Getty Obi Toppin #1 of the New York Knicks talks to fans before the start of the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jalen Brunson delivered 23 points and four assists to lead the way for the New York Knicks‘ march to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, but he made sure to credit Obi Toppin for stepping up after Julius Randle re-injured his left ankle.
Toppin picked up the slack, scoring all his 12 points in an electric third-quarter performance that kept the Cleveland Cavaliers at bay en route to a 106-95 win in Game 5 to wrap up their NBA Playoffs first-round series.
“Big time, big time,” Brunson said of Toppin’s Game 5 performance. “Obi [made] shots, and he just really played well. And what he’s able to do is, this is what he does–next man up mentality, as I said before. He provided a great, great spark for us.”
Toppin started the third quarter after Randle left 1:17 remaining in the first half. He was pumped from the get-go, rattling off seven straight points to start the second half as the Knicks extended their 10-point halftime lead to 68-53 in the first two minutes.
Toppin capped off the scoring explosion with a running dunk off Brunson’s feed that gave the Knicks a 16-point lead, 81-65, with 4:05 left in the third quarter.
“My approach is the same every time I enter the game,” Toppin told reporters after the game. “I know what I got to do–be aggressive, go out there, bring a lot of energy and have fun and definitely play defense. So I felt like not only myself, we all did that today.”
Toppin averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 45.7% from the field and 35.3% from deep in just 17.3 minutes off the bench in the first round.
If Randle misses time, Toppin’s play will be crucial in their second-round matchup against the scorching Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.
Knicks Lose Jericho Sims to Season-Ending Injury
The Knicks announced on Thursday, April 27, that third-string center Jericho Sims underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn labrum and cuff tendon in his right shoulder at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
Sims will be out for at least five months to heal and recover. He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in October.
Sims, the 53rd overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, averaged 3.4 points — on 78% shooting — and 4.7 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game this season. He appeared in 52 games with 16 starts.
Mitchell Robinson Proves He’s NBA’s Best Offensive Rebounder
Mitchell Robinson set the tone for the Knicks’ defense in Game 5 as he did throughout the first round. He dominated the Cavaliers frontline duo of Jarrett Allen, an All-Star center last year, and Evan Mobley, a Defensive Player of the Year finalist this season.
Robinson had a monster double-double in Game 5, finishing with 13 points, 18 rebounds (11 offensive rebounds) and 3 blocks.
“I’ve said this all along,” Thibodeau said. “I think he’s the best offensive rebounder in the league. Oftentimes he’s got two bodies on him, and they’re making a conscious effort to keep him off the glass. And now his defensive rebounding has come along also – that rebounding piece is huge. And then the shot-blocking, the rim protection, pick-and-roll defense, and his offense is starting to come as well.”
Robinson is leading the league in offensive rebounds in the NBA Playoffs with 5.8 per game in the first round.