OG Anunoby has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and is questionable for Game 3 of the Knicks' second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday. He's listed as day-to-day. Game 3 tips off Friday in Philadelphia.
What Happened
Anunoby pulled up reaching for the back of his right leg with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's 108-102 Game 2 win, cutting to the basket on what looked like a routine drive. He didn't return. He had 24 points before the exit — his second 20-plus-point game of the series.
Anunoby is the Knicks' second-leading scorer this postseason at 21.4 points per game. The fuller stat line is more eye-popping: 21 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game on 63.8% from the field and 59.4% from three on 4.6 attempts a night. Those efficiency numbers, sustained over a postseason run, are the kind of two-way line that decides series.
What This Means for the Series
New York leads 2-0. Philadelphia has played the entire series without Joel Embiid and still pushed Game 2 to a 9-0 closing run. Game 1 was a 137-98 Knicks blowout; Game 2 was a tense back-and-forth with 25 lead changes. The version of the 76ers that showed up Wednesday is a real team, not a walkover.
Without Anunoby, the Knicks lose their best perimeter defender — the guy who has spent the playoffs guarding Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and whoever else Philadelphia points at the basket — and a 60%-from-three release valve when Brunson draws extra attention. Mikal Bridges absorbs more defensive responsibility. Josh Hart's minutes go up. Whoever Tom Thibodeau leans on for the missing offense becomes the swing variable for Friday.
"Day-to-day" with a hamstring strain is the playoff equivalent of "we'll see." The MRI on Thursday confirmed the strain rather than something worse, which is the best plausible outcome from Wednesday's exit. But hamstrings re-aggravate, especially in a player whose game depends on lateral cuts and closeouts. Even if Anunoby plays Game 3, his minutes and aggression will be the second-by-second story of the night.
The Calculus for Game 3
The Knicks can afford to sit Anunoby up 2-0 on the road if it means a healthier version of him by Game 5. The 76ers can't afford to lose Friday — going down 3-0 to a Knicks team without their second-best player would be the kind of postseason memory that follows a roster around for years. Embiid's absence makes Game 3 a closing window for Philadelphia regardless of who's healthy in blue and orange.
Watch the Friday afternoon status report. If Anunoby is upgraded to probable, the Knicks are sending a message that the series ends in five. If he's downgraded to out, this becomes a one-game referendum on whether Brunson, Bridges, and a depth rotation can outscore a desperate Philadelphia team at home.
Source: Yahoo/ESPN via Shams Charania · CBS Sports · NBA.com
Related on Uristocrat: the Knicks' Game 4 sweep of Philadelphia.
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