The Knicks stared into the abyss and somehow found a way out.
Facing a 29-point deficit in front of a shell-shocked Madison Square Garden crowd, New York completed the largest comeback in NBA finals history on Wednesday night when OG Anunoby’s tip-in off a Jalen Brunson missed three made the difference in a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4, moving the home team within one win of their first NBA championship in 53 years.
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The stunning result gave New York a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and sent thousands of fans pouring into the Manhattan streets chanting and celebrating after the final buzzer. The Knicks can secure their first title since 1973 when the series returns to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday night, completing a journey that has transformed a season of lofty expectations into the brink of immortality.
For much of the evening, that possibility seemed absurd. The Spurs overwhelmed New York from the opening tip, racing to an early double-digit lead before stretching the margin to 29 in the second quarter. Victor Wembanyama controlled the game at both ends, San Antonio buried three-pointers at a blistering rate and a feral Garden crowd was brought to heel.
Then in the fourth quarter, it changed in a blur. The Knicks ripped off a 28-9 run over just more than seven minutes in the fourth quarter, all light and flash, turning every defensive stop into a fast-break opportunity and every basket into a fresh wave of belief. The deficit shrank possession by possession until Brunson finally delivered the breakthrough, driving through traffic for a layup with 1:22 remaining to give the Knicks their first lead of the game at 105-104.
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The Spurs would take back the lead once more on a pair of Stephon Castle free throws, setting the stage for Anunoby’s last-gasp tip-in to put the Knicks on the doorstep of history.
Wembanyama finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for San Antonio, who had appeared poised to seize control of the series after winning Game 3 and building a massive lead. Instead, the Spurs were left to contemplate a collapse for the ages.
More to follow.
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