OG Anunoby further consolidated his place in the All-Star conversation after his best performance of the season saw him put the Denver Nuggets to the sword.
OG Anunoby Puts Up 40 Points vs Nuggets
OG Anunoby’s finest performance in the NBA yet saw him post 40 points on the way to a monumental 145-118 win for the Knicks over Denver on Monday night.
Anunoby has been synonymous with shoring up the Knicks defense since making the switch last year. After telling The Athletic’s James Edwards that he prided himself on “being a two-way player, not just a defender,” he will feel more than vindicated in his claim after his sixth 20+ point display of the season.
Anunoby scored a career-high 40 points on 16-of-23 shooting – that included 11-of-16 inside of the arc. He also reeled in five rebounds and four assists on his way to another dazzling two-way performance.
Since departing the Raptors, he has been far more fruitful from midrange, bumping up his percentage of attempted shots from 31.5% to 35%.
OG Anunoby Makes Plus-Minus History
Although the 27-year-old has already been an NBA champion and a steals leader in a colorful career so far, he is well on course for a personal-best year.
His plus-minus of +21 against Denver means he is the first player in NBA history to record a +/- of +450 or higher in the first 40 games with a new franchise.
It certainly hasn’t taken long for OG to settle into life in the Big Apple, and since signing to the richest contract in team history over the summer ($212.5 million), he has more than repaid their faith in him.
OG ANUNOBY TONIGHT
40 POINTS
5 REBOUNDS
4 ASSISTS
16-23 FG
5-7 3P
+22ALL. STAR.
pic.twitter.com/GgAmE1KmFR— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) November 26, 2024
An All-Star Spot For Anunoby?
Two years ago whilst representing Toronto, Anunoby was asked what his hopes and aspirations were for the 2022-23 season. He responded: “I mean, like, besides team goals?”
“I know all the goals come from team goals, but I want to be an NBA All-Star. That’s an individual goal.”
History has shown it to be rare for defensive players with consistent – but not spectacular – points scoring to be included in the All-Star game.
However, the Eastern Conference has a discernible lack of high-performing wing players this season; Jaylen Brown’s shooting has been far from his usual best, the injured Paul George has barely featured and Paolo Banchero’s injury absence may remove him from the conversation entirely.
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