The New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 97-92 on Sunday afternoon, due in no small part to OG Anunoby's performance. The 2023 NBA steals leader put together a 16-point, 14-rebound, three-block performance across 47 minutes to help lift the Knicks to a 3-1 series lead.
Anunoby typically doesn't get too high or low, as he showed in the postgame presser when asked about the outing.
Anunoby's calm demeanor bodes well for the Knicks, as their defensive anchor is unfazed by playing nearly the entire game. He also guarded Sixers superstar Joel Embiid the entire fourth quarter, holding him to just one point. New York is now 23-4 with Anunoby in the lineup.
At this point, New York's hot streak with Anunoby is not a fluke. When combining his defensive prowess with star guard Jalen Brunson's offensive heroics, the team is tough to beat. How far will the Knicks be able to go with this formula as the playoffs wear on?
OG Anunoby makes any team work hard to score on the Knicks
Holding a player who had just come off a 50-point outing to just one point in the fourth quarter is nothing short of miraculous. While Precious Aciuwa aided Anunoby's efforts on Embiid, that still doesn't take away from his lockdown performance when the team needed it most. The Indiana alum held him to a 0-5 clip from the field with two blocks when he was the primary defender. This is especially impressive when considering that Anunoby is about five inches shorter and forty pounds lighter than Embiid.
The most surprising part of Anunoby's presser, though, was his comment that the team could've done even better, via SNY.
The former Raptor had a point, as New York shot just 7-of-27 from beyond the arc and 16-of-26 from the charity stripe. It's not easy to win a playoff game with below-average efficiency from those two areas, but the Knicks were able to do it with elite defense and rebounding. New York out-rebounded Philadelphia 52-42 and shot a 7.6%-higher clip from the field.
However, imagine what this game would've looked like if the Knicks were firing on all cylinders on both ends. That's the type of potential that's had many fans and pundits alike predicting an Eastern Conference Finals appearance from the club.
Anunoby himself is normally a decent perimeter shooter as well. He posted a 38.2% clip from beyond the arc in the regular season but was 0-of-4 on Sunday. Expect him to make at least one or two of those attempts in most of these playoff games moving forward, which will make him even more valuable to the team than he already is.
While New York coach Tom Thibodeau often gets flak for giving his starters too many minutes, it helps to condition his core players for moments like these. The fact that Anunoby played nearly the whole game while guarding one of the NBA's best players without batting an eye is a testament to the team's work ethic and preparation. It's safe to say that the Sixers may be in trouble heading into Game 5.
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