Knicks officially will be even more shorthanded as series heads to Indiana

The New York Knicks took a 2-0 series lead against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. But at what cost?

After losing All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson for much of the first half due to a sore right foot, scaring the entire New York faithful, the Knicks lost two-way wing OG Anunoby to a hamstring injury late in the third quarter on a transition layup opportunity.

While the Knicks were fortunate enough to have Brunson return to the game and will them to victory in Willis Reed-like fashion, that wasn't the case for Anunoby, who quickly got ruled out shortly after appearing to be in obvious pain and returning to the locker.

Now, the focus turns to whether Anunoby can be ready to return in time for Game 3 on Friday when the series shifts to Indiana. But it seems we already have the answer to that question, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reported that the star wing will not be available for New York's next meeting versus the Pacers.

OG Anunoby injury update: Knicks wing out for Game 3

Already without All-Star power forward Julius Randle (shoulder) to start the playoffs, the Knicks have since lost veteran bench weapon Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist, foot) and big man Mitchell Robinson (ankle) for what will likely be the remainder of their postseason run barring any pleasant surprises. Now, they must find a way to move forward without Anunoby for at least one game.

However, SNY's Ian Begley has since revealed that Anunoby's absence could extend beyond Game 3, saying that it remains "unclear" when the latter "will be back on the court."

If they weren't already, the Knicks are officially shorthanded sans Anunoby, and it could get even worse with Brunson being listed as questionable heading into Friday night because of his foot ailment.

Anunoby has been a critical addition for the Knicks since acquiring him ahead of the trade deadline, especially in the playoffs, where he has averaged 16.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 39.5 percent from beyond the arc through eight contests. He scored a postseason career-high 28 points in Game 2 on Wednesday before being forced out because of injury, and you cannot overstate his presence on the defensive end of the floor as someone who can guard all five positions, so New York is hoping for a speedy recovery.