The Knicks came home with a 112-106 win over the Timberwolves. Overall, it is quite unexpected, after all, before the two sides played, the Knicks were only the top ten ordinary teams in the East, and the Timberwolves were the first in the West and the number one super team in the regular season this season. So, what exactly brought the Knicks back to life?
Perhaps, this is the deal. On the final day of 2023, the Raptors sent OG-Anunoby, Achiuwa, and Fulin to the Knicks for Barrett, Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick from the Pistons. At that time, fans were debating who was the real winner of the deal. Now, OG uses practical actions to tell fans that if you get me, you will never let everyone down.
In this game, the Timberwolves came out with elites, led by Edwards, Towns, Gobert, Conley, Lee Kyle, McDaniels and other players on the court. OG also started the game, playing 35 minutes, chipped in 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range.
OG's efficient scoring was a bonus, but even more exciting was the defensive prowess. It is important to know that scoring can eat dumplings, and it is not surprising that occasionally the hand feels efficient and plays, but the defense is the most skilled, when you play, often a few rounds, a few confrontations, a few steps, you can see how your defensive ability and attitude are.
In this game, it was obvious that OG showed the high level he had, and in the game, he repeatedly defended the opponent's offense from different positions and made opponent mistakes, which caused Timberwolves coach Chris Finch to praise again and again: "He is one of the most influential defensive players in the league, and he can even defend from the No. 1 position to the No. 5 position, from Stephen Curry to Joel Embiid." ”
The addition of OG also brought about an increase in squad depth, and Brunson still helped the team win despite hitting just 5 goals from 23 shots in this game, which was previously unthinkable. In the future, there may be more "famous scenes" where the Big Three work together to win the game. It all started today.