The Knicks' 3-0 Dream Just Got a Hamstring-Shaped Trapdoor

The Knicks' Game 3 Push Just Got a Hamstring-Shaped Trapdoor

OG Anunoby was grabbing at his leg on a cut to the basket with three minutes left in the fourth quarter of Game 2 — the kind of moment that makes an entire bench go silent. He was helped off the floor and didn't return. New York called it a right hamstring strain and listed him as questionable for Game 3 in Philadelphia on Friday, which is the polite way of saying the Knicks genuinely don't know whether their most important two-way player will be available.

The timing is ugly. Philadelphia already went into Game 2 without Joel Embiid, who's dealing with hip and ankle issues, and now both teams are limping toward a pivotal road game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. What makes the Anunoby question so loaded is that he's been better in these playoffs than he was all regular season — 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and almost two steals per game while shooting 61% from the field, compared to 16.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game during the regular season. That's not a role player going questionable. That's the guy who has elevated this series suddenly in danger of sitting.

If Anunoby can't go, the Knicks lose more than a scorer. They lose the defender who makes other teams' favorite actions look stupid. That's the kind of absence that changes a series without changing the scoreboard.

Gobble's Take: If you're a Knicks fan, this is the kind of injury that makes every missed layup in Game 3 feel like a personal attack.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Cade Cunningham Controls Game 2 as Pistons Take 2-0 Series Lead Over Cavaliers

Cade Cunningham finished with 25 points, 10 assists, and all eight free-throw attempts made in Detroit's 107-97 win over Cleveland. For the first three quarters, he was mostly content to set up teammates and let the Cavaliers' pressure work against them. Then came the fourth, where he scored 12 of his 25 points without forcing anything.

With six minutes left and Detroit up by two, Cunningham punished Dean Wade for going under a screen and hit a pull-up three. He then knocked down a midrange jumper with Harden switched onto him, and later shook Max Strus for a stepback three to put Detroit up nine. He shot 3-for-6 from deep, 7-for-14 overall, dished six assists that led directly to threes, and finished a game-high plus-13. "Cade is just fabulous," Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. "He's a killer closer. And in the fourth quarter, he does his best work."

Pistons coach Kenny Atkinson noted Cleveland was "kind of bogged down" offensively and had trouble creating separation.

Gobble's Take: Cunningham controlled Game 2 on both ends, and Detroit leads 2-0.

Source: CBS Sports

The Thunder Are Winning, and the Lakers Are Arguing With the Refs

Austin Reaves was in official John Goble's face around the halfway mark of the fourth quarter. By the time the final buzzer sounded, a group of Lakers led by Reaves was back at midcourt for what amounted to the basketball version of "we need to talk." Oklahoma City had just beaten Los Angeles again, and the anger arrived almost as fast as the horn.

Reaves cited a specific moment: as players lined up for a jump ball between Jaxson Hayes and Chet Holmgren with 6:06 left in the fourth, Goble turned and yelled at him. "He turned around and just yelled in my face, just thought that was disrespectful," Reaves said. "I told him if I did that to him first, I would've gotten a tech. Felt like the only reason I didn't get a tech is cause he knew he was in the wrong." Coach JJ Redick's frustration was broader. He said he had sarcastically called OKC "the most disruptive team without fouling" — then walked it back, saying Thunder players "foul on every possession." He described four straight possessions where Lakers players "got absolutely clobbered" without a call. Redick also argued that James doesn't get officiated appropriately: "LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I've ever seen." Phoenix's Dillon Brooks, a teammate of Devin Booker who spoke out after the Suns' Game 2 loss to the Thunder, aimed his frustration at flopping, not the refs. "When I used to watch this back when Michael Jordan was playing, or whoever else, when LeBron (James) was younger, it was physical basketball," Brooks said. "I don't get why all the falling, the flopping and flailing and all this stuff is allowed when we get to the playoffs. Don't decide the games on free throws."

The officiating complaints don't erase the box score. OKC forced 20 turnovers and won the free-throw battle 26-21 — against a Laker team that attempted the second-most free throws per game in the regular season. LeBron attempted just four free throws in Game 2 and one in Game 1, five total in the series, despite taking nine of his 18 shots at or near the basket. The Thunder aren't just winning. They're making everyone else sound exhausted.

Gobble's Take: When your best postgame argument is with the officials, the Thunder have already won the only fight that matters.

Sources: CBS Sports · CBS Sports

Warriors Already Targeting Superstars to Pair With Curry

The Warriors are looking to bring in another superstar to pair with Stephen Curry this offseason. ESPN's Marc J. Spears said two months ago that Golden State would pursue a big-time player to team up with Curry. Names being discussed include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant. The Warriors had preliminary conversations about Giannis around the trade deadline, though those talks stalled. Leonard's situation in Los Angeles is complicated by the Clippers' Aspiration fiasco, and ESPN has put together a mock trade that would send Jimmy Butler to the Clippers in return for Leonard.

The backdrop is a team that won four titles — 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022 — but has since been eliminated in the second round or missed the playoffs entirely. This season ended with a play-in loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors believe there would have been a different outcome if they hadn't battled injuries to Curry all year, or experienced Jimmy Butler's season-ending ACL tear. The Warriors brass remain confident they will be back next year.

Gobble's Take: Golden State believes injuries changed their season, and they're already hunting for a superstar to prove it won't happen again.

Source: Yahoo Sports

A.J. Dybantsa's Best NBA Landing Spots Ahead of Sunday's Lottery

A.J. Dybantsa is considered the most likely player to go first overall once Sunday's lottery sets the draft order, even though he isn't the No. 1 prospect on SB Nation's board. The 6'9" BYU freshman is seen as the best shot-creator in this class, with a quick first step, the ability to turn corners off the dribble, and a pull-up that's hard to contest. His playmaking also impressed — he posted a 22.1 assist percentage as a freshman.

SB Nation ranks four teams as the best fits. Utah lands at No. 4, with a good basketball fit but dinged for tanking. Memphis comes in at No. 3, buoyed by a strong front office and a clean rebuild around Zach Edey and Cedric Coward. Washington lands at No. 2. Brooklyn ranks first — Jordi Fernandez coaxed a career year out of Cameron Johnson with the Nets, then did the same with Michael Porter Jr. after acquiring him from Denver, making him the seen as the ideal developer for Dybantsa.

Gobble's Take: Fernandez's track record developing talented wings makes Brooklyn a well-supported pick for Dybantsa's landing spot.

Source: SB Nation

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday's top stories:

• Wembanyama, Spurs Hand Timberwolves Largest Postseason Loss in Franchise History
• Knicks Win Game 2, But OG Anunoby's Leg Injury Has New York Holding Its Breath
• The Cavs Built a Roster Around Dean Wade's Defense. The Problem Is He Also Has to Play Offense.