Are OG Anunoby & Josh Hart Playing Game 7? Limited Treatment Options Haunt Knicks Injury Report

While the New York Knicks had a chance to close out the series against Indiana on Friday, that too inside enemy territory, they were unable to finish the job. Moreover, they witnessed a scary sight during the game as their Iron Man, Josh Hart, was seen struggling through the entire game because of an abdominal injury.

Amid the concerns about his availability, the Knicks will return to MSG tomorrow for Game 7, hoping to eliminate the Pacers and make it to the next round. However, with Josh Hart and OG Anunoby still on the injury report, it might prove to be a tough challenge for the Knicks.

Because of the abdominal strain, Hart will remain questionable for tomorrow’s game, raising concerns for his team. While the expectation is that he will do everything in his power to suit up on Sunday, unfortunately, the area of his injury is limited in treatment options, unlike maybe an ankle sprain. And we all saw how much pain Hart was in as he played only 31 minutes, asking to sub out and even heading to the locker room. Then, at around the ten-minute mark in the final quarter, he checked out of the game and called it a night, scoring just five points.

On the other hand, OG Anunoby, who has been out with a hamstring injury since the second game of this series has been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow, as per ESPN. While initially, he was expected to remain out for the entire series and possibly return in the Conference Finals, if the Knicks qualify, the high stakes of Sunday’s game are making him consider an early return. Moreover, OG has made significant progress in rehab and is hopeful about tomorrow.

What do Josh Hart and OG Anunoby provide for the Knicks?

Already missing big names like Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Knicks have had a tough time keeping their season afloat. And now, with Hart and OG injured, they might not be able to recover from this loss, if the duo does not return tomorrow. Notably, Hart has been the one constant in the lineup the entire year.

In the regular season, he missed only one game and was crucial for the Knicks’ second-seed finish. And now in these playoffs, Hart has already played four complete games without subbing out. He’s averaged nearly fifteen points and over four assists. Moreover, he has not let his team feel the absence of a big man. Because of his hustle plays, he is averaging nearly 12 rebounds despite his small size.

Meanwhile, since OG Anunoby arrived in New York, the Knicks have become a bigger threat on both ends of the floor. Utilizing his Championship experience from his Raptors days, OG has been a great two-way player. Before his injury, OG was averaging over 16 points and nearly 7 boards. Even on the day he got injured, Anunoby had already scored 28 points before leaving the game.

So, what these two stars bring to the table is pretty evident.

Hopefully, they will be able to play tomorrow and that will evidently give the Knicks a better chance to save their season and make it to the Conference Finals for the first time in over two decades.