Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic
The Knicks didn’t fare well without OG Anunoby in the lineup last season or during the playoffs, so they have to be hoping the indispensable two-way forward won’t miss significant time with the worrisome noncontact injury he suffered in Saturday’s home loss to the Lakers.
Anunoby, who inked the richest contract in team history over the summer, officially has been listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Rockets at the Garden to conclude a five-game homestand.
Anunoby dropped to one knee and clutched the back of his right foot before hobbling to the locker room in the third quarter, but initial X-rays came back negative, and the Knicks still are terming the injury as a sprain.
OG Anunoby went down with a non-contact injury and walked straight to the locker room.Praying he’s okay 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/SBZbLYn7DR— Fireside Knicks (@FiresideKnicks) February 2, 2025
“It’s obviously scary. You care so much for these guys, and we care so much for each other, you never want to see that happen to one of your brothers,” said teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, who went over to check on Anunoby before he left the game, after Saturday’s loss. “So it’s obviously not something you want to see.
“I’m not talking about [what was said], I’m just trying to make sure he’s in good spirits and everything is going well. … We’ll take it day by day and see what happens and see by Monday what we’re looking at.”
Counting the playoffs last season, the Knicks went 26-6 with Anunoby in the lineup following his late-December arrival in a trade with the Raptors, but they were 14-17 when he was sidelined with elbow and hamstring injuries.
Adding in their current 32-17 record with him playing in all 49 games this season — along with only Mikal Bridges — the Knicks have posted a whopping winning percentage of .753 (58-19) with the 6-foot-7 Anunoby in the lineup since he’s been with the team.
“Obviously, whenever someone goes down, we know it’s a part of the game, but obviously there’s a humane aspect to it,” Josh Hart said. “So obviously, we hope he’s good, and that’s always tough, that’s always tough seeing one of your guys go down, especially the way he’s been playing all season — especially the last four or five games.”
The 27-year-old Anunoby is the Knicks’ best perimeter defender, capable of guarding and locking down bigger and smaller opposing players. He averages 16.4 points and 1.4 steals in 36.4 minutes while shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range this season.
“Obviously, he’s a huge part of our team,” Jalen Brunson said. “It’s always tough to see something like that, especially a teammate and somebody that means a lot to you and your team. … Obviously, we are praying for the best.”
Anunoby and since-traded forward Julius Randle went down in the same game on Jan. 27, 2024, with the Knicks riding a 12-2 spurt. Anunoby underwent surgery and missed the next games, while Randle did not play another game for the Knicks, eventually also opting for surgery on his shoulder.
Anunoby was back in the lineup on March 12, after six weeks sidelined, and the Knicks finished the season on a 13-5 push to reach 50 wins and earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Following a first-round elimination of the 76ers, however, Anunoby strained his hamstring in Game 2 against the Pacers and missed the next four games, with the Knicks losing three to force a decisive seventh game. Anunoby attempted to play in the series finale, but he was out of the game after five minutes and was unable to return in what turned out to be a season-ending 130-109 defeat.
“We lost, so it sucks,” Anunoby said after that game. “Was just trying, but couldn’t really sprint, couldn’t really jump, but just tried my best.
“I just wanted to play. I wanted to at least try and help my teammates. We’ve been working really hard so I wanted to at least be out there. … I just couldn’t move.”
Anunoby re-signed in the offseason to a team-record $212.5 million contract over five years, which was considered a risk for a player who has appeared in 50 or fewer games in three of the previous four seasons — and in more than 70 just once in his eight-year NBA career. He also missed the Raptors’ title run in 2019 after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.
