Long before OG Anunoby was rescuing the Knicks in the NBA Finals, he was the quiet kid wandering the halls of Indiana University and showing up at frat parties in Bloomington, Ind.

Now, as the 27-year-old forward powers New York’s championship chase, Hoosier alumni say they’re watching one of their own become a Knicks legend.

To Indiana University grads living in the city, he’s still the soft-spoken but hilarious, Young Thug-loving student who hung out at tailgates long before he became one of the NBA’s premier two-way players.

Anunoby, who starred under then-coach Tom Crean at Indiana from 2015-17 before launching an NBA career, has become an unlikely crossover hero for New Yorkers with Hoosier roots. For alumni who also happen to be lifelong Knicks fans, watching a Bloomington favorite thrive at Madison Square Garden feels almost too perfect.

“OG was one of the first people I ever met on the Bloomington campus in 2015,” said Jason Morrin, a 28-year-old former student who recalls meeting the basketball star during orientation, saying he was extremely friendly.

Morrin told The Post that at the time, Anunoby was close with current Cavaliers center Thomas Bryant.

“The two of them together made for quite the party. TB really brought OG out of his shell,” Morrin said.

Even as a freshman playing in Assembly Hall, his potential was evident to students who regarded him as one of the most athletically gifted players on the hardwood.

“It is surreal to watch him put everything together now for my beloved Knicks,” the New Yorker said. “He is forever a New York and Bloomington legend.”

Josh Lomita remembers Anunoby from the freshman dorms and says he was always a fan favorite.

The 29-year-old New Yorker, who got to watch him play for a year in Bloomington, said his trade to the Knicks was “the best reunion.”

“It’s a full-circle storybook moment,” Lomita told The Post. “We are Knicks season ticket holders for 14 years, but lifelong fans. We lived through the darkest days of sports fandom.

“To have a player as special on both sides of the floor as OG is indescribable. Watching his tip shot fall produced an out-of-body experience. Whatever he wants in this city is his for life. Quite frankly, we should give him the key to the city and make him mayor.”

Off the court, Anunoby had a reputation for being just as approachable as he was talented, especially when he showed up at Zeta Beta Tau fraternity parties — and never turned down a photo with anyone who asked.

“Watching him party at the frat and seeing the other side of him was amazing,” said Dylan Leist. “He used to put girls on his shoulders in the middle of the mosh pits during tailgates.”

There is something special about being both a Hoosier basketball fan and a Knicks fan, two teams that experienced historic greatness followed by a long period of struggle, only to find greatness again in recent years.

For Leist, 29, Anunoby’s rise has linked two fan bases that know plenty about long waits for championships.

“Watching OG from college to the pros has been nothing short of incredible. From the Tom Crean days to now, his special talent has transformed the Knicks in a way that I have never seen,” said former Hoosier Leist. “OG’s journey as a fan of both the Hoosiers and the Knicks has been an honor to witness.”

Even after reaching the NBA, former classmates say Anunoby never changed.

Morrin said the pair stayed in touch after graduation and even reunited after a 2017 Knicks-Raptors game.

“OG always had the ability to make everyone feel special,” Lomita said.

“He never thought he was better than anyone else. He was just OG.”

New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Spurs -5.5; over/under is 216.5

NBA FINALS: Knicks lead series 3-1

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks look to clinch the series over the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the NBA Finals. The Knicks defeated the Spurs 107-106 in the last matchup on Thursday. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points, and Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 24.

The Spurs have gone 32-8 in home games. San Antonio ranks ninth in the league with 28.1 assists per game. Stephon Castle leads the Spurs averaging 7.4.

The Knicks are 23-19 on the road. New York is eighth in the Eastern Conference with 27.4 assists per game led by Brunson averaging 6.8.

The Spurs make 48.3% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.3 percentage points higher than the Knicks have allowed to their opponents (46.0%). The Knicks average 5.0 more points per game (116.5) than the Spurs give up (111.5).

TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is shooting 51.2% and averaging 25.0 points for the Spurs. Devin Vassell is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Brunson is scoring 26.0 points per game with 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 16.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 53.3% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 4-6, averaging 108.7 points, 44.2 rebounds, 23.9 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.6 points per game.

Knicks: 9-1, averaging 115.5 points, 45.8 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 102.6 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).

Knicks: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

SAN ANTONIO — OG Anunoby was the star, his flying tip-in of a Jalen Brunson missed 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left capping a comeback for the ages. But there were so many pivotal moments and unsung stars in the Knicks rally from 29 points down in their pulsating Game 4 victory. 

