Night of the Turnaround
What looked like a lost game for the New York Knicks turned into one of the most dramatic nights in franchise history. After falling behind 76-49 at halftime and by as many as 29 points in the third quarter of Game 4, the Knicks mounted a furious comeback to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 — the largest comeback in Finals history — and now sit one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973.
How it unfolded
New York erased the enormous deficit over the final quarter and a half, grinding the margin down with sustained defense, timely offense and hustle plays down the stretch. With the game tied in the final seconds, Jalen Brunson attacked the rim; his shot bounced off the rim and OG Anunoby followed with the decisive tip-in with two seconds remaining.
Player and coach reactions
“We know it’s a game of runs,” Anunoby said after the game. “We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot. 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. Just staying with it, cut down to 18, cut it down to six, push it through. It’s a 48-minute game, just play ’til the end.”
Forward Josh Hart echoed the sentiment on focus and incremental progress: “You don’t look at when you’re down 29, we’ve got to whip this game. You look at it when you’re down 29 of 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.”
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson described the loss as a painful missed opportunity after a strong first half: “To put as much good work into that first half as we did, get the lead that we had and not finish the job is disappointing to say the least.” Rookie Dylan Harper added that the Spurs “went away from everything we were doing” in the second half and stressed the need to maintain effort regardless of lead.
Scene in New York
Madison Square Garden erupted as the comeback completed, and thousands of fans spilled into the surrounding streets to celebrate a night that will be remembered in Knicks lore. The emotional lift of such a turnaround is likely to carry into the team’s next opportunity to close out the series.
What comes next
New York heads to San Antonio for Game 5 with a chance to clinch the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973. The next game is scheduled to tip off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Spurs will look to bounce back on their home floor, while the Knicks will aim to keep their momentum and finish the job.
Edge and adjustments to watch
- Defensive adjustments: New York’s ability to tighten defense and force tougher shots in the second half turned the game. How the Spurs respond defensively in Game 5 will determine whether they can prevent another late charge.
- Close-game execution: The tip-in by Anunoby was the product of positioning and effort. End-of-game rebounding and rim protection will be critical in a tightly contested finale.
- Bench and role players: Depth and bench contributions swing momentum in long series; both teams will lean on role players to supply energy and stability.
Final thought
Historic comebacks often redefine a series’ psychological landscape. The Knicks’ rally not only ties this series to a single-score drama but hands New York the opportunity to close out the championship on the Spurs’ home floor. Whether San Antonio can regain poise or New York sustains the resilience that produced Wednesday’s comeback will decide how this Finals chapter ends.
Sources & further reading
- Original game recap and postgame quotes from the provided RSS feed text.
- Official NBA home: https://www.nba.com
- New York Knicks: https://www.nba.com/knicks
- San Antonio Spurs: https://www.nba.com/spurs
- Getty Images (photo credits as noted): https://www.gettyimages.com
- ESPN homepage for ongoing coverage: https://www.espn.com
