Skip to main content
SI

Best Moments in NBA Finals History—Where Does OG Anunoby’s Knicks’ Game-Winner Rank?

Blake Silverman|
OG Anunoby is a New York legend
OG Anunoby is a New York legend | Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

In this story:

New York KnicksSan Antonio Spurs

The Knicks completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history in storybook fashion.

New York overcame a 29-point deficit to the Spurs with an unbelievable second half and fourth-quarter surge. Jalen Brunson got the ball in his hands with a chance to win the game, but when his final three-point attempt hit the front iron, it was OG Anunoby who crashed the glass to steal the game and give Knicks fans a moment to remember forever.

Not only that, but Anunoby’s heroic effort in Game 5 instantly becomes one of the best moments in NBA Finals history. With a historic comeback and an improbable game-winner, Anunoby’s tip-in is right up there next to defining moments from the careers of legends like LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

The Knicks are starved for a championship as the franchise made its first trip to the Finals in 27 years this season. New York hasn’t won a title since 1973 and now moves just one win away after one of the most unbelievable efforts you’ll ever see. And it all happened at Madison Square Garden, which has hosted the two most anticipated (and expensive) NBA games in recent memory this week. All that kept the Knicks from heading back to San Antonio in an even series was a historic collapse by the Spurs, capped off by a trademark moment amid an epic playoff run.

So, where does Anunoby’s game-winner rank among the best moments in NBA Finals history? We went down memory lane with some of the greatest shots and performances from basketball’s biggest stage:

10. 2001: Allen Iverson’s icy stepover

AI’s stepover on Tyronn Lue lives on as a meme to this day.

It was the exclamation point of an absolutely epic NBA Finals performance. Iverson dropped 48 points with six assists and five steals. The signature shot put the 76ers up by four with 40 seconds left in overtime. Philadelphia held on to win and put a real scare into the Lakers, headlined by Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Los Angeles won the next four games, but this was the legendary moment from Iverson’s only MVP season and, debatably, his illustrious career.

9. 1976: Gar Heard’s turnaround jumper to force a third overtime

The shot heard round the world.

With two seconds left in the second overtime of Game 5 in the 1976 Finals, Heard sank a turnaround jumper to force the first triple overtime in NBA Finals history. The Suns had this moment, but the Celtics eventually won the game and took home the title in six games for their second championship in three years.

8. 2005: Robert Horry’s overtime game-winning three to beat Pistons

This is why they call him “Big Shot Bob.”

Horry inbounded the ball with 5.8 seconds left in overtime of Game 5 in the 2005 Finals. Rasheed Wallace went to Manu Ginóbili which left Horry wide open to ice the game for the Spurs. Horry made five threes and 21 points that night with 18 coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Spurs would go on to best the Pistons in Game 7 to take home the title. This one’s a bit personal as 11-year-old me was in the building and Horry’s shot made it so you could hear a pin drop in the old Palace of Auburn Hills.

7. 2013: Ray Allen’s magical corner three-pointer for Heat

Another absolutely devastating loss for the Spurs. James missed a three-pointer to tie Game 6 of the 2013 Finals, but luckily for Miami, Chris Bosh was there to grab the rebound. He saw Allen who backpedaled beyond the three-point line without any time to see if his feet were set. It was storybook—the shot went through, the Heat won in overtime and Miami won its second straight title the next game.

6. 1970: The Willis Reed game

Reed’s status was unknown entering Game 7 of the NBA Finals. But when he hobbled out of the tunnel, both his play and his perseverance helped inspire the Knicks to a title-clinching win over the Lakers. He sat out Game 6 which paved the way for Wilt Chamberlain to take over as the Lakers evened the series and forced a decider. Reed’s gutty performance won out in the end.

It was the Knicks’ first title and 50-plus years later, New York is closing in on its third.

5. 2026: OG Anunoby’s tip-in to complete historic Knicks comeback

You can certainly claim recency bias here, but I’m giving some credit to the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Madison Square Garden was starving for a win and Anunoby gave Knicks fans an instantly iconic moment to bring New York one win away from the franchise’s first title since 1973. We’ll see how this one holds once the series is finished, but Anunoby’s make through three Spurs and the massive comeback is one of the best Finals moments ever.

4. 1997: The flu game

Jordan wasn’t anything close to healthy for Game 5 of the 1997 Finals, but he still put together an unbelievable 38-point performance to give the Bulls a 3–2 lead. Chicago won the title in six thanks to another iconic moment—a big shot from Steve Kerr. But Jordan’s performance when anyone else would’ve been bedridden remains a cornerstone of NBA folklore.

3. 1998: Michael Jordan’s game-winner in final game with Chicago

In what was his final game with the Bulls, Jordan sank an iconic game-winning midrange jumper after a big steal which gave him his sixth title and the second three-peat in seven years for Chicago. Ice cold until the very end from the greatest of all time.

2. 1987: Magic Johnson’s “junior” sky hook

Johnson’s baby sky hook shot gave the Lakers the lead in Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals with two seconds to go. Larry Bird then missed a shot at the buzzer which gave Los Angeles a 3–1 lead. The Lakers then finished off the Celtics in six games, but it was Johnson’s shot over Kevin McHale and Robert Parish that was the shining moment of the series.

1. 2016: LeBron James’s chase-down block in Game 7 vs. Warriors

“Blocked by James!”

James’s block on Andre Iguodala in a tied Game 7 with less than two minutes to go is fairly recent, but it has all the makings to be the top moment in NBA Finals history. Game 7, the league’s greatest scorer of all time leads his hometown team to its first and only title, a 3–1 comeback. The signature moment of James’s legendary career.

More NBA Finals From Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Published | Modified
Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.

Share on XFollow blakesilverman
Home/NBA