The Post takes a look back at how it all went down: 

KAT’s timely deflection 

The Garden was abuzz, thinking Anunoby had just brought the Knicks to within one win of their first championship in 53 years. But the Spurs still had a chance, inbounding the ball with 1.2 seconds to go. Stephon Castle shook free for a potential alley-oop, but Dylan Harper’s inbounds pass was deflected by Towns, and Castle couldn’t get off a shot. After being limited by foul trouble in the first half, Towns was solid over the final 24 minutes, producing seven points, seven rebounds and two assists. 

MSG Rims 

The Garden rims were kind to the Knicks on two specific occasions. The first instance involved Anunoby. His stepback 3 hit off the front rim, the backboard and dropped, cutting the deficit to 15 with just under a minute left in the third quarter. The second one came with 9:15 to go and the Knicks down 20. Jose Alvarado’s left corner 3 rolled around the rim, off the glass and fell. 

Backup’s star turn 

Knicks coach Mike Brown closed with Alvarado, and the reserve point guard excelled. He scored five consecutive Knicks points in the fourth quarter — a driving layup and a 3-pointer — that made it a four-point game with 3:07 remaining. Both baskets followed field goals by the Spurs, which kept momentum on the Knicks’ side. 

Fox’s blunder 

De’Aaron Fox’s decision to attack the basket rather than eat up precious seconds of the clock and wait to be fouled was a boneheaded mistake. After a Brunson miss with the Spurs up one point, there was a scramble for the rebound. Fox got to it first in the backcourt with roughly 12 seconds left. He went in for the layup, but was rejected by Anunoby. Fox had a terrible second half, shooting 2-for-8 from the field and committing four turnovers. 

Johnson’s costly decisions 

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson made two moves he likely regrets. The first one was playing Victor Wembanyama all but 50 seconds of the second half. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman was clearly fatigued late and not only missed 11 of 14 shots over the final two quarters, but also missed two critical free throws with 1:47 remaining. The second was not guarding the inbounder on the Knicks’ final possession. Anunoby threw the ball in to Brunson, and nobody was there to block him out on the game-winning tip-in. 

A key successful challenge 

Early in the fourth quarter, the Spurs inbounded the ball to Wembanyama. He was stripped, and the initial ruling gave San Antonio possession. Coach Mike Brown, advised by assistant coach Jordan Brink, challenged the call and won.

In a split second, De’Aaron Fox became the basketball world’s object of consternation. The foil. The antihero. 

It happened with less than 15 seconds left and the Spurs up 106-105. Victor Wembanyama got a defensive stop against Jalen Brunson, and Fox tipped the rebound to himself. 

What he did next will surely haunt him. 

After chasing the ball downcourt, Fox had a decision to make. Use the clock. Or go for a layup. 

He’s fast. He believed in himself. He decided to go for what he thought would be a sure-fire way to give the Spurs a three-point lead. A layup is easier to make than two free throws, after all. 

Except he miscalculated things. 

OG Anunoby met him in the paint. As Fox elevated with 11 seconds left, Anunoby made the block of his life. 

That mistake kicked open the door for the Knicks to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, storming back from a 29-point deficit to win Game 4 on Wednesday, 107-106. 

The Knicks found themselves with possession of the ball. They had a relative eternity on the clock. They had a chance to clinch the game. 

Brunson attempted a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left that rimmed out. Fox, who had left Anunoby to double-team the Knicks star, then watched his man cut through the lane, elevate and tip in the ball with 1.2 seconds remaining. 

So many things went wrong for the Spurs in a hellish fourth quarter. It takes all five guys on the court to blow a 29-point lead, as well as the guy at the helm. But in a collapse so big, on this stage, the world needs to blame someone. 

If Fox had made the layup, he would’ve been the hero. 

But the gamble didn’t go his way. 

So instead, that play has landed him in the eye of the storm. He’s now the face of a collapse so large that it will be talked about for generations. It might not be fair. But that’s basketball. Just ask JR Smith.

The 28-year-old Fox is a veteran point guard. The Spurs traded for him in February 2025 because they trusted him to shepherd the team in clutch moments. He signed a four-year, $229 million extension with the team in August. 

Fox had a fraction of a second to make a decision. In this case, with the world watching, he happened to make the wrong one. 

“I just thought I’d be able to outrun him,” Fox said of Anunoby. “That’s it.”

For the Spurs, this series has been defined by a series of little mistakes that have had monumental consequences. 

In Game 2, Wembanyama was the fall guy after he committed a turnover with 12.7 seconds left in the Spurs’ 105-104 loss. 

On Wednesday, it was Fox’s turn to have the world point its finger at him, ring bells and chant “shame.”

Sure, Wembanyama missed two free throws with 1:47 left and the Spurs up 104-103. Sure, the Spurs went cold in the second half, shooting just 20.5 percent from the field. Fox was just a piece of the puzzle.

