Knicks rule out OG Anunoby for Game 3, list Jalen Brunson as questionable

O Knicks declared that OG Anunoby will miss Game 3 against the Pacers on Friday night in Indiana, the team announced Thursday.

Anunboby was ruled out due to a strained left hamstring. There was pessimism on Thursday morningas it was feared that the pain in Anunoby’s hamstring was more than just a cramp.

The forward appeared to suffer the injury in the third quarter while scoring a layup on a fast break and immediately grabbed the back of his leg after failing to convert the layup and falling out of bounds.

Jalen Brunson was listed as questionable. The point guard suffered an injury to his right foot in the first quarter, leaving the game with three minutes left in the period. He managed to return after missing the second half early in the second half and helped lead the Knicks to a comeback win and a 2-0 series lead.

Brunson played 32 minutes scoring 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting with five assists, three steals and two rebounds and was a game’s best score plus 26 while limping through most of the second half.

The already-shorthanded Knicks were put to the test twice on Wednesday during their gritty Game 2 victory over Indiana in front of a frenzied crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Before getting injured, Anunoby had a sensational game, especially when Brunson was not on the court.

He scored 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting in 28 minutes, while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists, finishing with 10 more on the night.

With Anunoby out during the fourth quarter, the Knicks operated with a six-player rotation — something that likely won’t be sustainable in Game 4.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau used only Precious Achiuwa (28 minutes) and Miles McBride (20 minutes) off the bench, but both players struggled (minus-14 and minus-22, respectively) and scored a combined 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting).