Karl-Anthony Towns had a great view of the greatest offensive rebound in NBA Finals history. Towns was fighting for position under the basket when the “right hand from God” suddenly appeared and handed the New York Knicks a miracle win.

With the San Antonio Spurs clinging to a one-point lead with 5.7 seconds left in the game, Jalen Brunson took an inbounds pass from OG Anunoby and launched a long 3-point shot over two players, one of them being 7-foot-5 Victor Wembanyama. The contested shot clanked off the front of the rim and went straight up.

After seeing his defender De’Aaron Fox double team Brunson, Anunoby crashed the boards and timed his jump perfectly, soaring over Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell. Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left lifted the Knicks to a 107-106 victory and a 3-1 lead in the series.

“I inbounded the ball to Jalen [Brunson]. He got a pretty good look. I just went in and crashed,” Anunoby said of one of the most iconic plays in New York sports history.

“That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I’m not you guys. You guys know better than me. But it was just unbelievable.”

A euphoric crowd inside Madison Square Garden — many of whom bought tickets averaging around a staggering $7,200 — sang along to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” a few minutes after watching something that seemed almost impossible.

The Knicks were down by 29 points in the third quarter, and they were down 20 with under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They could have folded their tent and shifted their focus on the next game. Instead, they kept battling. After the dust settled, it was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

“Shout-out to our fans. They stuck with us,” Towns said. “We found a way to get it done.”

Towns gave OG a big bear hug as he ran down the court. After the Knicks made one final stop on the Spurs’ last possession, Towns let all his emotions out after the buzzer sounded.

“We gave ourselves a chance,” Towns said. “Sometimes you get lucky. We made our luck today.”

The Knicks may have been lucky to win the game, but luck had little to do with Anunoby’s hustle. Prior to his game-winning putback, Anunoby made the game-saving play with 12 seconds left.

After Brunson missed a floater while being defended by Wembanyama, the ball ricocheted off Harper and Josh Hart. Towns went after the loose ball, but he slapped the ball into the Knicks backcourt. Fox and Anunoby both chased down the loose ball. Fox won the foot race and could have ran out the clock or get fouled. Either one of those two choices would have been the smart basketball play. But Fox inexplicably went for a layup and his attempt got rejected by Anunoby.

Jose Alvarado grabbed the loose ball and the Knicks called time-out, setting up one of the craziest sequences you’ll ever see.

“I fell on the floor. I couldn’t really see. I don’t know. I just saw the block,” Wembanyama said on Fox’s decision to go for the layup instead of running out the clock.

Wembanyama admitted the loss was a painful one to absorb, knowing how close the Spurs were in tying the series.

“We stopped moving the ball,” Wemby said. “We stopped executing.”

When asked why the Spurs managed just 30 points in the second half after a scorching 76-point first half, Wembanyama said there were a multitude of factors that contributed to the collapse. He mentioned greed being one of them. The Spurs kept jacking up 3-pointers early in the shot clock throughout the fourth quarter, allowing the Knicks to chip away at the lead.

“I think it began before [the fourth quarter],” Wembanyama said of the Spurs’ collapse. “I can’t really explain it right now. I don’t know. … We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”

Kevin Durant’s Instagram handle is @EasyMoneySniper. It’s an appropriate nickname for one of the greatest scorers in basketball.

Durant is one of the smoothest operators when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. He’s got every shot in the book. He makes things look easy money. His career 27.2 points-per-game average puts him in the top 10. He makes 39% of his 3-point shots and 50% of his shots from the field; mostly from his favorite spot on the court — the midrange. And he is a career 88% shooter from the free throw line.

Durant — who was traded to the Houston Rockets as part of a historic seven-team deal — moved into fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, jumping ahead of Michael Jordan. Only Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James are ahead of Durant.

