- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,236,855
- Reaction score
- 59
The New York Knicks' 2026 championship run will go down in history for so many reasons. Not only did it end a 53-year championship drought for one of the NBA's oldest and most iconic franchises, but along the way the Knicks had already put themselves on the map with a 13-game winning streak to take them to the playoffs.
Then, once they had actually arrived at the Finals to face off against the San Antonio Spurs, they added to their mystique even more by coming from behind in all four games that they won to take the NBA's crown, further exemplifying the never-say-die spirit that defined their roster and their culture.
Amongst their comebacks, the one that will stand in history more than any other will be their Game 4 comeback at Madison Square Garden, where they overcame a 29-point deficit, the largest in NBA Finals history, to steal the game away from the Spurs by one point.
While there were countless small moments over the course of the game that built gradually to the Knicks' comeback, the major moment that will live on in memory forever will be OG Anunoby's iconic tip-in of Jalen Brunson's missed three pointer that gave the Knicks the lead and eventually the win.
Karl-Anthony Towns was right in the mix of things when the play went down and in a recent interview with The Athletic, he recounted everything he was thinking and feeling about the play in the moment as the Knicks took one massive step toward the championship.
“I’m right next to him. I was gonna dunk it in. I see OG flying in the sky and I’m like, if he tries to tip the ball back in and it goes off the front rim, I’m going to dunk it back in. OG made it. It was something special," Towns said (via The Athletic). "It’s going to go down as one of the greatest plays in New York history. One of the great plays in NBA Finals history.”
Towns added another intriguing piece of context about the play, which was that it was designed to go to him, not Brunson. But as Anunoby inbounded the ball, Towns was immediately double-teamed, forcing Brunson to take a rushed three point shot himself.
In the process of the Spurs' defense focusing so much on Brunson and Towns, as they were right to do in the moment, Anunoby was completely unguarded and took the opportunity to cut down the court and put himself in the perfect position for the tip-in that shook the world.
With this added detail, the play looks even more like an an encapsulation of the Knicks' diversity in skills that meant that anyone at any time could step up and be the hero, as Anunoby famously was.
Continue reading...
Then, once they had actually arrived at the Finals to face off against the San Antonio Spurs, they added to their mystique even more by coming from behind in all four games that they won to take the NBA's crown, further exemplifying the never-say-die spirit that defined their roster and their culture.
Amongst their comebacks, the one that will stand in history more than any other will be their Game 4 comeback at Madison Square Garden, where they overcame a 29-point deficit, the largest in NBA Finals history, to steal the game away from the Spurs by one point.
Recounting the Tip-In
While there were countless small moments over the course of the game that built gradually to the Knicks' comeback, the major moment that will live on in memory forever will be OG Anunoby's iconic tip-in of Jalen Brunson's missed three pointer that gave the Knicks the lead and eventually the win.
Karl-Anthony Towns was right in the mix of things when the play went down and in a recent interview with The Athletic, he recounted everything he was thinking and feeling about the play in the moment as the Knicks took one massive step toward the championship.
Towns Reacts
“I’m right next to him. I was gonna dunk it in. I see OG flying in the sky and I’m like, if he tries to tip the ball back in and it goes off the front rim, I’m going to dunk it back in. OG made it. It was something special," Towns said (via The Athletic). "It’s going to go down as one of the greatest plays in New York history. One of the great plays in NBA Finals history.”
Towns added another intriguing piece of context about the play, which was that it was designed to go to him, not Brunson. But as Anunoby inbounded the ball, Towns was immediately double-teamed, forcing Brunson to take a rushed three point shot himself.
In the process of the Spurs' defense focusing so much on Brunson and Towns, as they were right to do in the moment, Anunoby was completely unguarded and took the opportunity to cut down the court and put himself in the perfect position for the tip-in that shook the world.
With this added detail, the play looks even more like an an encapsulation of the Knicks' diversity in skills that meant that anyone at any time could step up and be the hero, as Anunoby famously was.
Continue reading...
