The New York Knicks are up 2-0 in their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, but in their Game 2 win, they saw OG Anunoby suffer a hamstring injury, subsequently putting his status in question moving forward.
However, while there were initial concerns about the Knicks being without arguably their most important player of the postseason so far, recent injury updates signal his hamstring injury is not a major issue and is nowhere close to holding him out for an extended period of time.
Anunoby is officially questionable for New York heading into Game 3 in Philadelphia, but based on recent injury updates, the Knicks got some good news. It might not be enough to upgrade his status to available for Friday night, but all signs point to the 28-year-old avoiding any long-term absence.
OG Anunoby Injury Update Ahead Of Game 3
GettyOG Anunoby reacts from the bench during a New York Knicks playoff game amid uncertainty over his hamstring injury status before Game 3 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.
Speaking on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, NBA insider Shams Charania offered positive news about Anunoby’s injury, which echoed his initial reporting about how the Knicks’ wing is officially day-to-day and not expected to miss the an extended period of time.
“This is a tweak of the hamstring for OG Anunoby. It’s considered to be on the minor side of hamstring strains,” the insider said. “He’s going through treatment today. We’ll see if he can play today…I think the hope is that this is going to be a game-to-game, day-to-day thing and not a week-to-week thing, which is good news for the Knicks…He’s trying to play tonight.”
He’s going thru treatment today and he’s trying to play today” ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive
Charania added, as is the case with Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, that a hamstring injury tends to hold players out for weeks at a time. But with Anunoby, that isn’t the case, as his injury suffered in Game 2 could force him to miss time, but not weeks on end like what Doncic is dealing with right now.
Adding to the conversation, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post followed up that Charania’s reporting was a similar sentiment to what he had been saying about Anunoby’s injury.
“Shams confirms my report about Anunoby’s very minor hamstring injury,” he wrote on X. “Shams adds that Anunoby is trying to play tonight.”
Furthermore, Charania followed up his Pat McAfee Show appearance with similar comments on the NBA Today show, but added that the Knicks are going forward with some air of caution with Anunoby’s injury in this round.
“We do know with all soft tissue injuries (that) you have to have a level of caution, and that’s how the Knicks will move forward here later this afternoon,” he said.
Anunoby is still questionable for Game 3, but it looks like the Knicks dodged a bullet as he avoided any serious damage to his hamstring.
Knicks Vs 76ers Game 3
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives around Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 04, 2026 in New York City.
Anunoby has been arguably the most important player for the Knicks through their first eight playoff games, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals on 61.9/53.8/81.1 shooting splits.
He might not be scoring at the same level as Jalen Brunson or passing at the same level of Karl-Anthony Towns, but his impact on both sides of the ball through the first one and a half playoff rounds is impossible to ignore. If he does end up sitting, the Knicks will likely have to give Mikal Bridges and their other reserve wings a bigger role on both offense and defense in Game 3.
Still, New York has a strong advantage over the 76ers through their first two matchups of the conference semifinals. They’ve shot better, rebounded better, defended better, and overall, look like the more talented team. Even if they aren’t without Anunoby, with Joel Embiid‘s injury status still up in the air, the Knicks are favored to take a 3-0 series lead.
Additionally, a story that has been evident throughout this series is ticket sales, and according to a new report, Knicks fans are ready to invade the Xfinity Mobile Arena to root for their team in Game 3 on Monday night. Per Bondy, taking a report from third-party ticket seller TickPick, New York fans could outnumber Philly fans in Game 3.
Also according to TickPick, nearly 61% of purchases for Game 3 are coming from New York (32.9%)
Prolly not gonna be a good showing for Sixers fans tonight. According to TickPick, the current “get-in” price for Game 3 is $175 – a 35.6% drop since the start of the series ($272),” he wrote in a post on X. “Also according to TickPick, nearly 61% of purchases for Game 3 are coming from New York (32.9%) and New Jersey (28%), while 21.7% coming from Pennsylvania.”
Anunoby’s injury status remains a question that the Knicks will have to address before Game 3, but in the meantime, it doesn’t look like an injury that will sideline him for an extended period of time.
Knicks vs 76ers Game 3 tips off on Friday, May 8, at 7 pm EST and will be live on Amazon Prime Video.
OG Anunoby Injury Update: Knicks Get Good News Ahead Of Game 3