OMFB pulled together a list of the most efficient scorers in modern NBA history, with the following stipulations: 1) a player must have a career points-per-game average of at least 20 (PPG); 2) minimum 400 games played; 3) above the line in field goal percentage (47%), 3-point shooting (35%), and free throws (80%). Note: Because the 3-point line wasn’t introduced in the league until 1979, players such as Jerry West and Oscar Robertson were not included on the list.

Kevin Durant
PPG: 27.2 FG pct: 50.3 3PT pct: 39.1 FT pct: 88.2
KD is listed at 6-10 but with a 7-5 wingspan. Because of his remarkable length and above-average ball-handling skills, he is able to shoot over any defender.

Stephen Curry
PPG: 24.8 FG pct: 47.1 3PT pct: 42.2 FT pct: 91.2
The four-time NBA champion and 3-point king is regarded by many as the greatest shooter in basketball. Steph is the all-time leader in 3-point makes, with an accuracy of 42%.

Larry Bird
PPG: 24.3 FG pct: 49.6 3PT pct: 37.6 FT pct: 88.6
Larry Legend won three consecutive MVPs from 1984-86 and arguably one of the 10 most influential players. The three-time NBA champ would be the ideal stretch-4 in the modern NBA.

Dirk Nowitzki
PPG: 20.7 FG pct: 47.1 3PT pct: 38.0 FT pct: 87.9
Dirk helped revolutionize the game by moving the traditional low-post game to the high post. The elbow was his operating room, and he carved up defenders with his signature one-legged fadeaway.

Kyrie Irving
PPG: 23.7 FG pct: 47.4 3PT pct: 39.4 FT pct: 88.8
Kyrie is one of most gifted scorers the game has ever seen. Armed with an insanely tight handle and creative mind, Kyrie is a spectacular bucket-getter who plays his best in the clutch.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
PPG: 25.0 FG pct: 50.8 3PT pct: 36.0 FT pct: 86.5
SGA won an MVP, NBA championship and NBA scoring title before the age of 27. As a 6-6 point guard, he is a physical mismatch against the vast majority of guards. He plays with remarkable consistency.

Karl-Anthony Towns
PPG: 23.0 FG pct: 52.1 3PT pct: 39.7 FT pct: 83.9
Big KAT proclaimed himself “the greatest big man shooter of all time.” Based on statistical evidence, Towns might be right. His career combination of volume and efficiency is unmatched.

Nikola Jokic
PPG: 22.2 FG pct: 56.1 3PT pct: 36.3 FT pct: 82.4
Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone said the secret to Joker’s efficient is that he doesn’t fight it. The big man from Serbian makes the game look easy because he doesn’t force things.

Zach LaVine
PPG: 20.8 FG pct: 47.0 3PT pct: 39.1 FT pct: 83.5
LaVine entered the league mainly known as a spectacular dunker, winning the NBA Slam Dunk contest twice. He became a prolific scorer after he was traded from Minnesota to Chicago.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. He hosts a sports podcast on YouTube @onemanfastbreak1.

The 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., will feature a new wrinkle. Instead of the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format or the silly All-Star captains choosing teams, the NBA’s annual midseason showcase event will feature two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players, also known as the World team.

The three squads will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games. Each team will have a minimum of eight players, selected by a combination of fan votes (50%), current NBA players (25%), and a media panel (25%).

If NBA All-Star voting does not result in the selection of 16 U.S. players and eight international players (which can include American players with ties to other countries if necessary), then NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join either group to reach that minimum.

There was zero chance the international team wouldn’t be able to field an eight-man squad. In fact, the international talent pool is so deep that there will be snubs. When the 10 starters were announced on Jan. 19, five of them were foreign-born players. When the reserves were announced on Feb. 1, there were at least three qualified to be on Team World. Karl-Anthony Towns was born in the U.S., but represents the Dominican Republic in FIBA competitions. Towns said if selected to the All-Star game, he prefers Team World over the U.S. squad.

Assuming guys are healthy enough to play, the World team is stacked with an All-NBA starting five and plenty of firepower off the bench.

