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For a lot of NBA fans, the fact that the New York Knicks are the NBA Champions<\/a> for the first time since 1973 is still sinking in. One of the big reasons the Knicks finally made it was OG Anunoby, who found another gear this season. And his brilliant play to close out game four of the finals sealed the deal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anunoby has always been a great player, but the Knicks’ head coach Mike Brown<\/a> found something deeper in him. The man was playing like he was possessed for the entire season on both offense and defense, ramping his game up continually throughout the playoffs. There’s a potential reason for that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was a member of the 2019 Toronto Raptors team that won the title. Anunoby didn’t play in the finals, though. He was on the bench due to an emergency appendectomy. For him, the 2026 round of the NBA Finals probably felt like an opportunity to settle some unfinished business from 2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n OG Anunoby knows you want him to smile \ud83d\ude0f pic.twitter.com\/LEQxKpnTAQ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Good Morning America (@GMA) June 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n While Anunoby had some huge plays on both ends of the court throughout the finals, there’s no doubt that his game-winning shot in game four was the biggest of them all. While he recently downplayed the moment as a failed dunk on Good Morning America<\/em>, it was a smarter play than that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n With mere seconds left, the Knicks were trying to complete what would be the biggest comeback in the history of the NBA Finals. They were down by 29 points and had fought their way back in the second half to cut the Spurs lead to one point. That was huge on its own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anunoby inbounded the ball to Brunson, who took a three-point shot. It was just slightly short. No one saw Anunoby running for the basket from roughly where he inbounded. He cut off the Spurs’ defenders going for the rebound and tipped the shot back into the basket with only 1.2 seconds left.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n OG ANUNOBY WITH THE PUTBACK.<\/p>\n KNICKS COMPLETE THE 29-PT COMEBACK FOR THE WIN.<\/p>\n LARGEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY \ud83e\udd2f pic.twitter.com\/ZtWVWY6JsR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n What Anunoby did was poetic genius. Victor Wembanyama was double-teaming Brunson at the three-point line, leaving the paint open<\/a>. Every other Spur was on another Knick, also leaving Anunoby open. He stayed out of the play, making sure San Antonio was not paying attention to him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before Brunson’s shot even hit the rim, Anunoby had already taken off and was moving at full speed for the rebound. The tip itself was a thing of beauty. If he had gone for the dunk, Anunoby risked the clock running out while the ball was in his hand and the shot not counting. The tip prevented that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The fact that Anunoby has done everything he can to minimize this masterful play is not a shock. He’s a generally stoic guy in public and does not seem to appreciate the spotlight being on him. Laughing the play off as a failed dunk attempt fits what everyone knows about him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n OG Anunoby shows off his smile on GMA \ud83d\ude04 pic.twitter.com\/6Nd9KP2eeM<\/a><\/p>\n\n
The brilliance of one play by Anunoby<\/h2>\n
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Anunoby broke the spirits of the Spurs<\/h2>\n
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