OG Anunoby's Hamstring Injury Could Cost the Knicks Game 3, and the 76ers Smell an Opening

The New York Knicks are up 2-0 in their second-round playoff series against Philadelphia, but they might have to make Game 3 in Philly without one of their best scorers. OG Anunoby strained his right hamstring late in Wednesday's 108-102 win and is listed as questionable for Friday's matchup. That's a problem when your versatile forward is averaging 21.4 points this postseason.

What Went Wrong for Philadelphia in Game 2

The 76ers played without Joel Embiid, their star center dealing with hip and ankle discomfort. They still stuck around, but the wheels fell off down the stretch. Philadelphia scored only 12 points in the fourth quarter, with fatigue playing a major role. Tyrese Maxey went 47 minutes, Paul George 43, VJ Edgecombe 40, and Kelly Oubre Jr. 40. That's a lot of minutes on tired legs.

"I thought we just ran out of gas," George said. "We got a little flat. We got some pretty good looks, for the most part. We just didn't knock 'em down."

Maxey led the Sixers with 26 points, Oubre and George added 19 apiece. Still wasn't enough.

The Knicks Dominated the Numbers That Mattered

Jalen Brunson dropped 26 points for New York, with Anunoby chipping in 24. Karl-Anthony Towns was everywhere with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists despite playing only 27 minutes due to foul trouble.

The real difference? Turnovers and discipline. New York forced 18 turnovers while committing just 13, turning that into a 23-9 advantage in points off turnovers. Sixers coach Nick Nurse acknowledged it hurt them down the stretch.

"That is certainly one negative of the game," Nurse said, "and then they turned those into points pretty well. That was certainly one of the differences in the game."

The Knicks also noticed Philadelphia's free-throw advantage, with the Sixers shooting 28 foul shots including nine from Maxey. "It's tough to win a ballgame if you're getting beaten from the free-throw line like that versus a really good team," Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

If Anunoby can't play Friday, look for Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, or Landry Shamet to get extended minutes. For the 76ers, if Embiid is out again, Dominick Barlow could see more action after playing a postseason-high 16 minutes Wednesday and shooting 3-of-3 with six points.

Maxey isn't giving up though, shooting 37.5% through two games. "We definitely feel like we can pull ourselves out of this one," he said. "Gotta go home and get two."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.