OG Anunoby out for New York Knicks in Game 3 of Knicks vs Indiana Pacers series

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks just got even thinner. Wing OG Anunoby, one of the Knicks best players, is out for Game 3 of the Knicks first-round series against the Indiana Pacers due to a left hamstring strain.

The veteran forward exited Game 2 of the Knicks second-round series with the Indiana Pacers due to a sore left hamstring. He had 28 points in 27:54 at the time — his impact on the game was immense.

New York outscored Indiana by 10 points with Anunoby on the court that night, and they held on to win 130-121. Now, the Knicks will need to find a way to replace that production in some other way. The former Toronto Raptors forward has also been an important defensive piece for the Knicks, spending time on ex-Raptors teammate Pascal Siakam and also containing other key Pacers players.

Without him, the Knicks are in trouble from a depth perspective. They entered the series already banged up with Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanvic out for the season, and they have since lost Mitchell Robinson and now Anunoby. Their starting five is strong and capable of logging significant minutes, which has neutralized the impact of some ailments. But it will be difficult for the Knicks to keep playing their best without so many key pieces. Their rotation was already thin, and Anunoby was a vital member of the opening five.

“No matter who is in the game…we know what we are looking to get. Any game that we play as long as we defend and rebound and have low turnovers, we can win any game,” Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo said after the game.

Late in Game 2, Precious Achiuwa was the acting four next with the rest of New York’s starters. The Knicks played big since it was effectively their only option, and they may need to stick with that alignment going forward. Alec Burks could see the court for more time going forward without Anunoby.

Game 3 of the series is on Friday in Indianapolis.