OG Anunoby relishing a memorable Knicks moment with an NBA championship opportunity on the horizon

SAN ANTONIO

When OG Anunoby checked his phone on Wednesday night, he was flooded with messages. His game-winning tip-in, occurring just 1.2 seconds before the final buzzer, sparked jubilation at Madison Square Garden and quickly captured attention.

Among those reaching out were various former Raptors teammates. In recognition of his feat, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal designated June 11th as “OG Anunoby Appreciation Day.”

“It’s just amazing,” Anunoby reflected on Friday at Frostbank Arena, where the Knicks were gearing up for Game 5 on Saturday. “Everyone keeps telling me how much it means to them, and you can definitely see it. It’s really a special feeling to be part of this, and I’m truly grateful.”

The shot, which marked an NBA Finals-record comeback from a 29-point deficit in the third quarter, is already being touted as one of the most remarkable moments in New York sports history. It’s up there—alongside highlighted events like David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII and Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series.

“I tried to explain it to him, but OG barely responded,” Karl-Anthony Towns joked. “Not sure he fully gets it yet. But like you said, it’s a great moment, definitely one of the best in New York sports history. However, we need to follow up with another win.”

Towns referred to Anunoby’s electrifying tip-in as “God’s right hand” after Game 4. On Friday, a reporter even showed Anunoby a classic photo of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal from the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals.

Interestingly, Maradona himself remarked after the match, “It was a little bit of Maradona’s head, a little bit of God’s hand.”

“So it’s symbolic,” Anunoby noted.

This isn’t Anunoby’s first trip to the finals; he was part of the Raptors seven years ago, but an emergency appendectomy kept him from playing. This time around, he’s certainly making an impact on the floor.

Across four games against the Spurs, Anunoby averaged 23.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, and he shot an impressive 55.6 percent from beyond the arc. In Game 4, he scored 33 points and hit 7 of 9 from three-point range, crucial to the Knicks’ incredible comeback. Should the Knicks clinch the series, he could very well be named series MVP.