Alright, Knicks fans, deep breaths. We’ve all been walking on eggshells since that nail-biting Game 3. Between Josh Hart’s awkward landings and OG Anunoby’s ghostly mid-series exit earlier in the playoffs, this Game 4 has a weird tension hanging over it. No one’s saying it out loud, but yeah, we were all wondering: Are they gonna suit up tonight?

The stakes? Beyond massive. The Knicks are still down 2-1 in the series. There’s no wiggle room anymore. This isn’t just a game, it’s survival. And given the grind-it-out, defensive rock fights these matchups have become, the presence, or absence, of two players like OG and Hart could shift the whole balance. So we waited. We scanned updates. We bit our nails. And now?

We breathe. Because they’re both in. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart are good to go. According to ESPN’s latest injury report, there’s nothing: no soreness, no tweaks, no minute restrictions, not even a cryptic game-time decision. Just a clean bill of health. For a Knicks team that’s been holding itself together with grit and duct tape lately, that’s as good as hearing you’ve won the lottery. These two aren’t just pieces, they’re glue, grit, and heartbeat rolled into one.

Now let’s break that down. OG Anunoby is the kind of defender you build playoff schemes around. He’s got a 7-foot-2 wingspan, eats mismatches for breakfast, and oh yeah, he quietly shot 4-of-6 from deep last game. That’s peak two-way performance. And Josh Hart? The guy’s a living box score filler. He grabbed 10 boards, handed out 4 dimes, and only took three shots. You don’t teach that kind of hustle. You live it. These aren’t highlight-hunters; they’re culture guys. The ones who make winning sustainable. Their presence in Game 4? Absolutely massive.

And let’s not forget how Game 3 unfolded. The Knicks clawed back from a 20-point hole and took the win, 106-100. Karl-Anthony Towns went full WWE in the fourth quarter: 20 points and 8 boards in 12 minutes. That’s some Dirk Nowitzki playoff legend kind of stat line. Jalen Brunson added 23, while OG kept the perimeter clean with both his D and deadly threes. Hart? He didn’t stuff the stat sheet with points, but his fingerprints were all over that win. Defense, rebounding, playmaking, energy, he was the Knicks’ pulse. And the Pacers? They shot 5-of-25 from deep. That wasn’t just bad luck. That was the Knicks’ defense cranking up the noise.

So yeah, having Hart and OG back with no limitations heading into tonight’s clash? That’s a big fat boost of adrenaline. A team down 2-1 needs more than star power; they need role players who refuse to blink. Anunoby’s silent intensity and Hart’s chaotic hustle are the kind of playoff assets that tilt series. If you’re a Knicks fan, you’re not just feeling hopeful, you’re feeling alive again.

Josh Hart’s Game 3: From “Uh Oh” to “Let’s Go!”

For a guy who barely shot the ball, Josh Hart was everywhere in Game 3. He took just three shots, but somehow finished with 8 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists. That’s not a stat line, it’s a mindset. He doesn’t care about the spotlight. He’s out there chasing 50-50 balls like it’s a Game 7 every night. And that? That’s the kind of fire that catches in the locker room. Everyone feeds off it.

And while Hart was doing the dirty work, OG Anunoby was serving up cold buckets. Four threes on six tries. Silky smooth. He plays like a vet in his 15th year, but he’s barely scratched his prime. The guy’s a throwback, no drama, no flexing. Just clamps on one end and quiet daggers on the other. When he plays like that, the Knicks don’t just look good, they look dangerous.

The Pacers had their own flashes, Haliburton dropped 20, and Siakam and Turner combined for 36, but their defense collapsed under pressure. The Knicks? They brought that old-school Eastern Conference energy. Thibs was barking, Barkley was groaning, and Hart was grinding. When one of your best players says “If we win, we win” and means it? That’s culture. That’s May basketball.

Tonight, it’s Game 4. Series on the line. But with OG Anunoby and Josh Hart both locked in, no mystery, no worries? The Knicks might just have the edge where it matters most: heart, hustle, and heroes in the shadows.