OG Anunoby Makes Impact In 1st Game With Knicks As New York Beats Best In The West | New York Knicks

OG Anunoby Makes Impact In 1st Game With Knicks As New York Beats Best In The West | New York Knicks

WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO O.G. ANUNOBY IN A COUPLE OF MOMENTS. ALSO MONICA McNUTT WILL JOIN US AS WELL. COMING IN FROM A TOUGH ROAD TRIP, MAJOR TRADE, NEW PIECES AGAINST A TOP TEAM IN THE WEST, AND THEY COME AWAY WITH A HUGE WIN. OUTSTANDING WIN.

THEY HAVEN’T BEEN HOME MUCH AT ALL ALL SEASON LONG, THREE GAMES IN DECEMBER, 11 ON THE ROAD. WAS IT GOOD TO GET BACK IN FRONT OF THE HOME CROWD? IT REALLY IS NICE TO PLAY AT HOME. I THOUGHT THE TEAM GUTTED OUT AN OUTSTANDING VICTORY. IT’S SUCH A WHIRLWIND WHEN

YOU’RE A PLAYER. ACHIUWA AND ANUNOBY COMING TO THE TEAM. ANUNOBY IS A NO NONSENSE, ALL BUSINESS, ALL BASKETBALL KIND OF GUY AND THOSE ARE THE GUYS YOU WANT ON YOUR TEAM. THAT’S HOW YOU WIN A GAME LIKE THIS WHEN IT’S TOUGH TO PREPARE FOR THE GAME, TOUGH TO FIGURE

OUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING. YOU GO OUT THERE AND PLAY, COMPLEMENT YOUR PLAYERS, HELP YOUR TEAMMATES STEP UP AND HAVE MONSTER PERFORMANCES. JULIUS RANDLE CARRIES YOU TO A BIG WIN AGAINST THE BEST TEAM IN THE WEST. I CAN’T SAY THAT ENOUGH. THIS TIMBERWOLVES TEAM, THEY’RE THE BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM IN THE LEAGUE.

THEY’RE THE BEST TEAM IN THE WEST. AND YOU’VE GOT A LOT GOING ON. THAT’S A CHARACTER WIN FOR THIS TEAM. ALL THE MORE IMPRESSIVE BECAUSE THE KNICKS’ 22 POINT LEAD IN THE THIRD QUARTER GOT WIDDLED DOWN TO 4 DOWN THE STRETCH. YOU GOT CONLEY ON THAT TEAM. YOU GOT KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS AND

EDWARDS AND RUDY GOBERT. AND DESPITE ALL THAT, THE KNICKS WERE ABLE TO WIN IT. JULIUS RANDLE WAS PHENOMENAL. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. THAT’S A CREDIT TO THIS TEAM. THAT’S WHAT THIS FRONT OFFICE IS BUILDING FOR THE NEW YORK KNICKS. THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT. RUDY GOBERT WITH THE BIG DUNK. CUTS IT TO 8.

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS CUTS IT TO 6. AFTER THAT, IT WAS RANDLE TIME, BOY. BRUNSON STRUGGLED MIGHTILY. HOW ABOUT THE STEAL BY ANUNOBY. LEADS TO ONE OF BRUNSON’S 14 ASSISTS, A SEASON HIGH TO JULIUS RANDLE FOR THE BUCKET. RANDLE IS THE CLOSER. HE WAS THE STARTER.

HE WAS THE MIDDLEMAN. HE WAS EVERYTHING TODAY AT THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ARENA. ABSOLUTELY LOVED PLAYING AGAINST THESE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES. REMEMBERING 56 ON THE GARDEN FLOOR AGAINST THEM LAST YEAR. THAT THREE BY TOWNS WAS BIG, CUT THE LEAD TO 5. BUT THEN WHERE DO YOU GO?

RANDLE RUMBLING DOWN TLAHE LANE GETS THE IN ONE, PUSHES THE LEAD BACK UP TO 8. IT’S A GREAT FEELING TO BE 18-15 AND NOT 17-16 BECAUSE THAT GAME GOT REALLY CLOSE DOWN THE STRETCH. WHEN IT’S A FOUR, SIX-POINT GAME DOWN THE STRETCH, IT COMES TO CRUNCH TIME, YOU NEED ONE PLAYER

TO WIN THAT GAME AND IT WAS ON THE KNICKS SIDE AND IT WAS JULIUS RANDLE. HE GOT THE WIN DONE FOR THE KNICKS. AS FOR ANUNOBY, WE SAW ALL THE THINGS HE CAN DO. THE DEFENSE, THE EFFICIENCY REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME. 17 POINTS, WALLY. ONLY NEEDED 12 SHOTS TO GET TO 17.

