The NBA announced its 2025-26 all-defensive teams on Friday, one day before the New York Knicks‘ Game 3 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Here are the results:
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First Team
Second Team
Knicks forward OG Anunoby received 67 points, leading only Dyson Daniels on the all-defensive team voting.
New York big man Karl-Anthony Towns feels Anunoby was “robbed” of First Team honors.
“Nobody wants to ask OG about Second Team? I mean he’s All-Defense. Come on, bro,” Towns said after the Knicks’ 121-108 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday night. “He’s one of the best defenders in the world, and he got robbed of First [Team].”
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Anunoby finished 10th in Defensive Player of the Year voting after recording 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game through 67 games in the regular season. As a 6-foot-7 forward with elite athleticism and wingspan, the 28-year-old veteran has the ability to defend against any position on the court.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – MAY 23: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks gets called for goal tending against Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first period in Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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Knicks head coach Mike Brown campaigned for Anunoby to make First Team earlier this year.
“His versatility is just off the charts and you can do a lot of things with your defense because of him,” Brown said back in April. “In my opinion, he deserves first-team all-defense this year — and hopefully the powers that be will see it that way, too.”
The Knicks have a chance to close out the Eastern Conference Finals with a sweep in Game 4, which will tipoff at 8 p.m. ET on Monday.
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