Alexander Wilson
OG Anunoby was one of the few Knicks who did not look swallowed by the moment in Game 3. That cannot get buried under the loss.
New York fell 115-111, the 13-game playoff winning streak snapped, and San Antonio suddenly has life again. But Anunoby gave the Knicks 28 points, five rebounds, and the kind of two-way presence that should become a bigger part of the Game 4 plan.
The Spurs have made the series feel bigger, longer, and more awkward with Victor Wembanyama sitting behind every action. Anunoby is one of the few Knicks who can attack that without forcing the offense into a one-man Brunson show.
Anunoby can simplify the matchup
Anunoby’s Game 3 line mattered because it came in different ways. He hit spot-up looks, attacked seams, defended across positions, and gave New York a wing who could play through contact without needing the whole offense tilted toward him.
The Knicks need more of that. Brunson will get the late-game possessions. Karl-Anthony Towns still has to be a major hub. But Anunoby is the cleaner pressure release when San Antonio loads up and makes every pass feel delayed.
His own read of the loss was direct. Per the NBA Finals transcript, Anunoby said the Knicks “weren’t as connected as we normally are” and admitted their transition defense was not where it needed to be.
Game 4 should give OG more work
I would not turn Anunoby into the first option, because his game does not need that kind of forced usage. The better adjustment is giving him earlier touches, especially before San Antonio can fully load the paint around Wembanyama.
Put him in the corners, use him as a screener, let him slip into space, and make the Spurs decide whether they want to help off a player who just dropped 28. If they stay home, Brunson and Towns get more room. If they rotate, Anunoby has to punish it again.
The defensive side matters just as much. San Antonio got too many paint touches, and Anunoby said as much when discussing what he wanted to review on film. Those drives turn into sprays, fouls, or Wembanyama cleanup chances.
The Knicks do not need a panic adjustment. They need a sharper one. Anunoby is already giving them the blueprint: defend with size, shoot without hesitation, and make San Antonio pay for treating him like a supporting detail.
If Game 4 becomes another grind, OG may be the difference between the Knicks regaining control and the series heading back to San Antonio tied.
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