Former Knick Obi Toppin dazzles with between-the-legs dunk for Pacers late in third quarter of Game 1
The Pacers' Obi Toppin goes up to dunk during the second half of Game 1 in an NBA second-round playoff series against the Knicks on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
Obi Toppin wasted no time reminding Knicks fans of his elite athleticism on Monday night.
Late in the third quarter of Game 1 of the Knicks-Pacers Eastern Conference semifinal series at Madison Square Garden, the Indiana forward recovered a steal by T.J. McConnell, crossed over Josh Hart and threw down a between-the-legs windmill dunk. It was something seen more frequently in a dunk contest than a playoff game, but Toppin was bold enough to try it against his former team.
It also proved somewhat moot as the Knicks beat the Pacers, 121-117. The play would have gotten a rise at the Garden during Toppin’s three seasons with the Knicks, but this time the fans were stunned and silent.
The only pocket of noise came from the Pacers’ bench. After the game, the Indiana players marveled and put the play in perspective while processing their loss.
“I’ve seen him do it many times in this arena as well. He’s a special athlete,” Tyrese Haliburton said.
“He walks out of bed and does some stuff like that,” Myles Turner added. “It juiced us up, obviously, but it’s nothing new.”
Toppin, who had 12 points and six rebounds, left before speaking to the media, but his return showed why this second-round series is more than just 1990s nostalgia between these teams.
It’s a homecoming for the Brooklyn-born fourth-year forward, who was drafted eighth overall by the Knicks in 2020 and traded to the Pacers last summer. He greeted his brother Jacob, currently on a Knicks two-way contract, and mother, Roni, before the game for a picture.
Toppin, who played limited minutes for the Knicks as Julius Randle’s backup, has found a fresh start as a Pacers reserve amid a career year. He averaged 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds and shot 57.3% from the floor, all career bests.
He raised his game in the Pacers’ first-round series win over the Bucks, scoring in double figures in the last four games, including a career-high 21 points in a Game 6 closeout win.
“I really believe his three years here [in New York] prepared him to go to a new situation and take on greater responsibility,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before the game. “He learned a lot about hard play and accountability here. When he walked in the door, he was no-nonsense. ‘Tell me what I need to do, what I need to work on.’ The things we talked to him about, he’s worked extremely hard on. He’s become a very important player for us.”
Toppin showed that in the second half. He scored nine points after the break and picked up an assist on Turner’s buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the third quarter.
The highlight-reel dunk came with less than a minute left in the third period, but it was no particular shock for the Knicks. They knew to expect something electric from their former teammate, and this dunk wasn’t your average breakaway finish.
Carlisle said before the game that Toppin helped prepare his teammates for what to expect from a playoff game at the Garden. Now he’ll need to do it with his team down 1-0 as his homecoming adds another layer to a series in which the past is prologue.
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
