NEW YORK (AP) — At Madison Square Garden, the introduction of OG Anunoby creates a massive chorus of 20,000 voices joining together.
The excitement grows as the announcer starts presenting the second starter, a forward standing 6-foot-7 who hails from Indiana. By the time he gets to the player’s name, supporters are yelling it alongside him.
“O! … G! … AN-UN-OBY!!!!”
In the early hours of Thursday, supporters once more shouted Anunoby’s name, this time at a tavern near the venue while commemorating one of the most unforgettable moments in New York Knicks franchise history.
Anunoby’s last-second basket with 1.2 seconds left in Game 4 brought the Knicks within striking distance of a championship and placed him among the candidates for NBA Finals MVP.
Anunoby isn’t typically the type of athlete who claims major honors, and he may be the most unrecognized among the Knicks’ starting five. However, his teammates recognize that Anunoby’s contribution goes well beyond his public profile.
“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,” guard Jalen Brunson said.
Anunoby stands as the sole player on the Knicks’ playoff squad who has earned a championship ring, though he was sidelined with an injury and didn’t participate for Toronto during the 2019 NBA Finals. However, New York wouldn’t have any opportunity at its first title since 1973 without his current central role.
Whether it’s offense or defense, Anunoby may face more responsibilities than any other Knicks player. He not only recorded 33 points in Game 4 but also executed the game’s most crucial defensive sequence when he pursued De’Aaron Fox to reject his attempt with 11 seconds remaining and the Spurs ahead 106-105.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns stated that’s exactly what he anticipates from a player who appears to elevate his performance during critical moments.
“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,” 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.”
The Knicks were shocked that Anunoby received only All-Defensive second team recognition, convinced there aren’t five superior defenders in the league. Those defensive abilities made him most appealing when the Knicks obtained him from the Raptors in 2023, trading away two of their most promising young talents in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Anunoby had also established himself as a dependable corner three-point shooter, including one that he made at the buzzer to secure a Raptors win over Boston during the 2020 playoffs. He barely celebrated after that shot dropped, just as he remained one of the few individuals inside Madison Square Garden who seemed entirely composed following his Game 4 basket.
“Just, the game wasn’t over,” Anunoby explained. “I looked up to see the time. If it would have been 0:00, I would have been more excited, but it was just 1.2 left. So just knowing, get a stop now, just stay with it, staying present, not getting too happy because the game is not over yet.”
Anunoby is posting 23.8 points per game in the series, connecting on 58% of his field goals and 55.6% from beyond the arc. He went 10 for 15 in Game 4, making 7 of 9 three-point attempts.
When Anunoby hobbled off the court with a hamstring problem late in the Knicks’ win against Philadelphia during Game 2 of the second round, there were worries this playoff journey might be threatened just as momentum was building. When Anunoby suffered a similar injury during the 2024 playoffs, the Knicks surrendered a 2-0 advantage to Indiana and eventually fell in Game 7, when Anunoby courageously attempted a comeback after sitting out four contests but was obviously limited and was removed after just five minutes.
This particular injury proved less severe. Benefiting from additional rest when the Knicks completed a sweep of the 76ers, Anunoby managed to come back in time for the Eastern Conference semifinals opener.
Having him available now — and flying through the air during Game 4’s closing moments — might be the key ingredient needed to break a 53-year championship drought.
“OG, he’s been amazing since he’s got here,” fellow forward Josh Hart said. “This whole playoff run, he’s been amazing on both ends of the ball. He’s a winning player and he made a winning play.”
