NEW YORK — The Knicks entered Friday night’s game at Madison Square Garden against the Heat without Jalen Brunson, who sprained his ankle against the Magic on Wednesday. Then, five minutes into the first quarter, OG Anunoby exited because of a left hamstring strain and was ruled out a short time later.
But it was not a problem thanks to Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and reserve guard Landry Shamet.
Towns scored 31 of his 39 points in the first half and Shamet poured in 30 of his career-high 36 in the second half, helping New York cruise to a relatively comfortable 140-132 victory in the second NBA Cup group stage game for both teams.
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“JB was missing today,” Towns said of Brunson, “so we all had to step up and contribute to our team.”
The Knicks had to find ways to run their offense without Brunson, who left MSG on Wednesday night in a walking boot after turning his right ankle in the closing moments of a 124-107 loss to Orlando.
Entering Friday’s game, New York had a 123.1 offensive rating with Brunson on the court, tying the Houston Rockets for the best mark in the NBA. With Brunson off the court, the Knicks’ rating dropped to 110.3.
Towns, though, more than picked up the slack in the first half. He went 11-for-16 from the field, including 6-for-10 from 3-point range, to stake New York to a 78-68 halftime advantage.
“When he’s aggressive like that and has things flowing for him early … good luck,” Shamet said. “Him doing that opens up so much for us.”
Though Towns didn’t do much after the break, taking several minutes to register his first points of the second half, Shamet stepped up.
Shamet had 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting after the break, scoring 15 each in the third and fourth quarters, to give New York the scoring boost it needed.
“It was huge, him coming out, being aggressive, knocking down shots, playing off the dribble,” said Josh Hart, who finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. “He was amazing for us today. That’s something that was big for us. We need him to keep that confidence and continue to be rolling.”
After the win, the focus shifted to the health of Anunoby, who quickly exited the game at the 6:52 mark of the first quarter shortly after missing a layup. He headed to the locker room and was ruled out a short time later.
Anunoby, 28, is averaging 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He played 74 games last season to tie his career high — the second time he has eclipsed 70 games in a season.
The Knicks said they would see how Anunoby feels Saturday, though it’s expected he will get an MRI to reveal the extent of the injury.
Considering New York’s lack of depth, losing Anunoby would be a problem under normal circumstances. But that’s compounded by the loss of Brunson. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that Brunson has a Grade 1 sprained ankle and is day-to-day.
Before Friday’s game, Knicks coach Mike Brown didn’t provide further details regarding Brunson’s status. But as Friday’s win showed, the Knicks believe they can withstand injuries and continue to produce.
“It’s what it’s about,” Brown said. “It’s about the next man up. Who is that next man going to be? I don’t know. I just know we all go out and play the right way. We have a standard we’ve all bought into, and we’ve all embraced. If we stay within that, good things will happen.”
