Obi Toppin’s Emphatic Between-the-Legs Dunk vs. Knicks Left NBA Fans in Awe

May 7, 2024 Jimm Sallivan

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin made a statement during the third quarter of Monday’s Game 1 against the New York Knicks, when he threw down a gigantic between-the-legs dunk on his former team.

After T.J. McConnell poked the ball free from Jalen Brunson, Toppin recovered the loose ball and turned on the jets. The 26-year-old shot past Josh Hart and broke free for an open dunk, and he didn’t hesitate to turn to the Eastbay when the spotlight was on him.

Toppin, who played the first three years of his NBA career in New York and is a Brooklyn native, offered Knicks fans a trip down memory lane with the highlight-reel dunk, reminding them just how devastating a finisher he can be when given some space at the rim.

NBA fans on social media were incredibly impressed with Toppin’s Eastbay dunk, and they sounded off on X in the aftermath.

OBI TOPPIN JUST BROKE OUT THE EASTBAY 🤯

Pacers lead Game 1 entering the 4th quarter on TNT. pic.twitter.com/YEoZtgaPgN

— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2024

Obi Toppin just said, “Remember me, MSG?”

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 7, 2024

BETWEEN THE LEGS IN A CLOSE PLAYOFF MSG GAME IS CRAZY pic.twitter.com/FPRr72K5Ym

— M R (@fliffbits) May 7, 2024

Crazy he did this here 🫠 https://t.co/uY4PwbPX0Z

— Kim Adams (@_kimadams) May 7, 2024

Between the legs dunk in a playoff game is simply insane behavior lol

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 7, 2024

Obi really threw out a dunk-contest slam in a tight playoff game

— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) May 7, 2024

Is Obi Toppin kidding me with that dunk???? Hahahhahahha

— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) May 7, 2024

You’re not Toppin that.

— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) May 7, 2024

did obi just eastbay in a game???

— bomani (@bomani_jones) May 7, 2024

3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Caitlin Clark’s Fever Home Preseason Debut Moved Up Due to Pacers’ NBA Playoff Game

Caitlin Clark-mania will take over Indiana a day sooner than fans of the WNBA rookie expected.

The Indiana Fever's first home preseason game of the 2024 season—Clark's debut in front of Indiana fans in the WNBA—originally scheduled for Friday, May 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, has been moved up to Thursday due to a conflict with the Indiana Pacers, who will be hosting Game 3 of the Eastern conference semifinals against the New York Knicks that night.

"Due to the Pacers home playoff schedule for the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Fever preseason game originally scheduled for Friday, May 10, has been moved to Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tickets for Friday's game will be valid for Thursday's rescheduled date. The game will also be shown on the WNBA app," the team said in a statement posted onto its account on X, formerly Twitter.

The Pacers' win over the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as the Knicks' victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, led to the scheduling conflict at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the shared home of the Pacers and the Fever.

Clark-mania has taken over the WNBA, as there has been a spike in ticket interest in the Fever, as well as an increase in the number of nationally-televised games the team will play in 2024.

Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, is slated to make her professional basketball debut on Friday night against the Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. ET. The West Des Moines, Ia. native's regular season debut is scheduled for May 14 against the Connecticut Sun at 7:30 p.m. ET.

7 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Donte DiVincenzo’s Controversial Flop vs. Pacers Drew Strong Reaction From Joel Embiid

The New York Knicks benefitted from a controversial call late into the fourth quarter during Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, as officials determined that Myles Turner set an illegal screen on Donte DiVincenzo with 12 seconds left on the game clock.

DiVincenzo sold the contact with Turner, flopping massively as he hit the deck with his arms flailing. Officials didn't seem to think it was a flop, however, and despite a Pacers' coaches challenge, the ruling of an illegal screen stood following a review.

The controversial call from the officials, as well as DiVincenzo's stunning acting job, prompted a bold one-word response from Joel Embiid, who shared his thoughts on the situation on X.

LOL
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) May 7, 2024

DiVincenzo may have successfully sold the contact and fooled the referees, but it seems Embiid wasn't quite so easily tricked, and he couldn't help but have a laugh after the game-changing sequence in Game 1.

Of course, Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by New York, though that didn't dissuade the 30-year-old from weighing in on the situation.

Was this an offensive on Myles Turner?
pic.twitter.com/nklxLrwG52
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 7, 2024

The Knicks escaped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in wild fashion, thanks to some sloppy play down the stretch from Indiana and a crucial ruling from officials on Turner's moving screen, one which it seems Embiid could barely believe.

8 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Knicks Dealt Brutal Injury Blow As Mitchell Robinson Will Miss Rest of Playoffs

The injury bug continues to bite the New York Knicks, with the latest key rotation member to go down being center Mitchell Robinson.

The team announced Tuesday that Robinson would be sidelined for a minimum of six to eight weeks due to a stress injury in his left ankle. He'll be reevaluated after the provided timeline, though the injury is set to keep him out for the rest of the playoffs.

Robinson joins the likes of Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanovic among Knicks players who won't be making a return during the playoffs.

Robinson had already been ruled out for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers. He logged 12 minutes in Game 1's win, scoring two points and providing two rebounds.

He averaged 20.6 minutes per game during the opening round against the Philadelphia 76ers. He featured in five of the six games in the series and provided 3.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.

With the 26-year-old unavailable, it's possible Precious Achiuwa will return to coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation. Achiuwa has made just three appearances in the playoffs but logged a postseason-high 20 minutes when Robinson was sidelined during Game 4 vs. the 76ers.

US Sports News

Obi Toppin’s Emphatic Between-the-Legs Dunk vs. Knicks Left NBA Fans in Awe

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Jimm Sallivan