Philadelphia—It’s May 10, 2026, just after 6 in the evening EDT.
The Knicks will be without forward OG Anunoby again on Sunday, as he’s sidelined for Game 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a right hamstring strain — that’s two games in a row he’ll miss with the injury. Coach Mike Brown, when asked, put it simply: “He’s out for tonight but he’s the same thing, he’s day-to-day.” Reuters
It comes down to timing. New York took a commanding 3-0 advantage in the Eastern Conference semifinals heading into Sunday, after posting wins of 137-98, 108-102 and 108-94. One more victory would punch their ticket to the East finals, setting up a matchup with either Detroit or Cleveland.
Anunoby isn’t a peripheral figure in this run. NBA.com, pulling from the Associated Press, reported he’s putting up 21.4 points per game in the postseason, hitting 61.9% from the floor and 53.8% beyond the arc. The outlet also called him the Knicks’ best defender.
Philadelphia’s core stayed in place on the NBA’s 5:15 p.m. injury report for the elimination game. Joel Embiid was available despite right hip soreness. Tyrese Maxey also cleared to play, dealing with a right finger tendon strain and wearing a splint. Anunoby remained sidelined due to a right hamstring strain.
New York’s outlook had a flicker of optimism. On Saturday, Reuters said Anunoby was bumped up to questionable status for Game 4—he strained his hamstring back in Game 2, where he put up 24 points with four steals before sitting out Game 3.
Brown stuck with what worked before. He rolled out Jalen Brunson, Miles “Deuce” McBride, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns—identical to the five who took the floor when McBride filled in for Anunoby during the Game 3 victory, according to Heavy. HEAVY
New York didn’t miss a beat early Sunday. By the end of three quarters, the Knicks had piled up 122 points and were ahead by 39, NBA.com’s live blog reported. They’d hit 23 threes—at least four each from Landry Shamet, Brunson, McBride and Hart.
Here’s where things get tricky for New York: hamstring injuries can stick around, and Anunoby’s been here before. ABC7, citing an Associated Press report, pointed back to his hamstring trouble two years ago—he missed four games in the second round, then logged just a handful of minutes in Game 7, watching Indiana come back to knock out the Knicks.
Philadelphia had a different headache. Embiid returned, Maxey suited up, yet the 76ers still struggled to tamp down Brunson’s offense, deal with Bridges’ reach, and keep the Knicks’ smaller fill-ins from stretching the floor too wide for New York’s shooters.
The Knicks have a straightforward path here: close out the series, give Anunoby a breather, and don’t let a minor two-game layoff turn into a bigger postseason headache. But that math shifts fast if the next matchup brings more physicality on the wing and tightens the margin for mistakes.