Starters
Nikola Jokic, center, Denver Nuggets
Giannis Antetokounmpo, forward, Milwaukee Bucks
Victor Wembanyama, forward-center, San Antonio Spurs
Luka Doncic, guard-forward, L.A. Lakers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, guard, Oklahoma City Thunder

Bench
Jamal Murray, guard, Denver Nuggets
Karl-Anthony Towns, forward-center, New York Knicks
Deni Avdija, guard-forward, Portland Trail Blazers
Pascal Siakam, forward, Indiana Pacers
Potential injury replacements:
* Alperen Sengun, center, Houston Rockets
* Lauri Markkanen, forward, Utah Jazz

Jokic, Wemby, Giannis, Luka, and SGA have combined for six MVPs, two scoring titles, and three NBA championships. If the season ended today, there could be a strong case to be made that these five superstars deserve to be on the All-NBA first team.

Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic was well on his way to potentially a fourth MVP award until a hyper-extended knee derailed his season and forced him out of the Denver Nuggets lineup for a month.

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, the leading vote-getter in the West, is having his best season in two years, leading the league in scoring and free throw attempts. He’s averaging 33.4 points per game, which would be his best mark since the 2023-24 season, and he gets to the line 11 times per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — born in Canada but played college basketball at Kentucky — is backing up his 2024-25 MVP season with another outstanding campaign. He’s second in the league in scoring and leads all players with 11.0 field goal makes per game. Behind Shai, the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder owns the best record in the NBA.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as The Greek Freak, garnered the most votes of any Eastern Conference player. He isn’t having his typical MVP-type season, but he remains among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.

Victor Wembanyama, now in his third year in the league, is the biggest reason why the San Antonio Spurs are poised to have their best season since the Tim Duncan era. The 22-year-old Frenchman played a vital role in helping the Spurs reach the championship game of the NBA Cup, and he was the force behind San Antonio’s three convincing wins over the OKC Thunder.

That’s quite a formidable starting unit. The bench for the World team isn’t too shabby.

Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most versatile big men in the Association. He could easily start for the World team if Jokic, Wemby, or Giannis decide to skip the All-Star game. Towns, one of the best shooting big men in the NBA, was a force on both ends of the court during the New York Knicks’ championship run in the NBA Cup tournament.

Jamal Murray finally made an NBA All-Star team after nine seasons, as he was voted on by coaches as a reserve. The Denver Nuggets guard — the pride of Kitchener, Ontario — is averaging 26 points per game, five points higher than last season, and he is shooting a career-best 44% from 3-point range. Because of Murray, the Nuggets were able to stay in the top four in the West standings despite Jokic missing a month due to a hyperextended knee.

Israel’s Deni Avdija might be the biggest reason why the Portland Trail Blazers are still in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs. The first-time All-Star should be a cinch to win Most Improved Player as he’s putting together a career year. The first Israeli-born player selected to the NBA All-Star Game is averaging 25.5 points per game, easily the best of his career and a significant jump from his first season with the Blazers (16.9).

Forward Pascal Siakam from Cameroon was named to his fourth All-Star game as a reserve despite the Indiana Pacers’ abysmal record. Siakam has led the Pacers in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 23.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

Two potential injury replacements on the World team are Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.

Finland’s Markkanen ranks ninth in the league in scoring (27.9). He would be the ideal small ball 4 or stretch 4, allowing the guards on the World team space to operate. Sengun, who powered Turkey to a silver medal at EuroBasket 2025, is enjoying the best season of his young NBA career, posting career highs in points, assists, steals, blocks, field goal attempts, and free throw percentage.

About the only question marks for the World team are health and availability. Jokic is nursing a knee injury, Doncic has had an assortment of ailments, and Antetokounmpo will likely miss the All-Star game because of a calf injury. If fully healthy and able to participate in the showcase event in L.A., the World team is a scary squad on paper.

Team World’s starting backcourt of Luka and Shai are the top two scorers in the NBA, and its massive starting frontcourt could block the sun.

