OG Anunoby has been sidelined from the New York Knicks’ roster since he sprained his hamstring during the fourth quarter of their Game 2 matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Even without him on the floor, the Knicks managed to edge out the 76ers in four games. However, the latest update from Mike Brown revealed that he practiced rigorously before the Eastern Conference final series.
During the fourth quarter of Game 2, the Knicks’ defensive anchor was seen in pain in the final minutes. He was taken out of the floor, but Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson made some clutch buckets to take the team through the winning line. After the team’s recent practice, head coach Mike Brown sounded optimistic about Anunoby’s return in the conference semifinals. As per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post:
“Mike Brown said OG Anunoby scrimmaged and “did everything we did in practice.””
Even though Karl-Anthony Towns and Miles McBride had an off day in Game 3, Mikal Bridges looked in his bag after a long time and scored 23 points, three rebounds, and two steals in 37 minutes. Game 4 was even better for the team.
Miles McBride shot the lights out from deep, making seven of nine attempts, scoring 25 points. All starters scored in double digits and closed out the series emphatically, 144-114. However, the team’s defense suffers in Anunoby’s absence, and they will need his services in the conference finals.
The Knicks look like solid title contenders without OG Anunoby
The Knicks had a topsy-turvy regular season, but their playoff journey has been nothing less than smooth thus far. The team has once again reached the conference finals, as they lost at the same stage to the Indiana Pacers last season. However, the NBA finals are just around the corner, and HC Mike Brown can’t take a risk this season.
It’s a good sign that Anunoby seems healthy before the series, as they have a few days before their opponent for the finals is decided. The Knicks fans have, as always, played a major part. They have been nothing but supportive of the team, filling arenas and cheering for them. HC Mike Brown addressed that in the press session and applauded them for backing the team. He said:
“I got a lot of respect for you, Knicks fans. I amma applaud them too. Let’s go Knicks. The more you are around, that’s the more you appreciate and understand why they are like that. But more than anything else, they are knowledgeable.”
Fans will be happy to know that OG Anunoby is healthy and set to play in the conference finals. The Knicks will need every bit of that support when they go on to play the conference finals in consecutive seasons. The Cleveland Cavaliers are leading 3-2 in the other conference semifinals against the Detroit Pistons. Only time will tell who the Knicks will meet next before they take on the Western Conference giants.
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