The New York Knicks host the Houston Rockets on Monday night. However, the Knicks could be down two men in the matchup with one of the Western Conference's top teams. Forward OG Anunoby and guard Josh Hart could be absent from the game as both players are on the injury report.

Anunoby is listed as out with a right foot sprain, Hart is listed as probable despite dealing with soreness in his right knee. Both players were active in the Knicks' 128-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

Anunoby played just 17 minutes before exiting the game with the sprain, recording 13 points, one rebound, one assist and two blocks while shooting 5-of-7 from the floor. Hart was on the floor for 38 minutes and finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals while shooting 11-of-16 from the field.

The Rockets will be without power forward Jabari Smith Jr., out with a left metacarpal fracture, and guard Fred VanVleet, out with a right ankle strain.

This is an important game for both teams. The Knicks' 32-17 record places them at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference. The Rockets, 32-16, occupy the No. 3 seed in the West.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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How significant is the loss of OG Anunoby?

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The loss of forward OG Anunoby is one that the Knicks hope does not last for an extensive period of time as he is one of the team's top performers. The 27-year-old guard out of Indiana has not missed a single game this season, starting all 49 of the Knicks' contests so far.

Anunoby is averaging 36.3 minutes on the floor in each contest. In that time, he is averaging 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, two assists and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 48.2% from the field and 36.5% from 3-point range.

With the Knicks looking to compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference when the playoffs begin, they will need to be at full strength. Allowing Anunoby the time he needs to recover now could go a long way.