Obi Toppin may have found an area of his game where he can really thrive in the NBA in Wednesday night's season opener for the Knicks.
After struggling to find his way offensively for much of his rookie season before showing signs of life down the stretch and in the playoffs, the former eighth overall pick shined to begin his sophomore season, burning Boston in transition and finishing with a career-high 14 points in New York's thrilling double overtime win over the Celtics.
Toppin made six field goals on the night, and four of them came in transition.
"Every chance I get, I'm getting out in the open floor," Toppin said. "We have a lot of great guys on this team that find me, and not just me, anyone who runs the floor gets rewarded."
Toppin's only misses on the night came from behind the arc, as he thrashed the Celtics defense in the paint in his 28 minutes of work, and consistently beat the defense back down the other end of the floor for some easy baskets, which were critical as New York was mounting its comeback in the third quarter.
"I just know if we have the rebound, I'm taking off," Toppin said. "I feel like I'm pretty fast. I feel like some guys other teams, I don't want to say take plays off, but get back very slowly, and I'm taking that and just going…those are easy points that we love to get."
Toppin helped turn the tide of the game in the second half when he and Randle led the way in a third-quarter comeback, as the two created a smaller but formidable frontcourt that helped put together a 21-6 run, where Toppin contributed nine points.
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"When we're on the court together, we're just running," Toppin said. "Julius tells me when I'm on the court with him, if I see he has the rebound, to take off. That's what I do best, I run the floor."
Toppin has clearly taken a step forward in recognizing where he is at his most valuable, and it showed on Wednesday night, and certainly wasn't lost on the MSG crowd, which was delighted to see the New York native make an impact on one of the most thrilling season openers in franchise history.
"Hearing your name get chanted in The Garden is amazing," Toppin said. "It's an unbelievable experience that I can't even explain. It's just something you have to live through."
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