Down 29. One point. One tip. One second. That’s all the time the New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby needed.
Anunoby stretched his right hand high, flicked Jalen Brunson‘s long three-point attempt off the front rim and into the basket with 1.2 seconds remaining, and the New York Knicks completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4. New York leads the series 3-1 and stands one win away from its first championship since 1973.
“That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.
Karl-Anthony Towns did not disagree. “Right hand from God,” he said.
Knicks Fall Off, Then Fight Back
No team had ever come back from more than 24 points down in a Finals game—Boston’s rally against the Lakers in 2008 had stood as the record since the NBA began tracking detailed play-by-play data in 1997. The Spurs led 81-52 in the third quarter. San Antonio had a 27-point halftime advantage, the biggest lead by a visiting team in Finals history. The building was quiet. The comeback seemed impossible.
Then the Knicks started playing.
New York held San Antonio to 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting in the third quarter, went on a 13-0 run, and cut the deficit to 90-75 heading into the fourth. The Spurs, who had made 11 of their first 16 three-pointers in the first half, went ice cold after the break—finishing 3-for-17 from beyond the arc as the Knicks outscored them 58-30 in the second half.
“We got on our heels—we missed some shots,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s disappointing, to say the least.”
Brunson carried the Knicks through the fight with 36 points—his latest act of postseason heroism in a series full of them. Anunoby added 33. Together they dragged New York back from the dead and into a position where something miraculous was suddenly possible.
The final sequence had the Garden delirious. Stephon Castle was fouled after the Spurs had taken the lead and hit both free throws to put San Antonio up 106-105 with 30 seconds left. The lead felt safe. Victor Wembanyama had missed two free throws with 1:47 remaining when San Antonio led 104-103—a costly failure to put the game away—but Castle’s made ones seemed to close the door again.
Then Brunson went to work. His shot came off the front of the rim. Anunoby, leaping high and fully extended, tipped it in. One point. One second left. The Garden lost its mind. Fans sang Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” as the final horn sounded.
Wembanyama Starts Strong, Falters Late
Wembanyama—who came onto the floor to warmup an hour before tip to loud boos, was targeted physically by the Knicks throughout the night, and watched Mitchell Robinson get called for a flagrant foul for hitting him above the shoulders—finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds but shot just 9-for-25 from the field. He was searching for answers afterward.
“I think it began before the fourth quarter,” Wembanyama said of the Spurs’ collapse. “I can’t really explain it right now. I don’t know. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”
Dylan Harper scored 21 for San Antonio, while De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell added 18 each. The Spurs had everything going their way—a record halftime lead, a dominant first half, a road team in full control—and still lost. They now face long odds. Only one team in NBA history has ever come back from 3-1 down in the Finals: Cleveland in 2016.
Knicks’ Resiliency Push Them Closer to Title
The Knicks knew exactly what they had done.
“We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot,” Anunoby said. “We’ve come back plenty of times when we’re behind. Just staying with it, weathering the storm, not being too down or angry or frustrated.”
Brunson framed the comeback the way a team does when it has done this before.
“You look at it when you’re down 29—’OK, let’s get it to 20.’ There’s three minutes left in the third quarter, we’re down 18, you’re thinking, ‘Let’s get it to 10,'” Josh Hart said. “In the fourth quarter, you’re like, this is winning time. Anything can happen.”
Anything happened. Game 5 is Sunday in San Antonio. The Knicks need one more.
