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NEW YORK — OG Anunoby is playing the best basketball of his nine-year career.

Not coincidentally, the New York Knicks are playing their best ball of the season, and at the right time.

Yet, as New York has taken a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals, Anunoby has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and is listed as day to day, per a May 7 social media post by ESPN's Shams Charania.

Anunoby suffered the injury late in New York’s 108-102 Game 2 victory on May 6.

Late in the fourth quarter, Anunoby attempted to cut to the basket when he pulled up and grabbed his right leg, near his hamstring. In the moments that followed, Anunoby remained on the floor and even attempted a dunk when the ball found him down low.

OG came up gimpy on this cut. Then tried and missed a dunk. Then asked out.

Ugh. pic.twitter.com/DM9HMoCfE7

— Rit Holtzman (@BenRitholtzNBA) May 7, 2026

It became clear, however, that Anunoby was hobbled by the injury and limped fairly significantly once he tried to jog to the other side of the court. He asked to be subbed out and left the game with 2:31 to play, replaced by backup guard Miles McBride.

Anunoby did not return to the bench for the remainder of the game.

Anunoby has emerged as a multi-purpose threat for the Knicks in the playoffs and is integral to their title hopes, so the injury is a bit of a setback.

Not only has he been tasked with guarding a premier offensive player — on May 6 he was the primary defender on Paul George — but he has ramped up his effort on rebounding. Anunoby is also a reliable perimeter shooter, the Knicks now must find how to replace him.

Throughout the first two games of this series the Knicks have been able to slow down the Sixers’ offense in a way they really hadn’t experienced in their first-round series against Boston. On top of the 4-of-19 shooting performance that sunk them in the fourth quarter of Game 2, they’ve really struggled to take care of the basketball.

It’s starts at the very top. After turning it over nine times throughout the entirety of the seven games against the Celtics, Tyrese Maxey has already given it away 10 times in the first two games against New York. VJ Edgecombe has given it away at a rate more expected for a rookie, but his four turnovers in Game 2 were just as costly.

With stops having come at such a premium for the Sixers, they haven’t been able to afford giving away free possessions. The inability to “keep the scoreboard moving,” as Nick Nurse would put it, is what the difference was in Game 2. Live ball turnovers obviously compound the issue, giving the Knicks fast break opportunities. The Sixers conceded 23 points off their 18 turnovers in Game 2.

“They were active… they were blitzing some,” Nurse said after the game. “I think they got their hands on a couple, we made a couple mistakes on inbounds [passes.] That was certainly one negative of the game and then they turn those into points.”

To Nurse’s first point, the Knicks have thrown a lot of ball pressure at Maxey, especially in Game 2 with Joel Embiid sidelined. Maxey attributed New York’s double teams for their ability to turn him over, but also felt like he was trying to go too fast at times.

“They did a good job of kind of taking away certain passes that I like, like to make when I get trapped,” he said, “and then it was a couple times we didn’t just execute our trap offense.”

Maxey also said that he jammed his right pinky at some point in the second quarter, the same finger he sprained back in March, and that impacted his confidence dribbling around and splitting double teams.

With OG Anunoby’s upcoming status suddenly in doubt, those double teams on Maxey aren’t going anywhere. Neither are the immediate pinky concerns either — Maxey confirmed earlier in the playoffs he’ll have to wear a brace on it the rest of the season.

Something the Sixers will have to do away with though is unforced errors. A specific turnover Maxey and Edgecombe both got asked a lot about was an inbounds pass to no one. After a basket and a stop that had them up two, Edgecombe tried to get the ball in quick and to get the ball back with no one guarding him.

None of the other Sixers picked up on this and continued running the play, letting Edgecombe’s pass sail across the court and out of bounds on the other sideline.

“I was trying to run the play, and I just wasn’t looking,” Maxey said. “It happens.”

Miscommunications do happen, but the Sixers can afford them less and less as the stakes get higher. Another series deficit will be impossible to climb out of if they keep shooting themselves in the foot.

“We know we got to cut down on turnovers. That’s not who we are as a team,” Edgecombe said. “We all can protect the ball, pass the ball, so we just got to be more responsible with the ball.”

Now that they’ve played a game in this series without Embiid, they’ve seen how the Knicks will guard Maxey as the primary scoring threat.

