Joel Embiid listed questionable as Knicks head to Philly; New York a one‑point underdog for Game 3

The Knicks-76ers story is really two stories stacked on top of each other. One is the series score — New York is up 2-0 after a 108-102 win in Game 2 on Wednesday, May 6. The other is the injury board — and that might decide what Game 3 looks like more than anything else. Joel Embiid is officially questionable for Friday, May 8, with a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness after missing Game 2. O.G. Anunoby is questionable too, and that is why the betting line opened with New York as a slight underdog even while holding the series lead. (cbsnews.com) ### Why is Embiid the whole hinge here? Because Philadelphia without Embiid is just a different team. That sounds obvious, but in this matchup it changes everything — the halfcourt offense, the rim protection, the foul pressure, the way New York has to guard pick-and-roll, all of it. Embiid already sat out Game 2 with the same ankle and hip issues, and the Sixers still kept that game close into the fourth before the Knicks pulled away. If he returns, even less than 100 percent, Philly’s margin for error gets a lot bigger. If he sits again, the Sixers are trying to stop a 2-0 hole from turning into a near-death sentence. (cbsnews.com) ### Why are the Knicks underdogs if they’re up 2-0? Basically, the market is pricing the uncertainty, not just the standings. Odds posted Thursday had Philadelphia favored by about 1 point at FanDuel for Game 3, and that lines up with two ideas: home court matters, and New York suddenly has its own injury problem. Anunoby got hurt late in Game 2 and is now listed as questionable with a right hamstring strain. Josh Hart is questionable too with a left thumb sprain, while Mitchell Robinson is listed as probable. So the number is less “the Sixers are better” and more “nobody fully trusts who’s actually playing.” (oddsshark.com) ### Why does Anunoby matter so much? Because he is the clean fit guy who makes the Knicks’ lineups make sense. He guards the toughest wing assignment, spaces the floor, and lets New York keep size on the court without clogging the offense. If Anunoby is limited or out, the Knicks lose one of the few players who can absorb big defensive minutes without forcing the whole rotation to bend around him. That matters a lot against a Philly team with multiple perimeter scorers and, maybe, Embiid back in the middle. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What did Game 2 actually tell us? It told us New York can win ugly. Game 2 had 25 lead changes, 14 ties, 43 fouls, and 31 turnovers — basically playoff sludge. Jalen Brunson still got to 26 points, and the Knicks won the fourth quarter 19-12. That matters because if Friday turns into another grind, New York has already shown it can survive that script. But the catch is that Game 2 happened without Embiid and before we know whether Anunoby can really go. (nba.com) ### So what should you watch before tip? The last injury update. That’s the real pregame show here. Embiid being upgraded would shift the feel of the game immediately. Anunoby being ruled out would do the same from the other side. Until then, the one-point spread is basically a placeholder for uncertainty. The series says Knicks control things. The injury report says not so fast. (cbsnews.com) ### Bottom line Game 3 in Philadelphia is not just about whether the Knicks can take a 3-0 stranglehold. It’s about which version of both teams actually shows up. Right now, that answer is sitting on the injury report.