The Knicks got blown out by the rival Boston Celtics on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, but there is some good news on the horizon.
Big man Mitchell Robinson and wing OG Anunoby are expected back in the coming weeks as the Knicks look to make a run in the Eastern Conference.
Robinson has been out all season following offseason foot surgery, while Anunoby has been out for a week with a foot injury.
“Mitchell Robinson is expected to start 5-on-5 play here very soon and and I’m told he and the Knicks have a goal of before March 1 potentially [for] his season debut,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said ahead of the Knicks’ 134-101 loss to Boston in which Jayson Tatum went for 40 points.
“OG Anunoby, I’m told specifically it is a toe issue and he is targeting a return at sometime after the All-Star break [next weekend],” he added.
“As far as my understanding, it’s more of an irritating injury, not something that’s structurally wrong or serious.”
The Knicks did not make a move for a big man at Thursday’s NBA trade deadline largely because they have confidence Robinson is on his way back.
“You guys can read the tea leaves,” head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters this week. “We like our team a lot. Obviously, we are excited about Mitch. But we also feel [rookie] Ariel [Hukporti] has done a good job, and Precious [Achiuwa] has done a good job. That’s really how we approach it.
“[Team president] Leon [Rose] and his staff, they are on it all year long. I think there’s a tendency to think this happens a couple days before [deadline]. They are always looking if they can improve the club. If there’s something that makes sense, they explore it. Then, you go from there. But we like our team a lot.”
After Saturday’s loss, the Knicks sit at 34-18, 2 1/2 games back of Boston for the No. 2 seed in the East and 4 1/2 ahead of the No. 4 Indiana Pacers.
They visit the Pacers Tuesday before visiting the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday in their last game for the All-Star break.
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.