Former Raptors Wing Smothers Jayson Tatum as Knicks Shock Celtics

Jayson Tatum had nowhere to go.

Everywhere he turned, OG Anunoby was there. The New York Knicks’ defensive anchor shadowed Tatum throughout the fourth, smothering a turnaround fadeaway as Tatum tried to attack in isolation. Even on the final possession, when Tatum found himself against Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby was right there, sliding off Al Horford to force Tatum away from the basket.

It was the kind of relentless defense that helped the Knicks hold Boston to just 17 points in the fourth quarter, erasing a 16-point deficit to pull off a shocking 91-90 victory in Game 2.

Anunoby didn’t provide much offensively, finishing with just five points in 39 minutes, but the former Toronto Raptors wing locked in on Tatum, holding him to 0-for-1 shooting across over eight minutes as his primary defender, per NBA Stats.

Boston once again went cold from three-point range, shooting just 10-for-40 from behind the arc. Jalen Brunson nailed a clutch jumper late in the fourth, while Josh Hart carried the offensive load for New York with 23 points as the Knicks took a 2-0 series lead back to Madison Square Garden.

Gilgeous-Alexander Flexes MVP Might in Blowout of Nuggets

The Oklahoma City Thunder barely broke a sweat.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasted no time setting the tone, dropping 13 points in the first quarter to push the Thunder to a 24-point lead that Denver never came close to erasing. The Canadian star finished with 34 points in just 30 minutes as OKC cruised to a 149-106 rout in Game 2.

Jamal Murray struggled to find his rhythm against the Thunder’s relentless defense, managing just 14 points while shooting 4-for-9 from the floor. Luguentz Dort held the Canadian guard in check, but his own offensive output was limited to 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting.

Nikola Jokic fouled out after 32 minutes, held to just 17 points and eight rebounds.

For Oklahoma City, it was the response they needed after a gut-wrenching Game 1 loss. Now, they’ll head to Denver with the series tied 1-1, aiming to maintain their defensive intensity against Jokic and the Nuggets in Game 3.

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