In a perfect situation, one of the U.S. teams will play Team World in the finals. And don’t bet against the World team.

Love it or hate, the NBA Cup is here to stay. And years from now, we’re going to look at it differently.

The New York Knicks became the latest team win the NBA Cup, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s the first time in 52 years that the Knicks have ever won anything in the NBA. The last time New Yorkers celebrated a professional basketball title, Knicks superfan Spike Lee was only 16 years old.

Lee, now 68, witnessed his beloved Knicks beat Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs in Las Vegas. Wembanyama, 21, wasn’t even born yet the last time the Knicks reached a championship game. It was 1999 and the grit-and-grind Knicks were coached by Jeff Van Gundy and spearheaded by Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, John Starks, and Anthony Mason.

Now, the Knicks can finally hang a banner at Madison Square Garden next to NBA titles won in 1970 and 1973 thanks to a new group of gritty guys, headed by Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

“This is on the road to an NBA championship,” Lee said on “NBA Nightcap” on Amazon Prime. It’s a great day. It’s not done yet. It’s a tough league. It’s gonna be a fight.”

Brunson put on an MVP performance in Vegas, scoring 40 points in the semifinal win over the Orlando Magic and 25 points in the championship game against the Spurs.

The former Villanova standout is playing at an elite level. New York Knicks coach Mike Brown hammered home a specific point he’s been making in recent weeks — that Brunson, even this early in the season, belongs in the regular-season MVP conversation.

“He makes the game easier for everybody,” Brown said. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do, and he definitely did that tonight. … At the end of the day, he carries you home. It’s beautiful to be able to see him do what he’s more than capable of doing on a national stage like this, in an environment like this. Hopefully you guys as media and the fans out there can continue talking about him as an MVP of this league because that’s exactly what he is.”

If Brunson keeps playing this way, the MVP case is going to get even more compelling.

He was the NBA’s clutch player of the year last season, so it’s not like he’s been ignored by voters. Brown just wants him to be in the hunt for a bigger trophy.

“You see a lot of other great candidates that are well-deserving but I don’t ever hear Jalen’s name,” Brown said. “When you’re first or second in either conference, and you’re putting up the numbers that he’s putting up, his name’s got to be one of the first names coming out of somebody’s mouth.”

For the past three years since its inception, the NBA Cup has seen its share of detractors. One of the loudest critics is The Athletic’s John Hollinger, who suggested that the in-season tournament forced players to play more games leading to potential injuries.

Critics also say the whole thing is a gimmick, from the outrageously loud and colorful courts to the somewhat confusing group tiebreakers.

Say what you want about the NBA Cup, at least the NBA is making an effort to make waves in the fall season and put a small dent on the NFL’s stranglehold on viewership.

It appears to be working. The NBA has seen a surge in fan interest in the early portion of the 2025-26 season, with a 92% bump in viewership for nationally televised games. Thanks to new broadcast partners NBC and Amazon Prime, joining ABC/ESPN, the league is enjoying its best viewership numbers in 15 years.

But the biggest win so far is the fact that the players are embracing the NBA Cup. They competed hard each and every night the Cup games were held, injecting a playoff-type atmosphere that has resulted in some fantastic games.

“This is not a typical regular-season game,” Wembanyama said after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals. “We knew if that if we lose, we’re out. And you know, some people are built for these moments. Some aren’t. But we definitely are.”

The NBA Cup games in Las Vegas have replaced the league’s Christmas Day lineup as the Association’s marquee event of the fall. It hasn’t overtaken the NFL yet, but in three short years it has generated a lot of buzz and made the early portion of the season far more interesting.

The NBA Cup final didn’t count in the standings, and the stats won’t be added to any official totals. A trophy was at stake and $533,000 cash bonus for the winning team.

It was the third different finals matchup in the NBA Cup — which was initially referred to as the In-Season Tournament. During its inception, the L.A. Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers. In the second year, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a convincing victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Add the New York Knicks to the champions list.

