The last game OG Anunoby played before undergoing elbow surgery was on January 27 against the Miami Heat, a game in which the New York Knicks pulled off a 125-109 victory. Coincidentally enough, this was also the last game Julius Randle played in, as he suffered a dislocated shoulder and has been out since. As a result of the Knicks being decimated by injuries, they have fallen down the Eastern Conference standings. Now, after just losing to the Philadelphia 76ers over the weekend, the Knicks have a chance to extract revenge on Tuesday night. Only this time, Anunoby's return from injury appears to be on the horizon. This has led many to ask the question: Is OG Anunoby playing vs. the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night?
OG Anunoby's injury status vs. 76ers
Anunoby was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Knicks right at the conclusion of 2023. Beginning the new year with New York, Anunoby was viewed as one of the final pieces to this organization's puzzle due to his two-way presence on the wing. When he has been on the court this season, the Knicks have gone 12-2 overall.
Alongside Jalen Brunson and others, Anunoby proved to be an essential part of what the Knicks hoped would be a deep postseason run this season. With him out of the lineup, though, New York has gone 8-10, falling to the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference with only 18 games remaining.
One of these games will be played on Tuesday night when the Knicks host the 76ers for the final time this season. As for Anunoby's return, there was a sense of hope within the organization that he could wind up playing in this game after seeing his status upgraded to questionable on the team's injury report.
Sure enough, latest reports mentioned that Anunoby is slated to return to the team when they play the 76ers, per Ian Begley of SNY.
When Anunoby first underwent right elbow surgery to remove a loose bone fragment on February 8, the Knicks ruled him out for at least three weeks. Two days away from the five-week mark, Anunoby is finally feeling good enough to the point where the team is on the verge of welcoming him back to the rotation.
In a Knicks uniform, Anunoby has averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 14 total games, all of which he has started in. The versatile wing has shot 51.6 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from 3-point range. Anunoby has proven to be the perfect complementary player alongside Brunson and Randle, which is why his return at this point in the season is critical for the Knicks. If this team is going to potentially go on a deep playoff run, they will need Anunoby healthy and ready to go.
Should Anunoby be limited in minutes in his return, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart should still be able to back him up. Hart has stepped up for the Knicks, averaging 13.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game since both Anunoby and Randle went down with injuries.
So, when it comes to the question of whether OG Anunoby is playing tonight vs. the 76ers, the answer is YES!
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