Mike Brown’s – Mike Brown says he challenged OG Anunoby to be a “monster” on the offensive glass before OG’s legendary putback with 2.2 seconds left in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
When OG Anunoby ran to the basket with just over two seconds left in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the moment felt bigger than a shot—it felt like a verdict on what kind of night the Knicks could survive.
At 2.2 seconds on the clock, Anunoby lifted the ball toward the rim, watched it glide through the net, and handed New York the kind of lead you don’t want to give back. The Knicks held on to secure the Game 4 win.
Afterward, head coach Mike Brown explained exactly what he had asked from No. 8 before that moment ever arrived. Brown said he challenged several players that day, and that Anunoby was one of the guys he singled out.
“I challenged a lot of our guys today, and OG was one of the guys that I challenged,” Brown said. He told Anunoby that, as big, as strong, and as athletic as he is, he needed to do one specific thing—be an impact force in a place the box score can’t always capture.
“He’s gotta be a monster on the offense glass tonight,” Brown said. And when Brown described what he was looking for, it wasn’t vague. It was the kind of offensive rebound that changes possessions, momentum, and ultimately games.
Brown believes Anunoby’s putback fits that description so perfectly that he compared it to the biggest play of its kind in Knicks history. “I don’t know if there’s a play bigger than any other play in the history of Knicks basketball. ” Brown said. before pointing directly to what happened: “That was a huge offensive rebound. huge offensive rebound.”.
Then he framed Anunoby’s response as more than just execution—it was meeting the challenge at the exact time it mattered. Brown said Anunoby took on what was asked and “went and won the game for us,” doing precisely what Brown had called out during shootaround the day before.
“They went and won the game for us doing exactly what I called him out for during shoot around the day,” Brown added.
That sequence—Brown’s message in practice, Anunoby’s presence when the clock was almost out, and the Knicks’ lead turning into a final—has now become part of how the win is remembered. For Anunoby, the putback wasn’t just clutch; it was the kind of play that leaves a team rewriting its own history.
OG Anunoby Mike Brown New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs NBA Finals Game 4 offensive glass putback 2.2 seconds