#2 – April 8th, 2022: Obi scores then career-high 35 points versus Wizards
Obi Toppin and the Knicks visited the nation’s capital and crushed the hometown Washington Wizards, 114-92. Up to this point, this was easily Toppin’s best game of his career.
Toppin set his career high in points at 35 and did so in just 38 minutes. Also, he set his career high for three-point field goals made in a game shooting 6-for-9 (66.7%). For the game, Obi shot 14-for-22 (63.6%) and he also got four rebounds, one assist, and two steals.
The Knicks may have wound up blowing out the Wizards, but not before a close first half of basketball. Although the score was close, you wouldn’t have known it if you were only watching Toppin’s minutes.
In the second quarter alone, Toppin caught the Wizards sleeping and got out ahead for a dunk off a Knicks defensive rebound four times. It could’ve been five times had Evan Fournier not hesitated to launch another pass down court to Obi. Toppin also finished off the first half by nailing a three and drawing the foul. He made the and-1 free throw to complete the four-pt play and put New York up 58-50 at halftime.
The rest of the Knickerbockers followed suit and caught fire themselves from the very start of the third quarter, at one point being up 92-66 thanks to an Immanuel Quickley lob to Toppin. Being that this was one of the first starts of his career, it was amazing seeing how the confidence of being put in that role lit the kind of fire under Toppin that has caught the attention of many fans. This was the latest example of how good Toppin can be in an expanded role… until the next game.