But his mistake was the most memorable. It was the most egregious.

The funny thing is, Fox was a hero of sorts in Game 3 after he made a jumper with 12 seconds left to help lift the Spurs to a 115-111 win. He came through when it mattered most. 

But two days later, the opposite was true. 

Overall, Fox has had a rough series. The two-time All-Star is averaging just 14.3 points over the last four games, less than half as much as his Knicks counterpart Brunson, who’s averaging 29.5 points. 

In Game 4, Fox had 18 points (but it took him 16 shots to get them), seven assists and five rebounds. He also had four turnovers, including a glaring one with two minutes left and the Spurs up 104-103 when he essentially threw the ball to Josh Hart.

You want to root for Fox. It was tough to watch. He’s sacrificing his own stats while playing alongside Wembanyama. He’s a guy who truly cares about winning above all else. 

But Fox is now firmly in the bullseye of a catastrophe that has transfixed the sports world. This game will be talked about forever. It instantly became a classic.

The Knicks are now one win away from their first championship since 1973. Meanwhile, the Spurs have squandered two games by final-second errors, most recently at the hands of their point guard who was supposed to steady them in these moments.

Fox isn’t the reason the Spurs lost Game 4. This collapse was so much bigger than him. San Antonio was outscored in the fourth quarter, 32-16. Everyone is at fault for this disaster. 

But Fox’s blunder was the most stunning. 

It’s universally accepted that with such little time on the clock and such a paper-thin lead, the best thing to do is dribble. Let time pass. Incite panic. Draw the foul. Steal time from the opponent. Close their window to score. 

But Fox took a risk on the league’s biggest stage.

And it really didn’t work out. 

There were roughly 19,812 screaming as one — “O-G! O-G! O-G!” — family, friends and strangers who made no distinction, processing the unimaginable, releasing avalanches, tidal waves and mountains of emotions, inspired by 53 years of close calls and bad calls, of decades as a punchline and a punching bag, of a love that was rarely reciprocated and a hope that was never rewarded.

They stayed in their seats long after the final buzzer screamed victory, unwilling to leave the dream. They continued chanting through the concourses, down the escalators and outside nearby bars — “O-G! O-G! O-G!” — sporting jerseys that span the eras, smoking blue and orange vapes in a semicircle of ecstasy, making out as if V-J Day was just declared.

Inside the Knicks locker room, there was quiet.

Roughly 20 minutes had passed since OG Anunoby followed a game-saving block by sprinting to the rim and soaring through the lane for the game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, capping a record-setting 29-point comeback and putting the Knicks one win from their first title since 1973.

Anunoby had delivered the most important shot in Knicks history, overcome the constant injuries that capped his potential and rewarded the team that saw a soft-spoken role player in Canada as someone built for Broadway.

New York’s new hero sat at his locker, alone, icing both knees, looking through his phone as if the day had just begun, as if he didn’t just create one of the most iconic moments in the history of the most iconic arena, as if he didn’t yet realize his name will be lifted to the rafters with one more win.

Even in triumph, even on the receiving end of unending adulation, Anunoby stayed on-brand, displaying an expression that won’t reveal if he has a royal flush or a busted straight, speaking as if he’s charged by the word, more focused on the next play than the one that changed his life.

But he doesn’t have a say in what comes next. The spotlight he never sought has found a new home, stitched now and forever to the owner of two letters they’ll be chanting for years to come.

“OG is just, he’s unique,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said during this postseason run. “He’s special.”

Ogugua Anunoby was born in London on July 17, 1997, to parents of Nigerian descent. His mother, Grace, was a track and field star in her homeland, who died of cancer before Anunoby turned 1. His father, Ogugua Sr., raised seven children — including Anunoby’s older brother, Chigbo, who was a defensive lineman in the NFL — teaching at universities in Nigeria and England before moving the family to Missouri when Anunoby was 4 to become a professor of business and finance at Lincoln University.

“I do not intend to be immodest, but we tried to raise a proper family,” Ogugua Sr. told Sportsnet in 2017. “And when I say proper, what I mean is we are people who do things well. We value hard work, order and success. You don’t talk unless you have to talk. And if you have to talk, you should say something that doesn’t take away from the conversation, but enriches it.”

During Anunoby’s rookie season in Toronto in 2018, his father died in his sleep, at 66.

“It was tough not having a mother, but my dad did a really good job raising us,” Anunoby told Sportsnet at the 2017 NBA Draft.

Anunoby excelled in baseball — and was a big fan of the Carlos Delgado-era Mets — football and track, but was drawn to basketball, begging his father to buy a high-priced hoop for their Jefferson City home when he was 8.

