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SAN ANTONIO — It was the moment before the now-famous moment.
It was delivered by the same right hand — OG Anunoby’s “right hand of God,” as Karl-Anthony Towns labeled it afterward.
Anunoby’s tip-in at the end of the Knicks’ epic 107-106 Game 4 win over the Spurs on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, which gave them a 3-1 Finals lead with the series returning here to Frost Bank Center, will go down as one of, if not the, biggest plays in Knicks history if they close this out and win the championship.
But right before, he made what might go down as the most important defensive play in franchise history.
Jalen Brunson, with the Knicks trailing by one, tried a one-handed bank shot over Victor Wembanyama, but missed badly high off the backboard.
The rebound was batted all the way into the frontcourt, and De’Aaron Fox, already with a running start, beat everyone down the court and corralled it with 13.5 seconds left in the game.
He had what seemed like a clear path to the rim, but the smarter decision would have been to pull it out, burn some clock and force the Knicks to foul him.
He went up for a layup, though, and there was the “right hand of God” proving that to be a bad decision.
Anunoby sprinted down the floor, caught up to Fox and blocked the shot, giving the Knicks possession to set up his game-winner.
Plenty of Spurs fans on social media posted videos of the play and claimed Anunoby fouled Fox, but the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report released Thursday found that it was a clean block.
“Haven’t scored,” Fox explained of his decision after the game. “Try to get a layup, get up three. Force them to need a three. OG made a good block.”
Notably, Anunoby’s block meant the Knicks only trailed by one on their final offensive possession, allowing his tip-in after Brunson’s missed 3-pointer to give them a decisive lead.
If Fox had waited to get fouled by the Knicks and subsequently made both free throws, the Knicks would have trailed by three — Brunson’s 3-pointer would have been all that mattered and Anunoby’s tip-in would have been irrelevant.
Even if Fox made just one of two free throws, it would have meant Anunoby’s tip-in tied the game and forced overtime as opposed to being the winner.
Fox thought he was giving his team a three-point lead. Anunoby pounced on his mistake and set up his own moment of glory.
“I just thought I’d be able to outrun them,” Fox said. “That’s it.”
The “right hand of God” caught up. Call it a biblical block.
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