OG Anunoby's iconic tip-in started with being challenged by coach Brown at Knicks shootaround
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"That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball."

OG ANUNOBY WITH THE PUTBACK.

KNICKS COMPLETE THE 29-PT COMEBACK FOR THE WIN.

LARGEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY pic.twitter.com/ZtWVWY6JsR

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2026

Mike Brown nailed it with that comment about OG Anunoby's tip-in. Karl-Anthony Towns agreed.

"Right hand from God," Towns said.

However, the play that will go down in Knicks lore as a Finals game-winner in the most iconic of victories — a comeback from 29 points down — started early in the day, at Knicks shootaround, when Brown challenged Anunoby.

"I told OG, as big, as strong, as athletic as he is, he's got to be a monster on the offensive glass tonight," Brown said. "I don't know if there was a play bigger in the history of Knicks basketball. That was a huge offensive rebound. Huge offensive rebound.

"He took on the challenge, and he went and won the game for us doing exactly what I called him out for during shootaround today."

"[Coach] told me I need to get on the glass, offensive glass, especially, and just use my ability, size, strength, athleticism, to make an impact on the offensive glass," Anunoby said. "And it happened at the end."

Anunoby contributes more than points

Anunoby was having a monster NBA Finals before he became a New York legend. The one Knicks player with a ring — he played a big role for Toronto in 2019 — was averaging 20.7 points a game (second on the team) with a ridiculous .722 true shooting percentage through the first three games of the Finals. Plus, he was playing high-level defense.

All of that shone through in Game 4.

Anunoby, along with Brunson, was the only steady offense for New York on the night, and he finished with 33 points, including seven 3-pointers.

However, his defense may have been more critical. When Brown switched Anunoby onto De'Aaron Fox, it threw the Spurs' already-struggling offense even more off-balance. Yet the Spurs kept playing through Fox, and Anunoby kept blowing things up.

Then came the defensive play of the night. The Knicks were down one with 16 seconds left when Jalen Brunson missed a contested six-footer, and in the scramble for the rebound it got knocked into the back court. Fox ran it down and, with 11 seconds left, inexplicably chose to go for a layup that was contested by Anunoby at the rim, rather than dribble the ball out, eat up some clock and force the Knicks to foul. Instead, Anunoby got the block that kept it a one-point game.

Just before his game-winning putback to complete the Knicks' NBA Finals-record 29-point comeback... OG Anunoby delivered a CLUTCH block on the other end.

TWO-WAY IMPACT ON DISPLAY https://t.co/IcOqBvvOyhpic.twitter.com/CWmlQVckuA

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2026

Then came the play that means Anunoby should never have to pay for another meal in New York City — the tip-in that changed the Knicks' season.

"I inbounded the ball to Jalen. He got a pretty good look and I just went and crashed," Anunoby said of the play. "Tried to get a tip-dunk or something. The ball went over my head, so I couldn't really dunk it. So I tried to tip it in softly and it went in."

New York came from 29 down to win a game it had no business still being in at the end. The Knicks are now just one win away from their first ring in 53 years, and Anunoby's calm, steady demeanor is a key reason why — he embodied the Knicks' comeback.

"We're a resilient group. We've been through a lot," Anunoby said. "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 6, push it through. It's a 48-minute game, just play till the end."

Anunoby did, and he might get a second ring because of it.



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