Is OG Anunoby playing tonight? Latest injury update for Knicks vs. Pacers, Game 3

The New York Knicks lost Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanovic to season-ending surgery and then they lost Mitchell Robinson for 6-8 weeks. Somehow, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Knicks were able to pull out a 130-121 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

This includes a 29-point performance from Jalen Brunson, 28 points from Donte DiVincenzo, 19 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists from Josh Hart, 14 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists from Isaiah Hartenstein, and a playoff career-high 28 points from OG Anunoby.

Anunoby missed 27 games this season with an elbow injury that required surgery. Late in the third quarter of Game 2, he was on a fast break and immediately started grabbing his left hamstring, leaving him sidelined for the rest of the game.

OG Anunoby injury update: Out for Game 3

OG Anunoby is officially listed out for Game 3. This means that the Knicks are going into this game without Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic, Mitchell Robinson, and Anunoby. Out of all these players, Anunoby is the biggest loss.

The Knicks record in the regular season and postseason with OG Anunoby in the lineup is 25-5. If it weren’t for a career night in Game 2, the Knicks very well could be tied in the series 1-1 instead of up 2-0.

Another important factor is the Knicks lost their primary defender for Pascal Siakam. It is more than likely that Tom Thibodeau will insert Precious Achiuwa, also Siakam’s former teammate, into the starting lineup for Game 3.

The Knicks' next-man-up mentality has been a thing for the second half of the season which included Achiuwa starting 18 games for them. In those games, he averaged 36.5 minutes, 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. The Knicks will need every bit of it.

The biggest question surrounding the Knicks is the bench. What originally started as an eight-man rotation for the Knicks is now possibly a six-man rotation. If Achiuwa is the starter, the only bench piece they have is Deuce McBride unless Thibs wants to put in Alec Burks or maybe Shake Milton.

The high minutes from Thibs is going to be through the roof in Game 3 and potentially Game 4.