Is OG Anunoby Playing Tonight? Latest Injury Report Ahead Of Game 4 vs. Pacers

Hoping to make their first Conference Finals appearance in twenty-four years, and just two wins away from achieving that milestone, the New York Knicks are ready to take on the Pacers tonight. But despite their two to one lead in the series, the chances of Jalen Brunson’s squad winning tonight are looking very bleak because once again, their elite two-way player, OG Anunoby, finds himself on the injury report.

As it turns out, the Knicks’ latest injury report revealed that Anunoby will remain out for tonight’s Game 4 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Still dealing with the effects of the hamstring injury he suffered on Wednesday during the second game of the series, this will be the second straight game that OG will miss in these playoffs. And it all happened during a transition play in the third quarter of Game 2, when in an attempt to catch a pass from Brunson and going for a layup, Anunoby injured his left hamstring and had to leave the game for the rest of the night.

Moreover, his unavailability for tonight’s game raises massive concerns for the Knicks as Anunoby has been key in the team’s playoff success so far. Even in the game that Anunoby got injured, before leaving, he had already added twenty-eight points to the board in the same number of minutes and put his team in a commanding position. Adding to that, his lockdown defense, which proved crucial in stopping Joel Embiid in the previous series, will be heavily missed against the Pacers tonight.

Also on the injury report are two stars from the Pacers’ corner, Aaron Nesmith (right shoulder soreness) and Tyrese Haliburton (back spasms, right ankle sprain), who are both questionable for the night. But that being Haliburton’s status throughout the series due to his back spasms, he is likely to suit up for the crucial game.

Where do the Knicks go without OG Anunoby?

Not having OG Anunoby in the lineup not only leaves a big void on defense, but also puts added pressure on Jalen Brunson, who is already struggling from injury issues of his own. After leaving the game for an entire quarter on Wednesday due to a sore foot, Brunson had the Knicks fans worried for a while. But Anunoby kept the Knicks afloat until Brunson returned in the second half. Averaging over sixteen points in these playoffs while also grabbing near seven rebounds, Anunoby has helped ease Brunson’s pressure so far. But now that he is no longer available, and multiple key players are also out due to injury, the Knicks might be back to square one.

In Friday’s game, with OG out, Tom Thibodeau relied on Precious Achiuwa to take care of the missing pieces and also gave decent playing time to Alec Burks. And both players responded brilliantly when their number was called. With three crucial blocks during the game and six boards, Precious was a menace on defense. Meanwhile, Burks, coming off the bench, gave the Knicks fourteen additional points in just twenty-one minutes.

Although the Knicks failed to win the game, thanks to Andrew Nembhard’s dagger in the final seconds, Thibodeau almost got the job done without Anunoby. So, he is likely to go with the same strategy tonight and hope to change the outcome. Do you think the Knicks can win tonight without Anunoby in the lineup?