Jalen Brunson got a little public payback from OG Anunoby, and he had to take it on the chin.
When Brunson hosted "Saturday Night Live" and brought Anunoby out for a moment tied to Knicks history, Anunoby wasted no time revisiting the sequence that still lives in New York lore. Brunson had just missed a long three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and Anunoby was the one who tipped the miss in.
Anunoby opened with a dry jab. "Remember in Game 4 when you took that shot at the end and you missed it?"
he asked. Brunson answered with a sigh: "Yeah.
You tipped it in." Anunoby smiled and delivered the payoff.
"Oh yeah. That was awesome."
It was a funny bit, but it also pointed back to the moment that turned the series. The Knicks had been down 29 at halftime in Game 4 and looked finished. Instead, they stormed back, with Brunson carrying the offense and finishing with 36 points to keep New York alive.
Then came the final sequence. Brunson’s shot missed, Anunoby cleaned it up, and the Knicks closed out Game 5 to win their first championship in 53 years.
For Knicks fans, that tip-in became more than the winning play. It was the instant the wait ended, the image they’ll keep replaying.
Anunoby had already made his own mark in the series. Game 4 was his biggest night, as he put up 33 points, a playoff career high, before finishing the game with the decisive tip.
Now the group that won it all is back together. New York is set to run it back with the same starting five, and training camp is next. The Knicks open their title defense on Oct. 20 against Philadelphia, a night that also includes their championship ring ceremony, with Anunoby, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns all returning.
In Other News...
Knicks Draft Regret Looks Even Worse With Dadiet Now Stuck
Pacome Dadiets place on the Knicks roster has become more complicated than it looked on draft night, and the concern now is less about what he might become than what it might cost to move him. New York has reportedly seen his trade value dip enough that any deal could require draft compensation, a reminder that second-round swings are not just about upside but about how much flexibility they leave a team later on.
That reality only sharpens the debate around last years draft board, where several players taken in the same range have already looked like cleaner fits. Kyshawn George, Terrence Shannon Jr., Ajay Mitchell, Jaylen Wells and Oso Ighodaro all came off the board around Dadiet, and each name makes the Knicks decision look a little heavier in retrospect, especially with salary structure and roster space now part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Hart Just Made His Knicks Contract Situation More Interesting
Josh Harts contract status came up at Knicks Media Day, and it was easy to understand why he wanted to address it now rather than let it linger. Entering a season where the roster expects to contend, Hart said he would prefer to have clarity before the 2026-27 campaign begins, a sensible stance for a player who has become a key part of New Yorks rotation and identity.
The bigger issue is less about the paperwork than the possible distraction if negotiations drag on. Hart acknowledged the kind of uncertainty that can creep in when extension talks remain open, and he made clear he does not want the situation hanging over the team for long. For the Knicks, it is another reminder that even in a focused locker room, contract questions can quickly become part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Brunsons Knicks Reaction Made This Celtics Departure Feel Personal
Jalen Brunson has spent the early part of the Knicks summer acknowledging how much Mitchell Robinson meant to the group that reached the championship stage, while also turning the page toward what comes next. Robinsons departure leaves a real void in New Yorks frontcourt, and it is the kind of move that changes both the on-court rotation and the emotional feel of a locker room that had leaned on his presence.
Andre Drummond is now part of that answer, and Brunson sounded encouraged by what the veteran can bring to the mix. The Knicks do not have to wait long for the first test of the transition, either, with early-season matchups looming against the 76ers and Celtics, giving Drummond an immediate chance to settle in and see how New Yorks reshaped big-man group holds up against familiar competition. [Read more 🡒]