Knicks’ OG Anunoby’s late-game gaffes spoil early heroics in fourth

OG Anunoby was enduring another of those quiet offensive games he produces now and again, when the Knicks defensive stopper appeared to nail two of the biggest shots of Game 1 against the Pacers, igniting a 14-0 Knicks run to help them build a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter.

But Anunoby also contributed to the Knicks’ complete meltdown in the crushing 138-135 overtime loss Wednesday night that left them and the hushed Garden shell-shocked.

Anunoby was one of multiple Knicks to miss a key free throw in the closing minute of regulation and he also committed a turnover in OT to negate the thunderous chants of “OG, OG” he had heard earlier in the fourth quarter from the MSG crowd.

“They made shots and we didn’t. We made some mistakes, missed some free throws,” Anunoby said after the game. “They made a bunch of shots in a row and we went a little bit cold at that time. It just happened like that.”

With the Knicks clinging to a two-point lead about two minutes into the final quarter, Anunoby buried a 3-point shot and then sank a driving bucket in traffic on the Knicks’ next possession to extend the cushion to seven.

The MSG crowd followed with a loud chant in support of Anunoby, who only had totaled six points through the first three quarters before netting nine in the fourth and overtime to finish with 16 on 6-for-15 shooting in 42 minutes.

Minutes later, led by some strong defensive plays by Miles McBride and a scoring burst by Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks were up 111-94 with under seven minutes remaining.

But Aaron Nesmith did his best Reggie Miller impression with six 3-pointers and 20 points in the quarter to lead Indy all the way back, with Tyrese Haliburton sinking the game-tying jumper with his foot on the 3-point line at the end of regulation.

OG Anunoby defends against Bennedict Mathurin during the Knicks’ 138-135 overtime loss to the Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 21, 2025. AP

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Anunoby, who also finished with three steals and three blocked shots, added another layup in the fourth quarter before scoring two more points in the extra session.

The loss dropped the Knicks to 2-5 in these playoffs when Anunoby scores fewer than 20 points in a game — including a 1-for-12 shooting performance in Game 5 in Boston — compared to a 6-0 mark when he registers at least 20.

The 27-year-old Anunoby, who played collegiately at Indiana, was one of several Knicks regulars to miss games in last year’s second-round loss to the Pacers. He suffered a painful hamstring injury in Game 2 and sat out the next four games.

OG Anunoby defends against Pascal Siakam during the Knicks’ Game 1 overtime loss to the Pacers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

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Anunoby attempted to play and started Game 7 at the Garden, but he had to come out of the game after five minutes of action.

“You can’t really think about that,” Anunoby said. “Just move forward and it’s another opportunity.

“No one ever wants to not be healthy. It’s part of the regular preparation I do. But also, a little bit of luck. And taking care of my body and eating right and eating well.”