If the plan is to break the Knicks’ will and leave them short-handed, the sports injury gods will need to time it.
Because on Wednesday, we found out the answer to the much-feared question: “If the Knicks have to play without Brunson, who will step up?” —It was OG Anunoby. And now we know the answer to the question, “If the suddenly hot Anunoby goes down, where will the Knicks go next?” That meant a limping Brunson would flip a switch and once again play like the snubbed MVP.
Perhaps the best example of the can’t-beat the Knicks in these NBA playoffs was the 130-121 win over the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, when Anunoby and Brunson alternated as alphas. That’s probably true. The Knicks lead the series 2-0.
Look at it this way, Anunoby not only scored a career-high 28 points in 35 playoff games. He had the 10th highest point total in his career, which included 418 regular season games. He did it in just 28 minutes of play. And while Brunson was out, he was at his best.
