OG Anunoby (Knicks) loses Game 3 vs. Pacers

Knicks wing OG Anunoby injured his hamstrings yesterday during Game 2 of the semifinals against the Pacers, and is already out for Game 3. And if it’s only Game 3, the Knicks will be fine…

It’s drizzling in New York, it’s drizzling very hard. Bojan Bogdanovic is out for the season, Mitchell Robinson is injured, Julius Randle has been on vacation for several weeks and Tom Thibpsdeau finds himself forced to give 300 minutes per game to his starters, led by Josh Hart. Well, Thibodeau loves it, it’s true, but with the Conf semifinals in full swing and even though the Knicks are in very good shape (2-0), we’re beginning to doubt the ability of these gladiators in 2024 to finish the playoffs on their own two feet…

Ouch… an absence match for OG Anunoby, we hope he gets better quickly.

New York must crawl to the next round. https://t.co/pZXKK0FlV4

— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) 9 May 2024

Finished with an injury during Game 2 when he scored a whopping 28 points in 28 minutes, the 2019 NBA champion with the Raptors will therefore miss Game 3 tonight, and quite a few sources suggest that the power forward wing could be out for a little more than a simple battle…

Important information, a little wet finger of course but: 2 weeks rest in general for players who have the same injury as OG Anunoby.

We’ll see, but it’s not looking good for the Knicks and their winger. It would take a miracle, they announced outside of the Game 3 live. https://t.co/VZqW3a32t6

— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) 9 May 2024

Having played 47, 50, 45 and 42 minutes in his last four games, OG has therefore marked the occasion and he leaves his coach obliged to draw on his resources, on his bench therefore, sorry Thibs, but there you have not no longer any choice. The Knicks have been playing with seven since the start of these playoffs, Mitchell Robinson is no longer there, and in the section of minutes candidates, it’s Alec Burks who positions himself, he who presents the advantage of experience despite skills infinitely less useful than the titular position 3 in New York. Precious Achiuwa could also be offered more minutes at position 4, while the Brunson / Hart / DiVincenzo / Hartenstein quartet can already bet that they will play between 45 and 48 minutes until the end of the series.

We’ll be watching closely for the next updates on OG, the Knicks’ best defender and absolutely vital part of the Thibodeau system. Because if his absence is obviously detrimental, the way the NY coach has to fire at others promises to be all-time… and problematic for the future. The end of the Knicks playoffs will hang on the next announcement about Anunoby’s hamstrings? Very close to saying yes.