Is New York Knicks wing OG Anunoby on the verge of winning NBA Finals MVP?
NBA veterans Nicolas Batum and Danilo Gallinari are both convinced that Anunoby has leapfrogged teammates Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in the race to win The Bill Russell Trophy after his spectacular outing in Game 4.
“He is the MVP of the Finals to me,” Batum told the global “NBA on Prime” feed.
“He has been the most consistent Knick through four games — on offense and defense. [Jalen] Brunson has been amazing, and [Karl-Anthony] Towns has been up and down, but OG has been so solid on both ends, efficient and he’s made the biggest shots.”
Further to Batum’s point, Anunoby — who’s averaging 23.8 points on 58% shooting in the NBA Finals — has been the most consistent two-way player for the Knicks. Brunson has shot sub-40% from the field, while Towns has been underwhelming in Games 3 and 4 after being the team’s best player in the first two wins.
OG Anunoby Seals Knicks Comeback
Besides shooting 7-of-8 from three, Anunoby made two crucial plays in the clutch that sealed the Knicks’ 107-106 Game 4 win. First, he blocked De’Aaron Fox’s layup attempt with 11.1 seconds left, giving the Knicks an opportunity to make a go-ahead bucket.
Then, after Brunson missed a three-point attempt, Anunoby leaped over multiple Spurs defenders to grab an offensive board and make a tip-in shot with 2.1 seconds left.
It was the sort of two-play sequence that will live on in NBA lore.
“Everyone’s talking about the tip-in, but the block on Fox was him as well,” Batum said of the 3-and-D star. “He makes all those little plays. He’s the MVP so far.”
OG Anunoby: NBA’s Best Two-Way Player?
Gallinari agreed with his former Euroleague and NBA rival.
“He’s one of the top three two-way players in the league,” Gallo said of Anunoby.
“He showed it tonight. I agree with Nic — he’s not just the MVP of this game, but he’s been the NBA Finals MVP.”
The Knicks were not supposed to win on Wednesday. They were down 29 points in the third quarter and as many as 18 points three minutes into the fourth. However, Anunoby and Co. kept making big shots as the Knicks got defensive stops, allowing them to chip away and complete the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
“We know it’s a game of runs,” Anunoby said, via ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill.
“We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot. We’ve come back plenty of times when we’re behind. Just staying with it, weathering the storm, not being too down or angry or frustrated. Just staying with it, cut down to 18, cut it down to six, push it through. It’s a 48-minute game, just play ’til the end.”
Interestingly, Brunson said he and the Knicks knew “we’re going to win” when they cut the lead to 15 early in the fourth. The Knicks will now carry the momentum of the Game 4 win to Saturday’s Game 4 — with an opportunity to close out the Spurs.
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