Knicks Notes: Source says OG Anunoby was 'adamant about playing' in Game 7
OG Anunoby’s decision to suit up on Sunday left an impression on the Knicks.
“He wasn’t moving well. (Prior to Game 6), they didn’t think he was going to play,” a source familiar with the dynamic said of Anunoby, who was out with a hamstring strain. “But he was adamant about playing.”
Anunoby only played the first five minutes of the game. He hit two shots during that span, including a three, but it was clear that he couldn’t move well enough to defend.
“Just trying, couldn’t really sprint, couldn’t really jump but just tried my best,” Anunoby said after the Knicks’ loss to the Pacers.
Tom Thibodeau decided to take Anunoby out of the game after that initial stint.
“I didn’t think it was worth the risk. I didn’t wanna take a chance. I love OG,” Thibodeau said. “I talked to medical, and we didn’t know what it was going to be until he got out there. He gave us everything he had, and that’s all you can ask for.”
JALEN BRUNSON CRITICAL OF HIS OWN PLAY
Jalen Brunson holds himself to a high standard. He didn’t meet that standard in Game 7, which was cut short due to a fractured hand.
“I would say there’s pros and cons to how I played (in the playoffs),” he said. “The pros, obviously, are I played well individually at some points in the playoffs. The cons are that I didn’t play well enough to help my team move forward. You can say I got hurt in Game 7; I wasn’t playing well in Game 7. We had a 2-0 and a 3-2 lead, it’s just hard to look at things individually when you don’t help your team.”
Brunson shot 6-for-17 in 29 minutes on Sunday. He left the game in the third quarter and was diagnosed with a hand fracture. At the time of the injury, the Knicks trailed by 12. Two minutes later, Indiana was back up by 18 and the game – and Knicks’ season – was over.
Brunson’s play has elevated the Knicks significantly over the past two seasons. The Knicks have won often enough to have earned higher expectations. If the Knicks finish 2024-25 in the second round of the playoffs, it will be a disappointment. That’s a credit to Brunson and the organization setting a higher standard here.
To get an idea of Brunson’s expectations/standards, listen to him talk about his offseason:
“I think the most important thing I can do is just continue to strive for perfection – strive for perfection and knowing that I can never get there. It’s just my mindset is that I need to be better every single day. I don’t care what I’ve done as a player, it means nothing... I need to be better, and I'm going to go into the summer training to be better and come back better next year.”
WHO MOTIVATED HALIBURTON IN GAME 7?
The game broadcast on Sunday showed Tyrese Haliburton yelling in the direction of a fan seated courtside on Sunday. Haliburton missed his first two shots and then scored 11 points in the final four minutes of the first quarter. After a few of his makes, Haliburton looked over at the front row and yelled toward a group of fans.
Who was the fan that got Haliburton going? According to The Pat McAfee Show, the fan’s name is Jon Chertit. McAfee named the fan during a segment about the Pacers’ win over the Knicks. We attempted to contact Chertit through a family member but were unsuccessful.
