SAN ANTONIO — By the time he checked his phone Wednesday night, OG Anunoby had too many text messages to count.
His game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds left created a massive celebration inside Madison Square Garden and went viral immediately.
Among those who reached out were several former teammates with the Raptors. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal Named June 11 “OG Anunoby Appreciation Day.”
“It’s really cool,” Anunoby said on Friday inside Frost Bank Arena, as the Knicks prepared for Saturday night’s Game 5. “Just everyone has been telling me how much it means, and obviously I can see how much it means. It’s just really cool to be a part of it, and I’m very grateful.”
The shot, which capped an NBA Finals-record comeback for the Knicks from 29 points down in the third quarter, is already being talked about as one of the great moments in New York sports history.
It’s up there with the David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII, Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series, Rangers captain Mark Messier making good on his prediction in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals with a hat trick, and the Mets’ 1986 World Series comeback in Game 6, among others.
“I tried to explain it to him, but you know OG barely gives you any reaction,” Karl-Anthony Towns said jokingly. “So I don’t know if he’s understanding it or not. Like you said, it’s a great moment. It’s one of the best sports moments in New York history. But we’ve got to solidify it with one more win.”
Towns called Anunoby’s flying tip-in, the “Right Hand of God,” after Game 4. On Friday, a reporter showed Anunoby a photo of his play next to the original “Hand of God,” Diego Maradona’s controversial goal in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals for Argentina in which he used his left hand to score.
The referees didn’t see him using his hand, and afterwards, Maradona said it was “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the Hand of God.”
“I mean, it’s iconic,” Anunoby said.
This isn’t Anunoby’s first trip to the Finals. Seven years ago, he got there with the Raptors, but was unable to play due to an emergency appendectomy. He’s making an impact this time on the court.
In four games against the Spurs, he is averaging 23.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and shooting an absurd 55.6 percent from 3-point range.
In Game 4, he poured in 33 points and shot 7-of-9 from 3-point range, keying the stunning comeback. If the Knicks win the series, he is a leading candidate to be the series MVP.
“You can’t spell God without OG,” Towns joked.
