a little rust, but that was expected,” Anunoby said. “I knew that. As the game went on, the rust wore off.”
Anunoby remained largely invisible in the third quarter, but the game changed when Mike Brown asked him to return with less than eight minutes left and the outcome seemingly decided.
Anunoby missed an open 3-pointer with the Knicks trailing by six with 1:41 left in regulation, but the 6-foot-7 forward then delivered the game’s biggest assist. He took a pass from Jalen Brunson at the top of the key, then swung it to Landry Shamet in the corner for the game-tying 3-pointer with 44.3 seconds remaining.
Anunoby, who finished with 13 points (shooting 2-for-9 from the field, including 1-for-6 from 3), five rebounds, two assists, one steal and a plus-15 rating in 34 minutes, hit seven free throws in overtime, plus a drive to put the Knicks up six with 2:56 remaining, sparking chants of “O-G” from the thousands who knew what his return could mean.
“I felt good,” Anunoby said. “Just continue to play hard, shoot shots and be aggressive. … I don’t think it was hesitancy [early]. Just as the game went on I felt more and more like myself.”