Brandon Miller obtained higher, and OG Anunoby seen.
Because the Knicks’ go-to defensive stopper, tasked nightly with shutting down the league’s high scorers, he’s attuned to even the slightest enhancements in his opponents’ video games.
So when Miller, the standout guard for the Charlotte Hornets, erupted within the first quarter at Madison Sq. Backyard on Thursday, Anunoby couldn’t assist however be impressed.
There was the hesitation drive that drew an and-one — Anunoby, himself, the wrongdoer of the swipe-down foul. Then got here the nasty spin transfer to lose Anunoby earlier than a two-handed thunderous tomahawk on the rim. There was additionally a clean 3-pointer that ripped by way of the web as Anunoby chased only a second too late over the display.
All within the first quarter. All to assist a shorthanded Hornets staff construct a 12-point lead.
Like every one in every of Anunoby’s assignments because the lockdown defender on a Knicks staff with championship aspirations, Miller obtained higher, and he examined his abilities on Thursday.
“All great players. It’s fun to watch them before, watching their film. I enjoy watching every player,” Anunoby mentioned after the Knicks’ 125-101 win. “It’s fun to see them grow and get better each year, and then whoever the player is, see how good they are, and then also it’s fun to try to stop them, make it as difficult as possible.”
After which it occurred. Anunoby turned the water off. After Miller hung 16 first-quarter factors, he scored solely 10 extra for the rest of the sport. And after a 6-of-8 capturing efficiency within the opening quarter, Miller completed the night time 9-of-19, making simply three of his closing 11 photographs.
It’s what Anunoby does, and it’s why a 25-point scoring night time quietly flies beneath the radar, as a result of the Knicks’ silent scorer is something however quiet on the defensive finish.
“The plays that he was making, he’s the only one that can make them,” mentioned head coach Tom Thibodeau. “He’s everywhere. He’s flying around. He’s into the bodies, and when he’s like that, he just covers so much ground. His timing, you can’t throw the ball over him. He challenges shots great. He’s a guy with great, great instincts. He played a terrific game.”
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With 90 seconds left within the first half, Miller tried shaking free from Anunoby’s grasp.
Enjoyable time, for him, ended with the opening interval.
To Anunoby, Miller was simply one other identify on a protracted checklist of defensive assignments. Solely two nights earlier, he defended Franz Wagner, on a heater as the point of interest of an Orlando Magic offense lacking Paolo Banchero as a result of harm.
And 4 nights earlier than that, Anunoby held Miller to twenty factors on a depressing 7-of-25 capturing from the sector. He has seen all of it, and wears the duty of chief defensive stopper as a badge of honor.
“That’s not only the talent he possesses defensively, but that’s the belief of everyone in this locker room including the coaching staff. We know what OG can do. We believe it. The coaches believe it. And the best part about it, OG believes in his defensive talent as well,” Karl-Anthony Cities mentioned after the sport. “We know whenever they have a great player, we feel really good about our chances having OG Anunoby, and we’ll support him in every possible way because every night for him is a tough matchup, and we just want to do our job to help him and make him the best possible player he can possibly be.”
On this play, Miller was away from the ball within the nook.
He faked towards a display then minimize to the paint. Anunoby didn’t budge, so Miller did it once more, this time faking again to the nook earlier than flaring as much as the highest of the important thing.
However Anunoby beat him to the spot.
This time, the ball got here, and Anunoby tipped the go to himself and gained a foot race up the ground for a fastbreak dunk.
It was one other cease on Miller, whom he stripped of the ball just some minutes earlier, first leaving him to assist on a Vasilije Micic drive to the rim, solely to get better again to Miller in time to tip the go and swipe it away from the Hornets’ star scorer.
Miller made a 3 over Anunoby’s contest with 2:36 left within the first quarter, a shot that put the Hornets up by 10. By the point he made his subsequent shot over Anunoby, he was slicing a 23-point deficit down to twenty.
“I think we all know in this locker room the talent OG possesses,” mentioned Cities. “I think he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA, defensively, offensively, he affects the game. So I’m just glad he’s getting this moment here in the Mecca, New York, to show the world the talent that we all see.”
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Anunoby has contested 171 photographs by way of the Knicks’ first 22 video games, based on information from NBA.com.
These are probably the most contested photographs by a participant who will not be a middle, with Sacramento’s Keegan Murray 20 contests shy at No. 2 and Boston’s Derrick White a distant third.
Anunoby leads the NBA in contested 3-pointers and leads all non-centers in contested 2-pointers. His 79 deflected passes rank third behind De’Aaron Fox and Dyson Daniels, and he’s tied for sixth in unfastened balls recovered.
You don’t get these numbers guarding only one participant each sport. On Thursday, Anunoby defended Miller, however all of the Hornets gamers sharing the ground felt his influence.
With 2:15 left within the third quarter, Miller missed a 3 contested by Valuable Achiuwa, and Anunoby boxed-out Hornets middle Nick Richards. The rebound caromed to the nook to Charlotte guard Okay.J. Simpson, and Anunoby left Richards to close-out and block Simpson’s three out of bounds.
Seconds later, the Hornets inbounded the ball, and Anunoby discovered himself guarding Cody Martin, who created some separation with a hesitation right into a step-back to the left wing. Anunoby recovered and swatted Martin’s three out of bounds for 2 blocks inside eight seconds of sport time.
The Madison Sq. Backyard crowd erupted. Anunoby, all smiles, high-fived followers sitting on the courtroom.
“He’s just a freak of nature, getting those blocks,” mentioned Mikal Bridges. “I wish my hands were that big. He’s been OG since he’s been in the league, I’ve been watching him. Really dope.”
“I think plays like that unite and inspire the team. You can feel it,” added Thibodeau. “When a guy makes a great, multiple effort, it’s inspiring to everyone.”
After which comes the troublesome half: flushing the efficiency.
On Saturday, the Knicks will face the Detroit Pistons, which implies minutes defending future All-Star Cade Cunningham. And on Tuesday, Anunoby will return to his previous stomping grounds in a visit to Toronto, the place he’ll must take turns defending Scottie Barnes and R.J. Barrett.
Then it’s Trae Younger and Jalen Johnson in a showdown with the Atlanta Hawks. Finally, it’ll be Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Jayson Tatum, or Paul George: the perfect participant on any staff standing in-between the Knicks and an NBA title.
Anunoby mentioned there are particular person accolades he’s angling for this season however declined to share them.
He has solely been named to at least one All-Defensive Group in his profession, and it was the Second Group in 2023.
Cities couldn’t consider it. For Anunoby, getting stops is nothing new, however possibly getting stops on the World’s Most Well-known Enviornment will assist him get the popularity he deserves.
“That is surprising,” mentioned Cities. “He has All-Defensive Teams in his future, so he’ll make it up.”
Recognition, after all, isn’t what’s on the forefront of his thoughts. There’s solely someday of relaxation between video games, and for Anunoby the grind by no means stops. A technique or one other, he’s going to get the opponent’s finest. And he have to be ready. The staff is relying on it, although they know Anunoby will probably be prepared, and consequently, his task had higher be, too.
“I find out the matchup, watch the film, and then also my memory from playing them before,” Anunoby mentioned. “Just from watching games, seeing what they like to do — just trying to make them uncomfortable.”
Initially Revealed: December 6, 2024 at 4:22 PM EST
