LOS ANGELES – The New York Knicks will be without forward OG Anunoby for Game 3 of their NBA playoff series against Indiana, and Game 2 hero Jalen Brunson is “questionable’ with a foot injury, the team said Thursday (Friday Manila time).
Anunoby was hurt in the third quarter of the Knicks’ 130-121 victory on Wednesday, which gave New York a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Brunson, who sat out much of the first half after suffering a foot injury in the first quarter but returned to spark a sensational second-half comeback, is also in doubt as the series against the Pacers shifts to Indianapolis.
The injuries are just the latest for the Knicks, who were already without star Julius Randle for the playoffs after he suffered a dislocated shoulder.
Last week Bojan Bogdanovic was ruled out for th e rest of the campaign and this week center Mitchell Robinson was ruled out for at least six weeks with an ankle injury.
Knicks forward Josh Hart acknowledged Wednesday that the injuries will test the team’s “next man up” mentality — but he believes the Knicks can cope.
“We’re (not) saying it just because it sounds good. We’re actually saying it because we believe it,” Hart said. “There’s a lot of guys on this team that can start (on other team s) in this league, so when we say it, it’s not cliche.”
NEW YORK – Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley was suspended four games without pay by the NBA on Thursday (Friday Manila time) for forcefully throwing a basketball multiple times at spectators, the league announced.
Beverley’s actions came during and just after Milwaukee’s 120-98 loss to Indiana last Thursday at Indianapolis, which gave the Pacers a 4-2 victory over the Bucks in their best-of-seven Eastern Confe rence first-round playoff series.
The ban would come at the start of the 2024-25 campaign for Beverley.
He was also punished for what the league called an “inappropriate interaction with a reporter” after the contest. Beverley rejected answering a reporter’s question for not subscribing to his podcast.
In the fourth quarter, Beverley twice hurle d basketballs and Pacers supporters seated behind the Milwaukee bench.
Beverley said the Bucks had asked for help earlier in dealing with hecklers and added that the comments directed at Milwaukee players involved more than a reported, “Cancun on three,” remark when the team was preparing to exit a huddle late in the blowout loss.
On his podcast, Beverley called it “an unfortunate situation that never should have happened” and added, “I have to be better and I will be better.”
Beverley was traded from Philadelphia to Milwaukee last February and averaged 6.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game for the Bucks in 26 regular-season appearances.
In 12 NBA seasons, Beverley has averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists with Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota, Chicago, the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia and the Bucks.