“The Cup is special. I think you saw tonight, here in Vegas the semifinals and finals, it brought out the best in all the teams,” Knicks center Towns said while proudly wearing a championship T-shirt.

“For us to be in a position to say that we won and we’re the champions, and to have this dope-ass shirt on with the Knicks saying as champions is humbling and an honor.”

Karl-Anthony Towns could be the No. 1 pick in the draft. (REUTERS)

The Golden State Warriors may have made small ball trendy, but the NBA is still a big man’s league. Go big or go home. That’s the TNT slogan in the NBA playoffs.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers could be the big winners in the 2015 NBA draft as both teams should walk away with a franchise center on June 25.

The Lakers are coming off the franchise’s worst season, winning just 21 games and finishing with the fourth-worst record. Kobe Bryant missed 47 games because of a shoulder injury and Julius Randle’s rookie season lasted just 13 minutes when he tore his ACL in the season opener.

From that point on, the Lakers’ season was in shambles. The glamour franchise of the Association lost a lot of its luster, and a lot of the media attention shifted to the other L.A. team.

But the basketball gods finally sprinkled some Magic Johnson dust on the Lakers when the ping-pong balls landed them in the No. 2 overall spot.

The Lakers need a post-Kobe plan and find their next superstar to anchor the franchise the next 10-15 years. The Lakers have a long history when it comes to dominant big men, from George Mikan to Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O’Neal. All four centers are featured in the rafters at Staples Center.

The NBA would not publicly admit it but the league is better off when one of its glamour teams, such as the Lakers, Celtics or Knicks, are relevant. The Lakers’ rebuilding process begins this summer, and they’ll gladly take whomever the Timberwolves don’t pick.

OneManFastBreak.net examines the top eight prospects in the NBA draft:

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
6-11, center, Kentucky
Scouting report: Towns is the best of an excellent crop of Kentucky prospects in the draft. The 19-year-old versatile big man, who made the Dominican-Republican national team as a 16-year-old, can play center or power forward and has very quick feet for a 235-pound athlete. His agility is what makes him a superb defender, a skill set that should make his transition to the pro game much smoother. NBA teams are looking for bigs who can switch pick-and-rolls and defend point guards. Towns also showed flashes of a dominant low-post game during the NCAA tournament. He has a nice jump hook going to his right and feels comfortable with his back to the basket or facing up. He has nice form on his jumper, which he could develop into a real weapon if he works at it.
NBA comparison: Anthony Davis

JAHLIL OKAFOR
6-11, center, Duke
Scouting report: Okafor is a throwback, classic big man who prefers to do most of his work in the paint. He feels right at home with his back to the basket and his massive hands enable him to catch anything within his reach. At 270 pounds, Okafor is a handful to handle near the rim. He can score within either hand and has the power to back you down. He also has all the post moves: drop step, jump hook, spin move. If he has a weakness it’s his conditioning. He got exposed a little during the Final Four when fatigue set in that led to unnecessary fouls. Any NBA team that selects Jahlil will need to put him on a conditioning program from the get-go and monitor his weight. Once he works himself into better shape, he’ll be a beast.
NBA comparison: DeMarcus Cousins

EMMANUEL MUDIAY
6-5, guard, Guangdong (China)
Scouting report: SMU coach Larry Brown calls Mudiay “the next John Wall”. That’s high praise for someone who remains a draft mystery. Mudiay could have played under Brown for a year but instead opted to play in China. The Wall comparison is not farfetched. Mudiay is a big, strong point guard with dynamic speed and excels in the pick-and-roll game. He can explode to the basket with either hand, and has the size and strength (6-5, 200) to finish at the rim. Brown ranks Mudiay ahead of fellow prospect D’Angelo Russell because of the way Mudiay can run a team and play defense. One major concern teams have about Mudiay is his shot. Brown says his shot is not broken but definitely needs some work. He struggles shooting from midrange and is a bad free-throw shooter. Another aspect of his game that needs to be refined is ball security because he has a tendency to be loose with the ball.
NBA comparison: John Wall

WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN
7-0, center, Kentucky
Scouting report: At 21 years old, Cauley-Stein is one of the oldest players in the draft so he’s more mature physically than almost all of his peers. He has all the physical attributes you want in an NBA center. He’s a 7-footer with a 7-2 wingspan and can cover a lot of ground. He’s not the most polished offensive player available but he’s a terrific defender. He can defend all five positions, which is big luxury because most NBA teams now ask their centers to be able to cover point guards off ball screens. Cauley-Stein has unbelievable quickness for a big man, which allows him to close out on shooters and shut down driving lanes. On offense, most of Cauley-Stein’s points came on layups and dunks, so don’t expect him to be Hakeem Olajuwon when you throw him the ball in the low block. He should be a terrific pick-and-roll player.
NBA comparison: Tyson Chandler

JUSTISE WINSLOW
6-6, guard-forward, Duke
Scouting report: Winslow’s greatest strength is his effort and energy on both ends of the court. San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard comes to mind when compared to a current NBA player. He is a gifted athlete who can score in a variety of ways. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski played him at power forward most of the season, and few college big forwards could check him because of his size and speed (6-6, 222). He’ll likely play shooting guard or small forward in the NBA, so he won’t have a distinct advantage. But he’s good enough to make that transition and should be a good two-way player. His jump shot remains inconsistent, but that can be rectified with proper technique and repetition.
NBA comparison: Kawhi Leonard

D’ANGELO RUSSELL
6-5, guard, Ohio State
Scouting report: Russell is not as quick or as explosive as Mudiay but he’s very crafty. His shooting makes up for his lack of speed, as he averaged 19 points per game and shot over 40 percent from 3-point range in college. He has good size (6-5), so he can look over a defense and make the correct pass. He can play point or shooting guard, which is a major plus considering most teams like to play two point guards at the same time. One concern is his lack of a right hand and athleticism. He wears out the left side of the court too much and feels uncomfortable going to his off hand. He also struggles against quicker point guards, which can spell trouble because he won’t see too many slow point guards.
NBA comparison: George Hill

STANLEY JOHNSON
6-6, guard-forward, Arizona
Scouting report: Johnson was highly touted coming out of Mater Dei High School (Calif.), but didn’t have a smooth transition to college. Arizona coach Sean Miller was unhappy with Johnson’s work ethic in practice. Johnson claims he didn’t play as hard in practice because he was so physically gifted in high school that he didn’t have to exert too much effort. That attitude carried over in the early part of his one year in Tucson, but once he figured it out he became a beast in the Pac-12. Johnson is a physical specimen (6-6, 240) who can overpower smaller guards and strong enough to guard power forwards. He’s also a decent spot-up shooter with a chance to be a very good shooter. He’s very explosive off the dribble and, because of his upper body strength, can bust through contact and finish at the rim. He does run hot and cold on defense, but when he’s focused he can be a lock-down defender.
NBA comparison: Jimmy Butler

TREY LYLES
6-10, forward, Kentucky
Scouting report: Lyles was overshadowed by teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein, but he may have been Kentucky’s most versatile big man. He may not do one thing very well but he does everything well. Coach John Calipari played him at small forward most of the time but he may be more suited as a stretch 4 at the next level. Lyles has the size and strength (6-10, 235) to play either forward spot, and because of his massive 7-3 wingspan he can play some center. He was awful from the college 3-point line (13%), but he made over 50% of his 2-point shots. That tells us he’s got a nice touch from 15-18 feet, which is where most of his shots will come if he plays the pinch post. He’ll be a nightmare matchup because he’s too quick for most power forwards and too long against most small forwards. If Lyles played elsewhere in college he would have posted better statistics and gotten more recognition.
NBA comparison: Markief Morris

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.