With 17 points and a handful of game-winning shots, Obi Toppin signed his best game of the season on the floor of the 76ers on Friday. This match was marked by the beautiful comeback of the Knicks but also by a less fortunate event: the altercation of the player with the assistant Rick Brunson.
So what was the “heated argument” between Obi Toppin and Knicks assistant Rick Brunson in Philly?
Best guess: A coach lighting a fire under a guy during, as Thibs called it, “the heat of the battle”
From the fourth, when the Knicks fell further behind, then came back to win: pic.twitter.com/Sv8FepWPYU
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 6, 2022
According to a Wells Fargo viewer, mentioned by SportsNet New York, the two men had to be separated altogether. The origin of the tension? ” He just wanted me to play harder. And he looked at me and told me to play harder. And I got the message. There were a few too many words. But I had to be more intense in my game and he made me understand that. It happened in the second half “Reports the player who shone less (7 points and 6 rebounds) last night against the Celtics.
We must believe that this exchange had a favorable effect on the strong winger who converted 5 of his 7 shots attempted in the fourth quarter that evening, including three 3-point baskets. In this altercation, Tom Thibodeau saw nothing other than a situation ” normal ” from the NBA daily, ” in the heat of the moment “.
” It is my family. I love Rick. It’s basketball. From the competition. You saw what happened when he did that. It got me going. He knows that about me. He and I will always have affection for each other. There is nothing serious “, also relativizes the player who overall signs a solid start to the season.
| Obi Toppin | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2020-21 | NYK | 62 | 11 | 49.8 | 30.6 | 73.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 4.1 |
| 2021-22 | NYK | 72 | 17 | 53.1 | 30.8 | 75.8 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 9.0 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 7 | 16 | 51.9 | 45.8 | 100.0 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 9.9 |
| Total | 141 | 14 | 52.0 | 32.0 | 75.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 6.9 | |
