Somehow, the Knicks are simultaneously in the midst of their most special season in a quarter-century while being held together by Silly Putty.
The Knicks arrive for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Friday night in Indiana (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) with a 2-0 series lead, with the only superstar in the series (Jalen Brunson), with a player who will never leave the floor (Josh Hart), with a shooter who can’t be left alone (Donte DiVincenzo), with a big who fits brilliantly beside them (Isaiah Hartenstein) and not much more.
Already without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic, Tom Thibodeau may turn to a six-man rotation after OG Anunoby was ruled out due to a hamstring injury suffered in Game 2. The prized midseason acquisition’s availability for the rest of the series (ESPN reported Anunoby is unlikely to play Game 4 either) and postseason remains in jeopardy.
Anunoby’s absence could be the Knicks’ biggest loss yet. The 3-point threat and incredibly versatile defender is coming off his best offensive game of the postseason in Game 2, in which he scored 28 points in 28 minutes.