Embiid Returns, Anunoby Out: Game 3 Injury News Reshapes the Knicks-Sixers Series

As ESPN reported, Joel Embiid is back in Philadelphia's starting lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal Friday night, while the Knicks will be without OG Anunoby after the forward was ruled out with a right hamstring strain. Both developments arrived hours before tip, creating one of the sharpest lineup-shift windows of the playoffs.

Embiid's return is meaningful but needs context. He missed Game 2 after being downgraded from probable to out Wednesday afternoon, and Philadelphia got blown out in Game 1 when he played — Nurse yanked his starters in the third quarter of a 137-98 destruction at MSG. The version of Embiid who dropped 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists in a Game 7 win over Boston is real, and his playoff averages — 25.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists across five games post-appendectomy — reflect a player fully capable of carrying a series. But his health trajectory has been volatile, and Nurse himself acknowledged pregame that a final call was being made close to tip. Philly is desperate, down 0-2, and playing at home. Embiid will be featured heavily.

Anunoby's absence cuts the other way with equal force. He's been the Knicks' best two-way engine this postseason — 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game in eight playoff appearances. He pulled up favoring his right leg late in Game 2 and never returned. New York's coaching staff is saying almost nothing beyond 'day-to-day,' which typically signals a team not confident about availability. Without him, the Knicks lose their primary Embiid deterrent on the wing and a wing scorer who's been impossible to guard in isolation.

For props, Embiid's PRA line demands attention. His 25-8-6 clip in these playoffs is legit, and a desperate home game against a shorthanded Knicks defense — now missing its best weakside shot-blocker — sets up well for the over on whatever number the market opens. Expect his points line in the 27-29 range; the over is worth a look given that Game 1's low output looks more like a team blowout artifact than an Embiid performance ceiling. On the Knicks side, Jalen Brunson's assist and points numbers should climb with the offense funneling heavier through him, and Karl-Anthony Towns will see more post-up responsibility without Anunoby spacing the floor. Towns' rebounds and points props both warrant upward pressure.

The game total is the macro play here. Embiid returning adds half-court offense to a Sixers team that's been playing catch-up basketball. Anunoby's absence opens the paint on both ends. These are both top-ten offensive teams and the defensive anchor for New York just went out. If the total opened in the 215-220 range, lean over — these lineups don't naturally produce defensive basketball, and a Philly crowd pushing a back-against-the-wall Embiid is a formula for points.