{"id":1796,"date":"2026-06-12T11:35:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796"},"modified":"2026-06-12T11:35:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:35:01","slug":"anunobys-tip-in-was-perfect-indictment-of-an-inexcusable-ugly-spurs-collapse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796","title":{"rendered":"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

OPINION:<\/strong><\/p>\n

In December, San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama explained to reporters that the Spurs played a style of \u201cpure and ethical\u201d basketball.<\/p>\n

Read more Graham Platner: A dark period or a lifetime of darkness?<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIn modern basketball, we see a lot of brands of basketball that don\u2019t offer much variety in dangers they propose to the opponents,\u201d he said. \u201cLots of isolation ball and, sometimes, kind of forced basketball. We try to propose a brand of basketball that can be described as more old school sometimes; the Spurs way as well. So it\u2019s tactically more correct basketball, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, I\u2019m not sure even Bernie Madoff would have tried to describe what the Spurs did in the second half as \u201cethical\u201d in their historic 107-106 collapse Wednesday night at the hands of the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n

Dishonorable, unprincipled, reprehensible, maybe. But taking 17 three-point shots and sinking only three of them when you already have a 29-point lead? Not ethical basketball, no.<\/p>\n

In fact, it was everything that Wembanyama held his nose about in that December lecture. And the winning shot for New York \u2014 a tip-in by O.G. Anunoby of a missed Jalen Brunson shot with 1.2 seconds left to give the Knicks the one-point win \u2014 was all that Wembanyama praised.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s NBA, there are few things that are more old school than crashing the boards for an offensive put back. It\u2019s something Dave DeBusschere would have done during the Knicks championship glory days of the early 1970s.<\/p>\n

It could barely be called a shot \u2014 more like a fingertip. But the talk is now it may be the greatest shot in the history of the franchise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if there was a play bigger than any other play in the history of Knicks basketball,\u201d New York coach Mike Brown said, still caught up in the moment that rocked the Garden a few minutes earlier. \u201cThat has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n

We shall see. The Knicks will take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series to San Antonio for Game 5. If they go on to win, then yes, finally there will be something worthy this team will have accomplished to take its place among the accomplishments of DeBusschere, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and others from the 1970 and 1973 championship squads.<\/p>\n

Read more British defense minister resigns after losing battle for increased military spending<\/a><\/p>\n

If the Spurs come back and win the series? It will take its place with Steve McNair\u2019s one-yard short final drive for the Tennessee Titans in the 2000 Super Bowl and other heroics that wound up footnotes in defeat.<\/p>\n

A third franchise championship, and the first since 1973, might be enough to make the \u201ctip-in\u201d the greatest shot in Knicks history.<\/p>\n

As great as those glory years were, the only defining shot came at the start of Game 7 in the 1970s finals, when Reed, playing on one leg with a torn thigh muscle, hit the first shot of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then he hit the second, and that was all he would score in limited play. New York would go on to win the game 113-99, led by Frazier\u2019s all-time Game 7 performance of 36 points and 19 assists.<\/p>\n

But that was such a singular iconic moment \u2014 Reed\u2019s most important shot may have been the first one he sank in warmups after limping out of the locker room while the Lakers all stopped and watched him \u2014 there is nothing comparable to that.<\/p>\n

Which would leave Anunoby\u2019s tip-in with a place all of its own \u2014 celebrated like Mookie Wilson\u2019s ground-ball dribbler for the Mets in Game 6 of the World Series or David Tyree\u2019s helmet catch for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.<\/p>\n

For right now, I think it\u2019s a soul-crushing play for the Spurs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going through my mind right now? I think it\u2019s going to go one of two ways. \u2026 A bad one and a good one,\u201d Wembanyama said. \u201cThe bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think the Spurs have it in them.<\/p>\n

Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was about San Antonio\u2019s second-half self-destruction more than New York\u2019s defensive pressure.<\/p>\n

Yes, the Knicks capitalized on it, but I saw an immature team cave under the pressure of too much success \u2014 a record 14 three-pointers in the first half \u2014 not one capable of getting stronger from their self-induced failure.<\/p>\n

Read more Walmart aims to expand drone delivery service in 2027<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Catch Thom Loverro on \u201cThe Kevin Sheehan Show\u201d podcast.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In December, Victor Wembanyama said the Spurs played a style of “pure and ethical” basketball. Well, I’m not sure even Bernie Madoff would have tried to describe what the Spurs did in the second half as “ethical” in their historic collapse Wednesday night.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,275],"tags":[549,547,276,279],"class_list":["post-1796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","category-sports-columns","tag-madison-square-garden","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-victor-wembanyama"],"yoast_head":"\nAnunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse - Home Buyer Relocation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In December, Victor Wembanyama said the Spurs played a style of "pure and ethical" basketball. Well, I'm not sure even Bernie Madoff would have tried to describe what the Spurs did in the second half as "ethical" in their historic collapse Wednesday night.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Home Buyer Relocation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-12T11:35:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a\"},\"headline\":\"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-12T11:35:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796\"},\"wordCount\":811,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Madison Square Garden\",\"New York Knicks\",\"San Antonio Spurs\",\"Victor Wembanyama\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Opinion\",\"Sports Columns\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796\",\"name\":\"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse - Home Buyer Relocation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-12T11:35:01+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":700},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=1796#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Home Buyer Relocation\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse - Home Buyer Relocation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse - Home Buyer Relocation","og_description":"In December, Victor Wembanyama said the Spurs played a style of \"pure and ethical\" basketball. Well, I'm not sure even Bernie Madoff would have tried to describe what the Spurs did in the second half as \"ethical\" in their historic collapse Wednesday night.","og_url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796","og_site_name":"Home Buyer Relocation","article_published_time":"2026-06-12T11:35:01+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a"},"headline":"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse","datePublished":"2026-06-12T11:35:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796"},"wordCount":811,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg","keywords":["Madison Square Garden","New York Knicks","San Antonio Spurs","Victor Wembanyama"],"articleSection":["Opinion","Sports Columns"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796","url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796","name":"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse - Home Buyer Relocation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-12T11:35:01+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/817cc92226a59c73fa20d9d139bc9e3c.jpg","width":1200,"height":700},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1796#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Anunoby\u2019s tip-in was perfect indictment of an inexcusable, ugly Spurs\u2019 collapse"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/","name":"Home Buyer Relocation","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com"],"url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}