The New York Knicks come into Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers on an absolute tear. They've now won five in a row, dating back to Game 4 in the first round against the Hawks. Three of those wins were by 20+, including a 51-point win to close out the Hawks and a 39-point win in Game 1 against Philly.
They'll also be on the road and likely playing without OG Anunoby, one of the most important players at both ends of the floor.
OG Anunoby is questionable for Game 3 against the 76ers
Anunoby left Game 2 with a hamstring strain and is listed as questionable for Game 3, tonight in Philadelphia. Given that New York has been rolling and already has a two-game lead, it seems likely that they'll be conservative with Anunoby and more likely to rest him if he isn't at 100 percent. This presents some significant challenges for the Knicks.
Anunoby has been leading the Knicks in minutes played during the postseason, 35.3 per game. He's also been their second-leading scorer, averaging 21.4 points per game and shooting 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. On defense, he's mostly been matched up with Paul George or Kelly Oubre Jr. in this series, but he's done a fantastic job of limiting both players.
The Knicks still have their offensive engine (Jalen Brunson), an elite complementary scorer (Karl-Anthony Towns) and their primary point-of-attack defender for Tyrese Maxey (Mikal Bridges). But playing with Anunoby means moving everyone else on the depth chart up a slot and could test a second-unit that has been one of New York's biggest weaknesses this season.
Knicks projected starting lineup and depth chart without OG Anunoby
STARTER | POSITION | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Jalen Brunson | PG | Jose Alvarado |
Deuce McBride | SG | Landry Shamet |
Josh Hart | SF | Jordan Clarkson |
Mikal Bridges | PF | Mitchell Robinson |
Karl-Anthony Towns | C | Mitchell Robinson |
It's not a guarantee that McBride starts in Anunoby's place but he's been the first guy off the bench the entire postseason and the Knicks can afford to go small with Josh Hart sliding up on defense to handle George or Oubre Jr. Robinson's minutes are mostly locked in as the other big with KAT, working to slow down Joel Embiid and give the Knicks an edge on the glass.
But moving Deuce into the starting lineup means something like 15-16 more minutes per game are going to have to be split between Alvarado, Shamet and Clarkson. Shamet is primarily a shooter who has been ice cold so far in the postseason — 4-of-14 from beyond the arc and 5-of-18 overall. Alvarado can help on defense but he's at a big size disadvantage against either of Philly's wings if he's sharing the court with Brunson. And while Clarkson can get buckets and has the size to matchup with George our Oubre, he's a terrible defender. There are no obvious answers for Mike Brown here.
It's possible that the Knicks can simply continue to out-talent and out-execute the 76ers, especially if Embiid continues to be limited. But this may stress New York enough to open the door a crack for Philly to smash their way through and seize momentum. But, again, the Knicks can afford to drop a game here, give Anunoby two more days to rest up and still be firmly in the driver's seat of this series.
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