New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby is sidelined with a left hamstring strain, an injury sustained during the team’s victory over the Miami Heat on Friday. According to sources within the league, Anunoby’s condition will be reassessed in two weeks, as reported by the Daily News.
The versatile player will not accompany the Knicks on their forthcoming three-game road trip, which includes stops in Miami, Dallas, and Orlando.
Anunoby’s injury occurred just five minutes into Friday’s matchup, affecting the same hamstring that troubled him during the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. That previous injury kept him out of Games 3 to 6, except for a limited appearance in the decisive Game 7, which resulted in the Knicks’ elimination.
This injury adds to New York’s early-season challenges, as the team is already grappling with the absence of Jalen Brunson due to a sprained ankle sustained in a loss to Orlando on Wednesday. Brunson, initially seen leaving Madison Square Garden with crutches and a walking boot, has since progressed to walking on his own and will join the team on their trip.
Anunoby has been excelling under the leadership of first-year head coach Mike Brown, showcasing some of his career’s most assertive scoring. In 11 games, he has scored 19 or more points five times, is attempting 6.6 three-pointers per game (matching a career high), and boasts averages of 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds (a career high), 1.9 steals (also a career high), with a 39.2% success rate from beyond the arc.
“In my opinion, OG is an All-Star,” stated head coach Brown on November 11. “Beyond that, he’s an All-Defensive player. He should be in contention, along with others on our team, for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.”
With Anunoby sidelined, Brown is expected to lean more heavily on Landry Shamet, who erupted for 30 points in the second half of Friday’s victory over Miami. Shamet has already made three spot starts this season and is averaging 10 points on nearly 45% shooting from three.
Though Anunoby will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the 14-day mark is only the first checkpoint. His absence could extend beyond that window depending on how the hamstring responds to treatment.
Anunoby will miss a minimum of seven games during his recovery. He missed only eight contests last season but was sidelined 30-plus games in three of the previous four years, making his health a recurring storyline for a Knicks team now down two starters.
