Last night, while playing the role of host for the fourth straight game, New Orleans unfortunately fell to the New York Knicks 105-103. The game was closely contested throughout, specifically in the second half. While the big story of the night was NOLA’s disappointing loss at home, quite possibly the biggest tale from the contest is Anthony Davis’ first-half jam over second-year guard Ron Baker.
If you’ve never heard the name Ron Baker, after last night, you will. In his second year out of Wichita State, Baker has carved out an amble amount of playing time in the New York Knicks rotation. While his stats will by no means “blow you away” (4.1 PPG, 2.1 APG,1.9 RPG, .7 SPG), what he brings to the team is something that is not logged into a stat-sheet; hustle.
The guy is simply a jack-rabbit type of player, exuding energy as soon as he steps foot on the hardwood. For this, he has quickly become a fan favorite among the Knick faithful. His determination coupled with his refusal to “back down” is something that has helped him garner both playing time as well as the respect from his fellow teammates. However, his “determination and refusal to back down” is also the reason why last nights game made him a household name for those familiar with the NBA world, and not for the reason one may expect.
Late in the second quarter, the Knicks were up by a respectable 12 points (47-35). With this, New Orleans was looking for a spark of any kind. Anthony Davis came to the call. Getting the ball close to the left baseline Davis quickly spins around Knicks ‘Unicorn” Kristaps Porzingis. Heading towards the rim for what appeared to be a clean slam, out of nowhere the energizer bunny himself Ron Baker arrived as the Knicks last line of defense. And, if you’re not familiar with what transpired afterwards, below we have factual evidence of Anthony Davis committing the ultimate crime; murder.
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At 6-10 Davis seemed like the clear favorite to win this aerial battle against the 6-3 Baker. Despite the odds, Baker sacrificed his body, as well as his name in the process. And, if you’re not sure as to what I mean, type “Ron Baker” into your Google search-bar, and see what you find.
Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
If you found the three top stories to be related to Anthony Davis in some type of way, you searched correctly. In a very unfortunate turn of events, Ron Bakers name will forever be synonymous with Anthony Davis. The pairing joins couples such as Blake Griffin and Timofey Mozgov, DeAndre Jordan and Brandon Knight, Dwayne Wade and Anderson Varejao.
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While Ron Baker should be commended for his courage of going up against a juggernaut such as Anthony Davis, ultimately it proved to no avail. Better luck next time Burgundy!