Former Gonzaga forward Anton Watson scores first NBA points with New York Knicks

One week after making his debut in the NBA, former Gonzaga and Gonzaga Prep standout Anton Watson is officially in the scoring column with the New York Knicks.

Watson, who got on the floor for the first time as an NBA player on March 10 at Sacramento, scored on a short baseline floater with 42 seconds remaining in New York’s 116-95 victory over the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden.

The rookie forward played three total minutes in the game, finishing 1 of 1 from the field with one assist and two points. Watson played four minutes in his debut against Sacramento, missing all three of his shots while tallying one assist and one turnover.

Selected 54th overall in the 2024 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, Watson was waived by the organization last month after exclusively playing for the organization’s G League team, the Maine Celtics.

Watson signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks just two days later, indicating he’s likely to split time with the professional team in New York City and the G League Westchester Knicks in White Plains, New York.

A former state champion at G-Prep, Watson finished his career at Gonzaga with 1,464 points, 787 rebounds and 300 assists.

A defensive standout for Mark Few’s Zags, Watson is also second all-time with 215 steals, sitting behind only John Stockton.