THAT’S WHY THE KNICKS WANTED HIM. I MEAN, HE IS JUST A GUY THAT IS SO UNDERSTATED AND SO EASY TO PLAY WITH AND FITS PERFECTLY IN THE PUZZLE OF THIS NEW YORK KNICKS BASKETBALL TEAM. A LOT OF TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE REALLY WANTED HIM. HE’S GOING TO HELP OPEN UP THE

FLOOR FOR JULIUS RANDLE AND JALEN BRUNSON. HE’S A KNOCKDOWN THREE-POINT SHOOTER. OUTSTANDING ATHLETE. OUTSTANDING TWO-FOOT VERTICAL JUMPER, CAN FINISH ON THE BREAK. REALLY GAVE ANTHONY EDWARDS A TON OF FITS WITH HIS LONG ARMS AND ATHLETICISM. LOOK AT THE STROKE. THAT IS A PICTURE PERFECT RELEASE, PERFECT ROTATION. HE’S NOT AFRAID.

HE’S BEEN AN NBA CHAMPION WITH THE RAPTORS AND YOU COULD NOT HAVE SCRIPTED A BETTER DEBUT TO GO ALONG WITH A MASSIVE WIN. HE PLAYS 35 MINUTES. KEEP IN MIND HE FOULED OUT WITH 4 TO GO. TERRIBLE CALL TOO, TERRIBLE CALL. YOU SEE HIS NUMBERS?

3 OF 6 FROM DOWNTOWN, 7 OF 12 OVERALL. AND DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE SIX REBOUNDS TO GO WITH THE 17 POINTS. WE SAY HELLO TO O.G. ANUNOBY. HE JOINS US FROM ACROSS THE STREET. WELCOME TO NEW YORK. CONGRATS ON A GREAT DEBUT. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO FILL IN SO SEAMLESSLY?

JUST, YOU KNOW, HELP FROM THE COACHES, THE GUYS, JUST COMMUNICATION. AND THEN JUST TRYING MY BEST TO FIT IN AND HELP THE TEAM WIN WHATEVER WAY POSSIBLE. O.G., YOU’VE BEEN BROUGHT HERE TO ELEVATE THIS TEAM. OBVIOUSLY THE KNICKS MADE THE SECOND ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS. YOU TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE THE GAME.

YOU’RE ALL ABOUT WINNING. HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO BE WITH THIS FRANCHISE AND BE WITH THAT MISSING PIECE? I’M VERY EXCITED. IT’S A GREAT TEAM. I WANT TO COME IN HERE AND DO WHAT YOU SAID. HELP WIN AND KEEP ELEVATING AND GROWING EVERY DAY.

LASTLY, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO PUT THAT NEW YORK KNICK UNIFORM ON AND PLAY FOR THE HOME TEAM, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, AT THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ARENA? THAT WAS SUPER COOL. IT WAS JUST AMAZING FEELING, YOU KNOW? O.G., IT’S GREAT TO MEET YOU. CONGRATS. WELCOME TO NEW YORK. AND WHAT A GREAT DEBUT.

WE’LL SEE YOU SOON. SEE YOU SOON. THANK YOU, GUYS. WALLY, YOU TALK ABOUT THIS. YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH A TRADE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON, HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO GET AROUND. HE DOESN’T KNOW WHERE HE’S GOING TO LIVE. THERE’S A LOT GOING ON HERE.

AND HE PLAYED REALLY WELL. MONICA McNUTT HELPED CALL THE GAME ON THE RADIO. YOU GOT THE HAPPY NEW YEAR GOING AND IT WAS A HAPPY NEW YEAR AT MSG. ANUNOBY, GAME ONE COULD NOT HAVE GONE MUCH BETTER. I AGREE 100%. THE KNICKS ARE UNDEFEATED IN THE

CALENDAR YEAR 2024 AND YOU LOVE TO SEE IT. WE HAD A CHANCE TO GRAB DONTE DiVINCENZO POST GAME, AND YES, I DID ASK HIM ABOUT GETTING HUNG ON THE RIM. IT’S FINE. WE’RE GOING TO MOVE PAST THAT. I DID ASK ABOUT THE PACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL AND DID HE

