OG Anunoby and the Toronto Raptors have spent the last few days getting pulverized by the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets, with a poor first quarter in both games dooming them to failure. Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, and the rest of the starting lineup needed to get back on track against the Orlando Magic.
After putting up 36 points in the first quarter against a Magic team that was missing several starters, they certainly did the job there. Barnes did his part, recording a double-double after just 20 minutes on the floor. The star of the show, however, was Anunoby, as he led the Raptors to a 121-108 victory over Orlando.
Anunoby finished with 32 points on 12-17 shooting in 33 minutes of work. Had the game situation been a bit closer, Anunoby would have smashed his old personal best of 36 points in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks last season.
Anunoby came into this game averaging 18.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game with efficient shooting percentages, showing even more growth in his offensive game. Raptors fans were loving what OG put on display, as the Magic had no answers for Toronto’s budding All-Star.
OG Anunoby with 23 points on 9-10 shooting at halftime. All-Star him.
— ً (@enra6ed) December 4, 2022
OG Anunoby led the Toronto Raptors to a win vs. the Orlando Magic.
Anunoby did nail a couple of 3-pointers, but he did most of his damage in the paint. Undaunted by a long Magic lineup that featured the resurgent Bol Bol and Rookie of the Year favorite Paolo Banchero, Anunoby was outmuscling Orlando all night long.
O.G. Anunoby's shot chart tonight is just a picture of someone punching a guy in the face
— Louis Zatzman (@LouisZatzman) December 4, 2022
Anunoby averaged 21.2 points per game in November, a month where Pascal Siakam was out for most of Toronto’s games, while topping 25 points in a game six times. Nights like this are starting to become expected for a player who entered the league with questions about his offense.
An OG Anunoby 30 piece, this is his year 💀
— THE SHIFT (@theshift_sports) December 4, 2022
While Siakam is expected to be right in the middle of the All-Star conversation, it would be a major disservice to exclude Anunoby from that conversation. If defense and impact on a winning squad matter to those who pick the teams, there is no justification at this moment to leave Anunoby off the team.
OG is legit one of the best 2 way players in the NBA right now. Him amd Siakam deserve all star nods.
— Federally Subsidized Kool-Aid Jammer (@chuued) December 4, 2022
Anunoby went from a guy that everyone was trying to throw into hypothetical offseason blockbusters to someone getting national publicity for his defense. If he can put together these sorts of nights with some degree of regularity, the All-Star case will be impossible to ignore.