The New York Knicks currently lead the Indiana Pacers 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after picking up a 130-121 home victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night. However, this win came at a cost for the Knicks, as two-way forward OG Anunoby suffered a strained left hamstring early in the fourth quarter and did not return to action. This injury has now cast a level of doubt on Anunoby's availability for a crucial Game 3 in Indianapolis on Friday night.
With All-Star Jalen Brunson in the locker room during the first half of Wednesday night's game due to a foot injury, Anunoby stepped up and led the Knicks' offense. He finished Game 3 with 28 points, four rebounds, and three blocks, knocking down four massive triples that kept the Knicks close with the Pacers without Brunson on the floor.
In the fourth quarter, Anunoby was running in transition to attempt a layup when he appeared to plant his left leg awkwardly. He immediately fell to the ground on the baseline, holding the back of his left hamstring, and in a considerable amount of discomfort. Shortly after going to the locker room, the Knicks ruled the forward out for the remainder of the game.
After failing to return to Game 2 with this injury, there is now a level of “internal pessimism” that Anunoby will not be available for Game 3 on the road in Indianapolis on Friday night, according to SNY's Ian Begley.
“There’s no official word from the Knicks yet on OG Anunoby's health status, but late Wednesday night there was pessimism internally about Anunoby’s availability for Game 3 of Knicks-Pacers on Friday,” Begley reported on Thursday. “That pessimism remained earlier Thursday morning, as Anunoby's sore hamstring is feared to be more than just a cramp.”
Anunoby has been a force for the Knicks since they acquired him before the trade deadline. His defensive intensity fits Tom Thibodeau's system perfectly, and he has been playing the de facto power forward position in Julius Randle's absence. Should Anunoby be forced to miss Game 3 and other games in this series, the Knicks will be even more shorthanded than they already are.
OG Anunoby's impact to Knicks' success
As good of a player as he is, the Knicks can't afford to lose Anunoby for the remainder of this series against the Pacers because they are running out of players. Randle and Bojan Bogdanovic were both ruled out for the season prior to this series, and center Mitchell Robinson was recently ruled out indefinitely after suffering a stress reaction in his ankle. With Anunoby on the injury report, the Knicks are now left with their starting five, plus Alec Burks and Miles McBride on their bench.
Should Anunoby be ruled out for Game 3 and beyond, the Knicks will need to turn to Precious Achiuwa to step up behind Isaiah Hartenstein in the frontcourt. Achiuwa had some big moments in a Knicks uniform during the regular season, but his playing time in the postseason has been minimal. With Robinson out and Anunoby hurt, Achiuwa did play 28 minutes in Game 2, scoring eight total points and grabbing five rebounds off the bench.
A hamstring injury for Anunoby may result in Thibodeau's rotation going from seven players to only six players. Josh Hart has played in all 48 minutes through the first two games of this series, while Donte DiVincenzo has played 44 minutes in back-to-back games.
Whereas Brunson carries the load for the Knicks on offense, Anunoby has been the foundation of the team's defense. With Anunoby on the floor, including the playoffs, the Knicks have gone 26-5 overall.
In order to get past the Pacers and potentially have a chance to make the NBA Finals down the line, the Knicks are going to need Anunoby on the floor. The team has not released an official injury update on Anunoby's hamstring injury since Wednesday night's game.
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