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Ian Begley: Knicks are outscoring Nets 26-9 in the fourth quarter to take control of the game. Josh Hart propelled Knicks early in the fourth as lineup of Hart, Tyler Kolek, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns gave club life after listless start. Knicks will improve to 3-4
K.C. Johnson: Knicks 133, Bulls 127 Powell 30 pts Wilson 20 pts, 6 rebs, 4 assists, 2 steals Smith 17 pts, 11 rebs, 5 assists Buzelis 17 pts, 6 rebs Brunson 38 pts, 7 assists Anunoby 23 pts Towns 19 pts, 13 rebs, 5 assists Clarkson 18 pts off bench after DNP-CD last night
Fred Katz: FINAL: Magic 111, Knicks 102. Knicks fall to 0-3 on the season. Jalen Brunson 28-4-3 • Karl-Anthony Towns 22-14-4 • OG Anunoby 22-3-2 • Franz Wagner 23-13-9 (21 pts in fourth quarter). Magic shoot 18-42 from deep.
LeBron James: OG Anunoby was I think was the MVP of the of the team in the Finals. And obviously obviously Jalen Brunson became the MVP, but it's the the small things, the chase down block on Fox, the tip for the game, like he was consistent to continue to knock down threes… Steve Nash: And his numbers from the day one of the playoffs through was incredible. Those pivotal moments. LeBron: Yeah, of you know, incredible. So, like obviously we know, you know, Jalen Brunson was the was the head of the snake, but I think OG was just like he was the most steady person, you know, for that team. And then they just they just got contributions from everybody.
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James explained why Anunoby should have won the prestigious award over Jalen Brunson in the latest episode of his Mind the Game podcast. "OG, I think, was the MVP of the team in the Finals. Obviously, [Jalen] Brunson became the MVP. But it's the small things: the chase-down block on [De'Aaron] Fox, the tip for the [Game. He was consistent to continue to knock down threes," James claimed. "Obviously, Jalen Brunson was the head of the snake. But OG was the most steady person for that team."
Mike Vorkunov: Karl-Anthony Towns said his favorite memory from the Knicks title run was the vibe in MSG after OG Anunoby's Game 4 tip-in against the Spurs. "I will never forget that energy when OG had the tip in," Towns said at a promotional event for DAZN. You had to be there to experience all of New York at one time, everyone goes 'Yes!'... For a game that seemed so out the way, not possible... You kinda felt that energy that for 53 years Knicks fans thinking something had to go wrong, and something went right. The fan in me was stunned to see something really go right for the Knicks... I've been a fan my entire life."
Shams Charania: "This is a growing cloud around the New York Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns has made it clear to the Knicks that he is willing to take a considerable discount on his contract extension coming up, just like his teammates have, like Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, as well as Jalen Brunson. But right now, the Knicks want him to take a substantial pay cut, what he believes to be an extreme discount on his deal. Sources tell me the Knicks are offering Towns a four-year, approximately $200 million contract extension. That is $76 million less than his max."
Anunoby blocked the shot, who then moments later tipped in the game-winning basket. It was the kind of decision Fox spent the summer replaying in his head. “It definitely stuck with me for a bit,” Fox said. “Obviously you think about it. It’s in the back of your mind. But you don’t want to dwell on that for the rest of the time that you play basketball, for the rest of the time that you live.”
From the famous tip-in to his amusing ESPYs microphone moment, OG Anunoby’s name entered the lexicon of even casual basketball fans. When it comes to All-Star consideration, popularity or recognition often are more important than performance. “It should help him a ton because guys that are quiet naturally, they have a hard time getting the necessary publicity and promotion toward being an All-Star,” head coach Mike Brown said, “unless you’re doing something extraordinary and people start talking about it — like OG in the playoffs. So doing it in the playoffs and having people talk about it should have carryover, in my opinion, since he helped us win the championship.
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The pair are boys off the court. “Unfortunately,” Castle jokes. They communicate as if they’ve been teammates for decades—sharing silent glances or chuckles, wordlessly telegraphing their responses to my questions. They are hyperaware of the fact that my recorder is running, looking at it for even the most benign answers. Who’s your favorite player? Michael Jordan, Harper says. (“My dad is, like, close with him…I feel like I’m obligated to like him.”) Who are the toughest guys you faced off against in the playoffs? The Minnesota Timberwolves’ diet version of MJ, Anthony Edwards, Castle says. Harper’s face shatters into a grin. “Scoot,” he says, shouting out the Portland Trail Blazers’ up-and-down young guard Scoot Henderson. After a minute, Harper cites Jalen Brunson and Gilgeous-Alexander as well, along with OG Anunoby. “He’s not even that hard to guard, though,” Castle notes. “He just doesn’t miss it.”
But the highlight of the monologue, and arguably the entire show, was Jalen Brunson taking questions from four audience members who just happened to be his teammates in the Knicks’ starting lineup: Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart. Towns learned he can’t foul out of an SNL episode, Bridges lamented that his long arms won’t allow him to fly, and Anunoby channeled Chris Farley to note how awesome it was to score a game-winning put-back after a missed Brunson shot in Game 4. Brunson had the most fun with Hart, questioning him for grabbing Brunson from behind after the Knicks clinched the NBA Cup, while also showing a clip of Hart missing a layup in Game 4, leaving Hart to try passing off that miss as artificial intelligence. Brunson invited his teammates on stage to cap the monologue, creating an image never seen before in the show’s history: a starting lineup of defending NBA champions sharing the stage at Studio 8H.