New York forward OG Anunoby was the star of the Knicks’ historic 29-point comeback in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs. Anunoby chased down Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox on a break, blocked the shot and was on hand to tip in Jalen Brunson’s missed shot to win the Knicks the game 107-106 to hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
OG Anunoby’s Clutch Play Compared to Iconic Knicks’ Playoff Moment
During Thursday’s segment of the “Ryen Russillo Show,” former Knicks star Steve Novak compared Anunoby’s game-winner against the Spurs to Larry Johnson’s famous four-point play in 1999, which has gone down in franchise history.
“When I’m at The Garden and they play the LJ four-point play every single time I’m there, I said to the guys last night, ‘If you don’t think we’ve just watched another LJ, that we’re not gonna see that play for the rest of our lives…it’s gonna get played on the jumbotron for the rest of history. It’s the finals. It was about to be two to two and now it’s three to one.
“And he’s had a run that’s incredible. That game was nuts. From above, it seemed, where did he come from and how did he do it? Even if you do get that rebound, how do you make it?”
In 1999, with the Knicks trailing the Indiana Pacers 91-88 with 5.7 seconds remaining, Larry Johnson hit a three-pointer and was fouled. He converted the free throw and the No. 8-seeded Knicks won Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, helping them reach the NBA Finals later on.
With his clutch play, Anunoby elevated himself into the conversation for the NBA Finals MVP and is averaging 23.8 points on 58% shooting from the field and 55.6% shooting from beyond the arc during the NBA Finals.
In Game 4, he went 10-of-15, including 7-of-9 from deep for 33 points, four rebounds and one crucial block on De’Aaron Fox to aid the Knicks’ spectacular comeback.
During his postgame news conference, Anunoby broke down how he processed the huge play as it unfolded in the dying embers of Game 4.
“I inbounded the ball to Jalen,” Anunoby said. “He (Jalen Brunson) got a pretty good look, and I just went and crashed. Tried to get a tip-dunk or something. The ball went over my head, so I couldn’t really dunk it. So I tried to tip it in softly, and it went in.”
Should the Knicks close out the series against the Spurs and win their first NBA title since 1973, Anunoby will be etched in the history books of the franchise as a key player in a stunning playoff run.
