Knicks air concern over losing Anunoby to possible injury

NEW YORK, United States — The New York Knicks escaped with a second straight victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night (Thursday Manila time). But as they head to Philadelphia with a commanding series lead, they may also be carrying a new problem.

Jalen Brunson once again delivered when the game tightened, scoring 26 points and orchestrating the late surge that lifted the Knicks to a gritty 108-102 win over the Embiid-less 76ers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

Yet the mood inside the Knicks’ locker room was far from celebratory after OG Anunoby limped off late in the fourth quarter and never returned.

“He looked like he was hopping,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said afterward. “I have not talked to medical yet.”

That uncertainty now hangs over a Knicks team that has suddenly become one of the NBA’s hottest postseason squads.

New York has won five straight playoff games — its longest postseason winning streak since the 1998-99 campaign — and now sits just two victories away from the Eastern Conference finals.

But losing Anunoby, even temporarily, would dramatically alter the complexion of the series.

The two-way forward has been one of the Knicks’ most important playoff performers, and Wednesday was another reminder why.

OG put the Knicks back on top! pic.twitter.com/lkMCihVoIO

— alder almo (@alderalmo) May 7, 2026

Anunoby scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting while adding five rebounds, four steals, two assists and a block before exiting with 2:31 remaining. He has averaged 21.4 points this postseason while shooting an eye-popping 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range.

“He’s one of the best two-way players in the league, so it’s tough to replace that,” Knicks guard Miles McBride said. “Everyone is going to have to step up.”

That possibility suddenly became real Wednesday night.

For most of the evening, the Knicks looked nothing like the team that steamrolled Philadelphia by 39 points in Game 1.

Without injured superstar Joel Embiid, the 76ers turned the game into a grinding, back-and-forth battle featuring 25 lead changes and 14 ties — the most lead changes in an NBA playoff game in 11 years.

Tyrese Maxey rediscovered the explosiveness that was missing in Game 1, scoring 26 points while repeatedly slicing through New York’s defense. Maxey poured in 15 points in the second quarter alone and had 19 by halftime as Philadelphia seized momentum multiple times.

The 76ers also received 19 points each from Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr., along with 17 from rookie VJ Edgecombe.

But every time Philadelphia appeared ready to steal home-court advantage, Brunson answered.

“Most importantly it’s staying poised, staying composed,” Brunson said. “Just figuring out one play at a time, one step at a time and not looking too far ahead.”

That poise defined the final minutes.

After Oubre drilled a 3-pointer to give Philadelphia a 99-96 lead, Josh Hart — who briefly left after appearing to injure his hand or wrist in the third quarter — responded with a tying three.

Moments later, Brunson buried the tiebreaking basket with 5:06 left, then added another jumper that stretched the lead to four before Mikal Bridges pushed it to six.

“They started switching a little bit and he got to his spots and scored a bucket,” Brown said of Brunson. “That’s what he’s expected to do for us.”

Bridges helped limit Maxey in the second half while contributing 18 points of his own, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for New York.

Still, the lasting image from Game 2 may not be Brunson’s clutch shot-making or the Knicks’ resilience.

It may be Anunoby walking gingerly toward the locker room as Madison Square Garden fell silent.

“I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Brunson said when asked about Anunoby’s uncertain status for Game 3. “I don’t know too much.”

Now the Knicks wait.

Game 3 shifts to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday night, where the 76ers hope the return home — and possibly Embiid — can revive their season.

The Knicks, meanwhile, will spend the next 48 hours hoping their most indispensable defender avoided something serious.

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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for US-based publication Heavy.com.