“They just want someone else to beat them, regardless of who it is, just not Tyrese,” said Edgecombe. “I’m gonna do my part, create for everyone, and go from there.”

Now that the Sixers have seen how the Knicks will defend both versions of this team, it’s up to them to adjust accordingly.

The 76ers put up a much more valiant fight in Game 2 against the Knicks, but one of their final shots was not at all ideal in the closing seconds of a game they had a chance to win to tie the conference semifinal series.

With the Knicks up by five points as 30 seconds remained on the clock, Paul George got the look after a dribble handoff from VJ Edgecombe and launched an off-balanced, heavily contested 3-pointer.

It was an airball that eventually led to the 76ers’ 108-102 loss at Madison Square Garden and Quentin Grimes took issue with that in what became a viral moment.

Quentin Grimes COULDN'T BELIEVE Paul George chucked up an off balance airball with the game on the line pic.twitter.com/L3j5uIjUyA

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 7, 2026

Following the shot, Grimes confronted George about his shot selection when the 76ers had 18 more seconds on the shot clock to find a better look. The nine-time All-Star seemingly defended his decision.

Grimes walked away looking deflated and disappointed at the lost opportunity.

However, George’s shot wasn’t the one thing that sealed the loss for Philadelphia.

The 76ers struggled as a group in the fourth quarter, scoring just 12 points versus the Knicks’ final 19 on the board. They shot just 21.1 percent in the fourth quarter.

They scored at least 28 points in all the previous quarters.

“I thought we just might’ve ran out of gas a little bit in the fourth,” George said after the game. “We could’ve did a better job of getting some easier ones, but I think we did just run out of gas a little bit in the fourth.”

The 36-year-old finished the night with 19 points, shooting just 5-for-13 from beyond the arc. He also logged six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

Grimes, a fifth-year guard and former Knick, came off the bench to score seven points while adding three rebounds, three assists and one steal.

The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday where the 76ers will try to get their first win of the series.

“We like where we’re at. We played good defense, I thought, all the way until the fourth quarter,” George said. “We just didn’t make shots, but a lot of positives coming out of the game tonight.”

Embiid, Anunoby, Hart all listed as questionable for Sixers-Knicks Game 3  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Three important players received questionable designations on the initial injury report for Game 3 of the Sixers vs. Knicks second-round playoff series.

The Sixers listed Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain and right hip soreness) as questionable Thursday night after he sat out the team’s tight Game 2 loss the day prior. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Embiid “woke up with a bunch of soreness” Wednesday morning and was ruled out following the Sixers’ shootaround at Madison Square Garden.

Embiid returned from an April 9 appendectomy in the middle of the Sixers’ first-round series win over the Celtics and had played through lingering physical issues, but he didn’t get the green light for Game 2. While Embiid had a subpar Game 1 in the Sixers’ blowout defeat, he was strong in the Boston series, averaging 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists.

The Knicks’ two questionable players were OG Anunoby (right hamstring strain) and Josh Hart (left thumb sprain). New York also listed backup center Mitchell Robinson as probable. He was sidelined by an illness Wednesday.

Anunoby exited with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and did not return. He’s had an excellent start to the 2026 playoffs, posting 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Anunoby has shot 61.9 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range over New York’s eight postseason contests. 

SNY’s Ian Begley reported Anunoby is considered “day-to-day.” Trailing 2-0 in the series, the Sixers will host Game 3 on Friday night and Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.

The Knicks may have avoided the worst with OG Anunoby’s injury.

The forward, who has been the Knicks’ best player this postseason, is day to day with a right hamstring strain, The Post’s Stefan Bondy reported Thursday.

He is questionable for Friday’s Game 3.

OG came up gimpy on this cut. Then tried and missed a dunk. Then asked out.

Ugh. pic.twitter.com/DM9HMoCfE7

— Rit Holtzman (@BenRitholtzNBA) May 7, 2026

Anunoby came up lame while cutting to the basket with about three minutes left in the Knicks’ 108-102 Game 2 win over the 76ers on Wednesday night.

He labored through one defensive possession before Knicks coach Mike Brown took him out for Miles McBride.

The 28-year-old — always a defensive force — has averaged 21.3 points per game this postseason, while shooting 53.8 percent on 3-pointers.

Brown said after the game that he noticed Anunoby “hopping” on the court, but did not have any further details.

