NBA Rumors: OG Anunoby Out for Knicks vs. Pacers Game 6 with Hamstring Injury

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVMay 16, 2024

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The short-handed New York Knicks will reportedly be without one of their key players yet again for Friday’s Game 6 of their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

Ian Begley of SNY reported Thursday that Anunoby will remain sidelined because of the hamstring injury he suffered in the second half of Game 2. He hasn’t played since suffering the setback.

The timing of the injury was concerning for the Knicks for multiple reasons.

For one, Anunoby was playing at an excellent level with 28 points, four rebounds and three assists on 10-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting from deep in that Game 2 when he suffered the injury.

But from a bigger-picture perspective, the Knicks are already without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanović and have very little depth to speak of as the playoffs continue.

Jalen Brunson has also been playing through a foot injury.

It is a testament to the excellence of Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein that the Knicks are still just one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 3-2 lead over Indiana.

It seemed like the injuries were finally catching up to them during a blowout loss in Game 4, but they bounced right back with a 30-point win in Game 5 to seize momentum in the series once again.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau hasn’t turned to his bench much given the injury concerns, but Alec Burks has provided a much-needed spark with Anunoby sidelined. He finished with 14 points in Game 3, 20 points in Game 4 and 18 points in Game 5 after he wasn’t even used in the first-round win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

New York will need him to continue playing at such a level for at least one more game with Anunoby remaining sidelined, but it will likely need the latter to be healthy at some point to challenge the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals if it advances past the Pacers.