Dr. Anunoby — who demanded his children read for at least one hour every night — complied, as long as it was put to good use.

“My dad always taught me discipline and to do everything with my best effort, to always do things on time and be respectful in everything I do,” Anunoby told the London Evening Standard in 2017. “My whole family is big on that so it’s very important to me and I try to do it in everything.”

Anunoby was a relatively unknown star at Jefferson City High School, outside the top 250 players in national recruiting rankings. He was a three-star, 6-foot-8 prospect who played in the shadow of AAU teammate Jayson Tatum and was left off the program of a tournament attended by Tom Crean, leaving Indiana’s coaching staff scrambling to learn the identity of the physical and explosive wing with an invisible ceiling.

“[He is] a quiet killer,” Crean, his former college coach, told The Post after Anunoby joined the Knicks. “He’s an old soul in a lot of ways, a very caring person, but he has got an incredible drive. I’d almost say it’s an insatiable drive to be great and to win.”

Anunoby spent two years with the Hoosiers, but saw his final season cut short after he suffered a torn ACL, resulting in the potential lottery selection falling to the Raptors with the 23rd overall pick.

In his second pro season, Anunoby earned a championship ring in Toronto, but missed the entire postseason run after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.

“I believe that created an incredible hunger for him because he wasn’t on the court for it,” Crean said. “It’s almost like, yeah, he got the ring and was a big part of it all season, but in his own mind, he didn’t feel the level of winning it.

“He was around the team and he’d been instrumental in getting to that point, but he wasn’t out there on the court at the end, and I think that’s what he truly wants more than anything else. That’s where that drive is for him.”

Anunoby’s 240-pound frame seemed chiseled from concrete, but it was constantly crumbling. Injuries limited him to an average of less than 53 games in the three seasons before the Raptors sent him to New York for former No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett, Knicks fan favorite Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick.

The Knicks were 17-15 and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference when Anunoby debuted with the Knicks on Jan. 1, 2024. They went 12-2 in his first 14 games in the lineup before an elbow injury sidelined him for nearly two months.

Anunoby returned in time to help the Knicks take a 2-0 second-round series lead against the Pacers, but he suffered a hamstring injury that sparked a Knicks tailspin, keeping him sidelined until he hobbled through five minutes of an excruciating Game 7 loss at the Garden.

The Knicks locked up Anunoby that offseason to a five-year, $212.5 million deal (the largest in team history), tying their title hopes to an injury-prone wing who had never been an All-Star.

Anunoby matched a career high by playing 74 games last season and set a personal best with 18 points per game, helping the Knicks make the conference finals for the first time in a quarter century. This season, Anunoby hit nearly 39 percent of his 3-pointers, while being selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team.

“OG is someone who brings it every night, does what’s asked of him, plus more,” Jalen Brunson said after the Game 4 win. “His work ethic, since the moment I’ve been teammates with him and seen him, has grown. His confidence has grown just because of his work ethic, everything that I’ve seen, he’s got exponentially better at.

“So regardless of what the outside world thinks of him, we know what we have in our locker room. And we have a superstar in that locker room.”

Anunoby’s importance has long been understood at the Garden, where fans emphatically assist PA announcer Mike Walczewski’s booming introduction of a player whose numbers will never convey the value of someone whose 7-foot-2 wingspan and basketball IQ impact every possession.

“He does everything,” Landry Shamet said in the locker room. “He’s a virtuoso.”

Anunoby was the Knicks’ best player during their first-round comeback against the Hawks, but he suffered a hamstring injury in Game 2 of the second-round series against the 76ers, threatening to derail another deep run. But the 28-year-old was back for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, contributing nine points, three rebounds and a steal in the overtime of what was then the biggest playoff comeback in team history.

Entering Game 5 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio, Anunoby ranks second on the Knicks in scoring (20.7), third in rebounds (6.2), second in steals (1.4) and second in blocks (1.1) in the postseason, while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and a team-best 50.6 percent on 3-pointers.

“He’s unbelievable,” Mikal Bridges said. “He’s different, man.”

He is forever different, forever elevated, forever linked to Willis Reed and Larry Johnson. He is the one who made Manhattan shake, the author of the improbable, who took a sledgehammer to Charles Smith’s layups and Patrick Ewing’s finger roll, who called for the ball, then backed up Captain Clutch, flying through the air and parting the clouds to grab a rebound that’s been out of reach for 53 years and put it home.

The legend has spoken — two letters to stand the test of time.

“Every time I talk to him, I say, I already know what OG Anunoby is going to do in the fourth quarter, and he did exactly what I thought he would do,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “He gave us a chance to win, and that’s all you could ask for from the best two-way player in the NBA.”