The stage has been set for a brilliant Game 7 showdown between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden later tonight. In that wake, the Knicks have been really concerned about the availability of their two-way Wing OG Anunoby, who was listed as ‘Out’ in the last four games of the series. However, there is a glimmer of hope regarding his availability in what could be the last game of the season for New York.
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Story on OG Anunoby, who wants to ‘be out there with his guys”today in Game 7, and Josh Hart, who is dealing with an abdominal strain, as Knicks prepare for win-or-go-home game against Pacers: https://t.co/n2TkgYcU8u
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) May 19, 2024
As per the latest Knicks injury report, OG Anunoby’s status has been upgraded to ‘Questionable’. Still recovering from his left hamstring strain, Anunoby has relayed his desire to help out the Knicks at home in the must-win battle against the Pacers. However, there are still doubts about him actually playing in the game.
Just a few hours ago, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced on ESPN that there is ‘optimism’ around Anunoby’s return. This prompted Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith to hug the reporter from behind. So Knicks fans can expect some minutes from the 26-year-old in the pivotal game.
The Knicks desperately need their 6’7” Wing back in the mix because they have dropped three out of their four games in the series without him. He is their only viable shot-creator outside of Jalen Brunson and because of his absence, the Pacers’ defense has been able to concentrate on Brunson, which has limited his impact.
Apart from his scoring, the versatile athlete also brings top-notch rebounding and defensive chops. Since the Pacers love to put together shootout scenarios, the Knicks have missed his athletic abilities.
The Home Team has won all the games
Interestingly, the squad with the home advantage has won all their battles in the series. After the Knicks won the first two tussles, the Pacers tied the series after it turned to their Home Arena Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Then the Knicks took Game 5 at home, while the Pacers returned the favor in Game 6 when the series returned to Indiana.
Thus, the Knicks are likely to win Game 7 and seal the ECF spot, following the pattern thus far.
However, their defense has been unable to cope with Indiana’s offensive juggernaut throughout the series. The Pacers have scored in the healthy range of 116-121 points in four of the six games. While the Knicks are overly dependent on Jalen Brunson, the Pacers have had a much better scoring balance.
Defensively, both squads have had their ups and downs but fatigue has seemingly caught up to the short-handed Knicks. Thus, the uptempo Pacers will fancy their chances in Game 7. However, it must be noted that the Knicks have shown amazing resilience when their backs have been against the wall. Therefore, we may be in for a thriller to close out the ECSF series.
