A healthy OG Anunoby is nearly incomparable on the scale of two-way stardom. But when it comes to guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, he might be one of one.
Despite being without Jalen Brunson for an 11th consecutive game, the New York Knicks played one of their most complete games of the season to secure the series sweep over the Milwaukee Bucks.
That makes four straight losses to the Knicks for Antetokounmpo, who’s winless against the blue and orange since they acquired Anunoby last season. And it’s no coincidence.
There’s nothing simple about stopping the only player ever to average 30 points on 60% or better from field goal range. A lot of times, you just can’t stop him and instead settle for locking down his teammates.
Any player with a 7-foot-3 wingspan is going to require a collective effort defensively. Their domain over the court exceeds that of the average player and by a healthy margin. But for New York, Anunoby is leading the charge.
This matchup encapsulated not only his claim to fame in the NBA’s hierarchy of two-way play but also his career resume against Antetokounmpo.
Anunoby’s 7-foot-2 wingspan on his 6-foot-7 frame enables him to embrace the often violent motions of defenders like Giannis and counter those movements from both the horizontal and vertical planes. Thursday night’s game featured an adjustment from the Greek Freak, who shied away from almost any contact with Anunoby.
Instead, he focused on jump shots with the Knicks’ two-way star in coverage. On a night where he finished 11-for-17 from the field, Anunoby had a hand in his face for five of his six misses.
Shoutout to Mikal Bridges, another special defender in his own right, for the sixth. This is a season-long trend for Anunoby, and beyond.
According to the ever-infallible tracking data on NBA.com, he’s held Antetokounmpo to 8-of-23 shooting from the field and 0-for-4 shooting from deep across three matchups this season.
Of all the primary defenders he’s attempted more than 20 shots against this season, his 34.8% shooting average ranks dead last. Moreover, Anunoby is 11-7 all-time against Antetokounmpo.
His last loss to the Greek Freak? March of 2023.
No statistic is ever going to tell the whole story, but when the eye test matches the numbers, it’s a trend worth monitoring. Anunoby’s play against Antetokounmpo is no different.
Stop, drop, shut it down, close shop. Anunoby’s got the key. And the Knicks will be better for it, soon, with Milwaukee their most likely first-round opponent come playoffs, according to Basketball Reference.
For years, the NBA has been a can’t beat ’em, join ’em, league, with the player empowerment era diluting the once-intoxicating genesis of “Big Threes” or “Superteams” so much that you can’t even taste the booze.
Antetokounmpo and the Knicks both took the road less traveled, sticking to their guns and planting their feet with the same players and teams that founded their individual successes. For the Bucks, it netted an NBA championship, whereas the Knicks are still waiting for their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999.
Still, Thursday night’s matchup left everyone inside and outside of Milwaukee feeling confident about who has the better shot at hoisting the Larry O’Brien this June …
The team with OG Anunoby.
