OG Anunoby steals show, microphone in New York Knicks’ victory

The Madison Square Garden buzzer didn’t absolve anyone—not even the New York Knicks broadcasters—of OG Anunoby’s antics.

Anunoby finished a work weekend in style, earning 24 points and eight rebounds in a 114-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night. True to his stoic, defensive-first form, Anunoby was unimpressed with his move on the conventional box score, which he believed was a product of the other end.

“If we definitely get stops, runs, scores in transition, our defense makes our offense,” Anunoby said in the immediate postgame interview with MSG Network’s Alan Hahn. “That’s a big key for us.”

Perhaps surprisingly, Anunoby wasn’t credited with any steals in Sunday’s win, but he did record one with zeroes on the clock when he swiped the MSG-branded microphone away from Hahn to address the thousands gathered in the Garden itself. Hahn did his best to maintain his grip on the microphone, but Anunoby was relentless.

“It definitely feels like a playoff game,” Anunoby said of the raucous atmosphere that MSG visitors brought to the latest edition of the cross-town rivalry on Sunday. “Our goal is to win every game, it doesn’t matter who we play. That’s our goal.”

Hahn took the incident in stride, noting that Anunoby “passes the mic, as well as rebounds, defense and everything else.” To Hahn’s point, Anunoby has been on an offensive tear, averaging 22.4 points on over 56 percent from the field with seven rebounds in the same span. He has scored at least 20 in all but one game in that span. Through the first 13 games combined, Anunoby is averaging a career-best 17.5 points. To that point, 14.7 percent of Anunoby’s field goal attempts have been dunks, 13th among non-traded centers entering Monday night. according to Basketball Reference.

“There’s an awareness of where he is because of the shooting. When he sees the back of his man’s head, he cuts. And he moves extremely well,” praised Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, according to Ian Begley of SNY. “The constant movement from him is huge for us.”

The turnover gave the Knicks 29 points between Sunday and the Knicks’ narrow 124-122 triumph over the Nets two nights before. Some of those numbers were earned via several show-stopping antics from Anunoby, who wowed the Garden with his dramatic doubles. Although he was hardly affected by the revelation (h/t SNY), Anunoby was informed that he is one of the best dunkers in the league, especially among non-centers.

Anunoby has an immediate chance to keep banging when the Knicks face the Washington Wizards on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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