Getty New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin reacts during a bout with the Houston Rockets.
The New York Knicks experienced a landmark moment on Sunday when they bested a shorthanded Washington Wizards squad by a 118-109 mark at Madison Square Garden. By persevering in the contest, the team notched its 46th win of the 2022-23 campaign and guaranteed itself a spot in the NBA Playoffs after living in lottery land last season.
Multiple players ascended to hero status during the game, too, as four Knicks finished with 20-plus points. However, given the obstacles he has faced in even receiving regular minutes this season, Obi Toppin’s effort warrants special mention.
In 33 minutes filling in for injured All-Star Julius Randle as the starting four-man, Toppin scored 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 3-of-8 from deep while adding four assists, two steals, a rebound and a blocked shot. Meanwhile, the Knicks outscored the Wiz by 19 points when he was in the game, which was tied for the best mark teamwide.
That said, one moment stood out above the rest for Toppin — his awkward jam over former teammate and Tom Thibodeau favorite Taj Gibson. After the game, the baller was as taken with that as anything else that occurred when he was on the floor.
Obi Toppin Talks About Posterizing Ex-Knick Taj Gibson
“Love OG. I did dunk on him though. Just put that out there.”
Obi Toppin wants everyone to know he dunked on Taj Gibson 😂
Toppin’s dunk — if you can call it that — came at the 8:12 mark of the fourth quarter when Quentin Grimes found him on a streaking cut down the lane. As the former No. 8 overall pick collected the ball and propelled himself toward the tin, though, Gibson elevated to contest the shot.
The former Knick bothered it just enough, too, that when Toppin tried to stuff the ball through the hoop, it instead caught iron and bounced high into the air before eventually falling through the net.
While it wasn’t pretty, Toppin will gladly take it since it was his old vet that was defending him on the play.
“Taj, wait wait — not just somebody. Taj Gibson,” Toppin clarified for reporters postgame, via SNY, when he was asked about dunking on somebody. “…It’s still a dunk, I’m counting that. I ain’t playing him again this year so I’m counting that.”
Taj Gibson’s Big Game vs the NY Knicks
It may have come in a losing effort, but Gibson still had one of his better nights of the current season against his old team. In 17 minutes of action, the 14-year veteran scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting (and 4-of-5 from deep) while adding two boards and an assist.
Asked about his old cohort’s offensive explosion, Toppin joked that it wasn’t really Gibson who had done it.
“That’s not Taj,” Toppin said. “I don’t know what that was. He was trying to hit that sidestep, skid-along-the-curb three. That looked crazy, but nah… love OG. I did dunk on him, though — just put that out there.”
The 37-year-old Gibson — who signed with Washington on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract during the offseason — has appeared in 49 games for the club, averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per contest. He has also connected on 52.0% of his shot attempts overall and 33.3% from three-point range.