The Philadelphia 76ers played short-handed in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series.
Now it appears the New York Knicks might face similar adversity when the teams meet Friday in Game 3 in Philadelphia.
The Knicks lead the series 2-0, but they could be without second-leading scorer OG Anunoby, who strained his right hamstring late in Wednesday’s 108-102 victory. The versatile forward, who is averaging 21.4 points this postseason, is listed as questionable and could be a game-time decision Friday.
Injuries, of course, are nothing new for Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, who sat out Game 2 with hip and ankle discomfort. Without Embiid, the seventh-seeded Sixers hung tough with the No. 3 seed Knicks before fading down the stretch.
Philadelphia managed only 12 points in the fourth quarter, in part due to fatigue. Tyrese Maxey played 47 minutes, while Paul George (43), VJ Edgecombe (40) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (40) also logged heavy workloads.
“I thought we just ran out of gas,” George said. “We got a little flat. We got some pretty good looks, for the most part. We just didn’t knock ‘em down.”
Maxey led the Sixers with 26 points, while Oubre and George notched 19 apiece.
Jalen Brunson (26 points) and Anunoby (24) were the top scorers for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
“We got the stops that was needed,” said Towns, who battled foul trouble in the first half and only played 27 minutes. “Got the rebounds — I think that was something that was really hurting us, with their offensive rebounding — and we found a way to get the stops and end those possessions.”
Another key to the Knicks’ victory was the turnover battle. New York committed 13 turnovers but forced 18 and ended up with a 23-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
“That is certainly one negative of the game,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said, “and then they turned those into points pretty (well). That was certainly one of the differences in the game.”
The Knicks also will be looking to send the Sixers to the free-throw line less frequently. Even without Embiid, Philadelphia attempted 28 foul shots (including nine by Maxey) in a physical Game 2 contest.
“It’s tough to win a ballgame if you’re getting beaten from the free-throw line like that versus a really good team,” New York coach Mike Brown said. “We’ve got to look at every aspect of it.”
If Anunoby cannot play, Brown could give more minutes to Miles McBride, who had only four points on 1-of-5 shooting in Game 2. Jordan Clarkson or Landry Shamet also could be in line for more minutes.
Meanwhile, if Embiid cannot go Friday, the Sixers could turn to Dominick Barlow for an increased role. With Andre Drummond and Adem Bona both limited in their effectiveness Wednesday, Barlow played a postseason-high 16 minutes and notched six points on 3-of-3 shooting to go along with two rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
That said, the bulk of the offensive responsibility will land on Maxey, who has shot just 37.5% with 10 turnovers through the first two games against New York.
“We definitely feel like we can pull ourselves out of this one,” Maxey said. “Gotta go home and get two.”
