On Wednesday night, OG Anunoby treated New York to a forever play, one that immediately joined the pantheon of all-time defining, all-time signature New York sports moments.
Here are The Post’s 10 plays that best define New York sports.
The Shot Heard ’Round The World
Perhaps the most famous home run in baseball history, the Giants’ Bobby Thomson delivered a three-run shot to beat the hated Dodgers at the Polo Grounds and — you might have heard — win the Giants the 1951 NL pennant.
Perfection
There’s only been one perfect game in World Series history — that was Don Larsen’s complete-game brilliance in a 2-0 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 Fall Classic. The forever image is Yogi Berra jumping into Larsen’s arms after the final out.
Here Comes Willis!
Suffering from an injured thigh, Knicks captain Willis Reed missed Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers. It was a major question if he’d be able to suit up in Game 7 at the Garden — but Reed limped out from the tunnel before the game, with Marv Albert’s call, “Here comes Willis Reed!” The center scored the Knicks’ first four points, inspiring his team to the championship.
Buckner
This one is more an opponent’s mistake as opposed to a New York athlete’s heroics — but it’s no less significant.
Mookie Wilson’s dribbler to first base scooted through Bill Buckner’s legs, propelling the Mets to an incredible comeback win in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
The error capped a 10th inning that saw the Mets — their season on the line — rally from a two-run deficit with two outs and nobody on.
Wide Right
How could the Giants beat the high-powered Bills — and with a backup quarterback to boot?
With a ball-control offense that kept Buffalo off the field.
The Giants led 20-19 in the final seconds when they forced the Bills to attempt a 47-yard field goal. Scott Norwood’s miss sailed wide right — and the Giants took Super Bowl 25.
Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!
Howie Rose’s forever call of a forever goal — Stephane Matteau’s double-overtime wraparound winner to beat the Devils in an epic Game 7 to finish a thrilling Eastern Conference final series in 1994.
It sent the Rangers to the Stanley Cup final — you know the rest.
Piazza’s 9/11 Homer
The first baseball game in New York after Sept. 11 occurred at Shea Stadium, and on an emotional night for the city, Mike Piazza launched one of history’s most memorable homers.
Piazza’s two-run shot off Atlanta’s Steve Karsay was a salve to the city, a moment that allowed everyone a euphoric and cathartic release.
The Flip Play
Few have been as quick-thinking or as clutch throughout New York history as Derek Jeter, and this play highlighted both.
In Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS, with Oakland’s Jeremy Giambi bounding around the bases to score the potential tying run, Jeter grabbed Shane Spencer’s wayward throw home on the infield, then flipped it backhanded to the plate to nab Giambi, keep the Yankees ahead and spark them to a series win.
The Helmet Catch
The uniqueness of this play is what makes it so remarkable — David Tyree, a special teams star, caught a critical Eli Manning pass in the final minutes of Super Bowl 42 by pinning the ball to his helmet while being tackled to the ground.
A few plays later, the Giants knocked out the unbeaten Patriots. Unprecedented.
OG’s Tip-In
Karl-Anthony Towns called it the “right hand of God.”
With the Knicks trailing the Spurs by one point in the final moments of NBA Finals Game 4, Jalen Brunson launched a deep 3-pointer that caromed off the rim. Soaring in to tip in the rebound and give the Knicks a one-point lead with 1.2 seconds left was Anunoby, catapulting the Garden into unfathomable delirium and the Knicks to a 3-1 Finals lead.