McBride is expected to get a majority of the minutes while Anuboby is sidelined.

“He’s one of the best two-way players in the league, and it’s tough to replace that,” McBride said. “You don’t replace it with one guy. Everybody’s going to have to step up.” 

The Knicks are up 2-0 over the rival 76ers with the series shifting to Philadelphia on Friday night.

They have won five straight dating back to the Hawks series, but may have to continue that momentum without Anunoby.

The teams only have one day of rest between contests through Game 6 before two off days preceding a potential Game 7 next Sunday.

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If the Philadelphia 76ers are going to spark a comeback, it starts with finding a way to slow down Jalen Brunson in Game 3.

My Knicks vs. 76ers predictions point to Philly doing just that — or at least keeping him below his elevated scoring line — with my NBA picks backing the Under for this Friday, May 8 showdown.

Knicks vs 76ers Game 3 prediction tonight

Who will win Knicks vs 76ers Game 3?

76ers: The series swings to Philadelphia and home teams down 0-2 seem to find another gear in front of their faithful in Game 3 scenarios. The 76ers could get Joel Embiid back, which gives them a big body in the paint on both ends of the floor.

The Knicks could be without sparkplug OG Anunoby, which is a bigger loss than most realize. He’s been electric for the Knicks in the playoffs and creates scoring outside of the structured offense. Philadelphia leans into its defense and gets one back from New York in Game 3.

Knicks vs 76ers best bet: Jalen Brunson Under 26.5 points (-112)

Following his explosion in Game 1, the Philadelphia 76ers had to figure out a better way to defend Jalen Brunson. 

The Sixers sent longer defenders at him in Game 2, utilizing Kelly Oubre Jr. and VJ Edgecombe, and Brunson finished just 9-for-21 from the field. The bulk of those shots came inside the key, which will be off limits if Joel Embiid returns in Game 3.

Nick Nurse says the 76ers did an "above average" job defending Jalen Brunson:

"He certainly wasn't getting near the clearance as he was in Game 1. He was getting practice shots a lot in that game. I think the challenges were much better." pic.twitter.com/cvEFxOIihU

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

With OG Anunoby questionable, the Knicks’ rotation loses offensive punch, and Philadelphia can afford to put even more emphasis on defending Brunson.

Projections for Brunson are good but not great, ranging from 26.6 to just over 24 points on Friday.

COVERS INTEL: Brunson has benefited from some “hometown calls” in the playoffs. He’s averaged 6.6 FTM on 7.8 FTA inside MSG but just 3.33 makes on 3.6 free throws on the road. That holds true for the entire season, averaging 6.1 FTM at home vs. 3.5 FTM on the road.

Knicks vs 76ers Game 3 same-game parlay

The 76ers played with better tempo in Game 2 and traded shots with the Knicks. Philadelphia allowed 56 points in the paint, but getting Embiid back puts an end to those easy looks inside. New York also could be without a significant scorer in Anunoby, leaving them with poor offensive options off the bench.

Paul George came out firing in Game 2 but cooled as the contest played out, still finishing with 19 points in the loss. George has quietly come through for Over bettors on his scoring prop in four of his last five games. He’s forecasted for 17+ points back in Philly on Friday.

Knicks vs 76ers SGP

• 76ers moneyline
• Jalen Brunson Under 26.5 points
• Paul George Over 16.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Philly Cheese Stakes

Philadelphia leaned into its defense to rally in Round 1 and does the same in Game 3 at home. The 76ers keep the Knicks out of the paint, which sees a dip in New York’s shooting success, and ups Tyrese Maxey’s rebounding chances. Paul George has been a consistent contributor in the postseason and is projected for 17+ points.

Knicks vs 76ers SGP

• 76ers moneyline
• Under 213.5
• Paul George Over 16.5 points
• Tyrese Maxey Over 3.5 rebounds

Knicks vs 76ers odds for Game 3 tonight

• Spread: Knicks +1 | 76ers -1
• Moneyline: Knicks -105 | 76ers -115
• Over/Under: Over 213.5 | Under 213.5

Knicks vs 76ers betting trend to know

The Under is 23-18 with the Philadelphia 76ers coming off a loss this season, including 3-1 in the playoffs so far. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. 76ers.

How to watch Knicks vs 76ers Game 3

Knicks vs 76ers latest injuries

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