The Philadelphia 76ers lost Game 2 against the New York Knicks, putting them in a 2-0 hole that will be difficult to climb out of. Yet the win did not come without a price, and an injury to OG Anunoby may have been the lifeline the Sixers need to climb out of that hole and spring another playoff upset.
Playing without Joel Embiid, the 76ers gave the Knicks all that they could handle in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Tyrese Maxey played all but one minute and scored 26 points. Paul George (19 points), Kelly Oubre Jr. (19) and VJ Edgecombe (17) each had their moments. Dominick Barlow showed some flashes.
In the end, however, the Knicks managed to eke out the win to take that 2-0 lead in the series. While Jalen Brunson was just 9-for-21 from the field, scrapping and clawing his way to 26 points, the best player on the court was clearly OG Anunoby.
OG Anunoby has been great
The 6'7" forward has arguably been the Knicks' best player throughout the playoffs. On Wednesday night, he was everywhere defensively, shutting down drives before they happened, getting his hands on the ball (four steals) and rotating to the rim to deter shots inside. For a stretch, as Karl-Anthony Towns and Ariel Hukporti dealt with foul trouble (Mitchell Robinson missed the game due to illness), Anunoby even played center.
Late in the game, with Anunoby sitting on 24 points and in his 37th minute of action, the Knicks scooped up a loose ball and passed it inside to Anunoby, who was all alone at the rim. Paul George rotated down and challenged Anunoby's dunk attempt. When OG landed, something gave way, and he began hobbling and asked out of the game.
It was once again a hamstring injury for Anunoby, who has dealt with them before -- including in last year's Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers. Anytime you leave a game with a muscle injury, it's likely to be a multi-game absence, and it could certainly be a Grade 1 or Grade 2 strain; the former would knock him out for the series, and the latter for the rest of the postseason.
76ers now have a chance
The series now shifts back to Philadelphia, where the 76ers hope to get Joel Embiid back on the court. If Anunoby misses at least a couple of games, suddenly the door swings open for the Sixers to get back into the series.
Not having Anunoby on the court puts a hole in the Knicks' defense. What they have done this postseason, putting together a top-tier defense despite playing Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, has been nothing short of miraculous. OG has defended like prime Bobby Jones. But without him, the holes get too big.
Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado cannot cover up for Anunoby. He is an integral part of their rotation. Mikal Bridges is the only other forward in the rotation, forcing Mike Brown into some combination of double-big looks (assuming Robinson can return) and three-guard looks. Bridges may play all 48 minutes in Game 3.
VJ Edgecombe and Paul George will have much more room to operate, and the Philadelphia offense could get rolling. The Knicks' most irreplaceable player just went down, and now Philly is right back in it.
The Knicks paid a bitter price for their Game 2 victory. Now it's up to the 76ers to take full advantage.
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