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE WITH O.G. ON THE FLOOR. HE SAID, YEAH. WE’RE LOOKING TO GET OUT IN TRANSITION. WE’RE FLYING AROUND DEFENSIVELY. WE’VE GOT GUYS ATHLETIC AND MOVING AROUND. IT FEELS GOOD AND IT’S SOMETHING THE TEAM WANTS TO BUILD ON. YOU COULDN’T ASK FOR MUCH MORE IN A DEBUT OUTSIDE OF THAT —

BUT WE’LL DIGRESS. I’M WITH YOU, MONICA. HOW COOL IS IT, THOUGH, TO SEE A GUY IN THE CORNERS THAT CAN JUST LASER-LIKE FOCUS, KNOCKS DOWN THE THREE. JALEN BRUNSON FINDS HIM A COUPLE OF TIMES, BIG SHOTS. HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT FOR THIS KNICKS TEAM?

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, WALLY, AND SHOUTOUT TO MOVIE “STEP BROTHERS” BUT IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE ROOM ON THE FLOOR FOR ACTIVITIES. THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE TO OPERATE. THE CORNER WAS FANTASTIC. THE THREE TIMES, I THINK, BY MY COUNT, THAT WE SAW O.G. SNEAK

BEHIND THE DEFENSE AND THERE WERE EASY PASSES FOR HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS. HE WAS ABLE TO SCORE THROUGH CONTACT. AND SO I JUST THINK IN GENERAL A FLOOR SPACER. YOU CAN NEVER DENY. THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM ON THE FLOOR FOR A SHOOTER. AND THEN YOU COMBINE THAT WITH HIS DEFENSIVE PROWESS.

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE’RE ALL GOING TO ENJOY. MONICA, HOW ABOUT THAT PERFORMANCE BY JULIUS RANDLE DOWN THE STRETCH ESPECIALLY? COMPLETELY LOCKED IN. AND I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE TIMES WHERE YOU SEE JULIUS LOCKED IN

AND SETTING THE TONE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BASKETBALL. AND TONIGHT, OR THIS AFTERNOON, WAS ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF AFFAIRS. THE WAY THAT HE WAS GUARDING KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE BALL GAME AND THEN OF COURSE HIS PRODUCTIVITY HAVING THOSE 15 FIRST QUARTER POINTS, IT CARRIED ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

AND IT’S NOT OFTEN, I THINK, WHERE WE GET TO SEE, SORT OF, THE JOY THAT WE SAW FROM HIM DOWN THE STRETCH IN THIS BALL GAME. HE’S A COMPETITOR, STRONG, TOUGH, ALL THAT STUFF. BUT I THINK HE WAS ENJOYING THE GAME. HOLD ON, HOLD ON. HARTENSTEIN, THE DEFENSE. TWO BLOCKS, TWO STEALS, MEETING

FOLKS AT THE RIM. I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE A TIP OF THE CAP TO HIM BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE PLAYED REALLY BIG AND ALLOW THE KNICKS TO FLY AROUND, BECAUSE HE WAS THE ANCHOR IN THE POST. ACTUALLY GOING TO UPDATE HIS STATS. THREE STEALS AND THREE BLOCKS.

THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU FOR THAT. HIT REFRESH ON THE iPAD, MONICA. YOU’RE RIGHT. LOOK WHAT I DID. LOVE YA. SEE YOU SOON. ALL RIGHT, GUYS. YOU MENTIONED JALEN BRUNSON STRUGGLING SHOOTING. HOW ABOUT THE FACT HE HAD A CAREER-HIGH 14 ASSISTS. THAT’S WHAT GREAT PLAYERS DO.

JALEN HAD GOOD SHOTS. HE’S GOING TO KNOCK DOWN THOSE SHOTS IN HIS SLEEP. HE JUST HAD AN OFF NIGHT. THAT HAPPENS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. HIS PLAYMAKING ABILITIES CAME OUT TODAY. AND WHEN JULIUS RANDLE HAS IT GOING AND HE HAS SHOOTERS LIKE

DONTE DiVINCENZO AND GRIMES, HE CAN PLAY MAKE TOO AND FIND GUYS

OG Anunoby made his debut in a Knicks jersey in front of The Garden faithful with 17 points and 6 rebounds but it was Julius Randle who was clutch down the stretch to close out the win with 39 points. The Knicks rebound after a 3 game losing streak to defeat the Timberwovles who currently sit atop of the West.

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OG Anunoby Makes Impact In 1st Game With Knicks As New York Beats Best In The West | New York Knicks