The New York Knicks went into Friday’s Game 3 NBA Playoffs matchup against the Indiana Pacers, knowing they wouldn’t have their two-way star OG Anunoby in the lineup.
After Tom Thibodeau played Anunoby for 42 minutes in New York’s Game 1 121-117 win over Indiana, OG got off to a hot start in Game 2, scoring 28 points in just 28 minutes. Yet, Anunoby was forced out of action early after suffering a hamstring injury in the third quarter, and he hasn’t touched the floor since.
Anunoby’s injury occurred on May 8, and he’s now had two days to rest, but it doesn’t sound like the Knicks star is nearing an immediate return to the court.
OG Anunoby set to miss Game 4 with his hamstring injury
According to ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks expect Anunoby to miss Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as well.
Reporting for ESPN NBA Countdown on OG Anunoby’s availability in this Eastern Conference semifinal series pic.twitter.com/LaRKPUckHT
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 10, 2024
Woj hints that the 6-foot-7 swingman could miss more than just Game 4 but it is not known how long Anunoby will be out of the lineup, though hamstrings can be tricky.
As much as they’d like to have their versatile defender, who’s also been flourishing offensively on the court, no one wants Anunoby to risk an injury.
Not to mention, Anunoby has a chance to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, depending on what he decides to do with his $19.9 million player option. But if Anunoby enters the offseason healthy, there’s no doubt he could command a much larger annual salary as a free agent on the open market. That’s only part of the reason why all sides have to be careful knowing what’s at stake.
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