A former Toronto player is excelling at exactly the right time in the playoffs for his new team, and I am not talking about Mitch Marner (go Canes!).
O.G. Anunoby put in a performance for the ages last night for the New York Knicks, giving them one of the biggest wins in the history of the NBA finals and two legendary plays only seconds apart in the fourth quarter.
New York was down by 29 in the 3rd, but stormed back to win by one in a game where the former Toronto Raptor put his stamp on it on both ends of the floor.
With the clock ticking down, Anunoby had a game-saving block at his own end and then tipped in a miss from Jalen Brunson with 1.2 seconds on the clock to steal the win.
His stat-line was unbelievable. He had 33 points, a perfect 6 for 6 in free throws, 7 of 9 in three-point shots, and two of the biggest plays ever when it counted the most.
Though Anunoby’s role in Toronto’s title run was minimal due to injury, but he was always a fan favourite and unquestionably one of the league’s best “3 and D” players able to score from the outside while also guarding anyone on the floor (including Victor Wembenyama amazingly).
It is awesome to see him blossom into the special prime-time player we always knew he was and to see him help power the Knicks to a storybook title and bring one of the most unassuming and humble superstars in the league the respect he so richly deserves.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
