It’s less than a quarter of a full season, just 20 games.
But the numbers when OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson share the floor together are staggering.
With Friday night’s win over the Nets, the Knicks are 18-2 when the duo plays together, have a net rating of plus-24.7 spanning 599 minutes and an offensive rating of 125.8.
Silly.
The Knicks’ lone losses with the two in the lineup were setbacks against the Bulls and Mavericks, both on the road by a combined 12 points.
The Dec. 30 trade with the Raptors, which sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley north of the border, has certainly worked wonders, even with Anunoby missing 27 games due to an elbow injury since his arrival.
The lockdown defender is healthy now, and the Knicks are surging entering the playoffs, having won four straight games and five of six.
Anunoby has played in five of those contests, and has averaged 13.4 points and shot a robust 47.8 percent from 3-point range.
In the win over the Nets, he had 15 points in 34 minutes and played his typical hard-nosed defense.
The Knicks outscored the Nets by four with Anunoby on the floor.
“Open, shoot. Guarded, make a play,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Hustle like crazy on defense. Be everywhere. I thought his activity gets us going.”
The Bulls will be without Javonte Green (rest) and Andre Drummond (ankle sprain) in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Ayo Dosunmu (quad bruise) is questionable.
Their spot in the play-in tournament is locked up, but it doesn’t appear they will be resting their stars.
