The New York Knicks had a good start to the ongoing Semifinals, establishing a 2-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers. However, the absence of small forward OG Anunoby had a negative effect on the franchise, causing them to lose their next two matchups. With the upcoming Game 5 set to be held at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks are hoping to use their home-court advantage to regain their momentum. Unfortunately, their injury-stricken player won’t be there to assist them with the same.

A few hours ago, ‘New York Daily News’ reporter Kristian Winkfield took to his official X account to highlight details from the Knicks and the Pacers’ recently released Injury Reports. According to it, OG Anunoby continues to remain in the ‘OUT’ category for the third time in a row. He shares that status with three other prominent Knicks scorers: Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Lead scorer Jalen Brunson, whose availability had earlier been questioned, is fortunately absent from the list.

In the absence of Randle, Robinson, and Bogdanovic, the responsibility to lead the scoring effort had solely fallen on the shoulders of Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. Due to this, there was a significant surge in the player’s most recent appearances. During Game 2 of the Knicks-Pacers clash, Anunoby secured 28 points, four rebounds, and three assists. This score total was the highest he had recorded since the 29 points he made in December 2023. He could have gone even further if it hadn’t been for the hamstring strain he developed while attempting to make a layup.

After further diagnosis revealed the severity of the injury, OG Anunoby became the fourth major player to be listed as ‘OUT’. Going into Game 5, the status will remain the same. As for now, there is no fixed timeline for Anunoby’s return. After all, a hamstring strain is what kept Milwaukee Bucks lead scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo absent throughout the first round of the playoffs. Furthermore, it prevented New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson from competing against the Oklahoma City Thunder during their four games. If the Knicks somehow manage to win their upcoming two games, then the player will most likely be seen in the Conference Finals itself.

OG Anunoby and Co.’s depth chart

During the Knicks’ two recent matchups without OG Anunoby, 24-year-old Precious Achiuwa replaced him as the primary Power Forward. He will be expected to do so again during Game 5. Furthermore, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo may be asked to fill the gap left by Anunoby in terms of scoring.

Julius Randle has been absent from the main lineup since January. After undergoing surgery in April, he was declared out for the remainder of the tournament. Isaiah Hartenstein was made the Primary Center soon after that. He is expected to be present during Game 5. Therefore, bearing all the above-mentioned updates in mind, the Starting Lineup for the New York Knicks for Game 5 is expected to look something like this:

Despite losing two consecutive games, do you believe the New York Knicks can still recover from OG Anunoby’s absence? Let us know in the comments down below.