In a clash that will go down in NBA Finals folklore, the New York Knicks pulled off the largest comeback in championship series history on Wednesday, erasing a mammoth 29-point deficit to edge the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 at Madison Square Garden. The stunning result gives New York a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven title race, with Game 5 set to tip off this Saturday in San Antonio.
OG Anunoby, who finished the night with 33 points, delivered the game-winning tip-in with just 1.2 seconds left on the clock, converting the putback after Jalen Brunson’s three-point attempt bounced off the rim. The last-second bucket sent the sold-out, star-studded Garden crowd into a wild celebration, capping off an unprecedented second-half surge from the Knicks. Brunson led all scorers with 36 points in a performance that showcased his clutch leadership when his team needed it most.
San Antonio got off to a historic start that looked set to lock in a series-tying win. Led by young star Victor Wembanyama, who posted a 24-point, 13-rebound double-double, the Spurs hit 14 first-half three-pointers – a new NBA Finals record – and carried a 76-49 lead into the halftime break. Their 27-point halftime advantage was also the largest ever for a road team in the Finals, built on red-hot shooting that left the Knicks reeling early.
Additional contributions from Dylan Harper (21 points), De’Aaron Fox (18 points) and Devin Vassell (18 points) powered San Antonio’s opening half dominance, but the team’s offense vanished after the break. The Spurs managed just 30 total second-half points, and their late-game collapse allowed the Knicks to claw their way back into contention.
Early game foul trouble plagued the Knicks from the start: center Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, while reserve Mitchell Robinson was called for a flagrant foul after a frustrated forearm to Wembanyama’s throat. Brunson, constantly hounded by San Antonio’s defense, did not hit his first basket until the second quarter. By the midpoint of the game, it looked like the Spurs would force a 2-2 split heading back to Texas.
The turning point came early in the third quarter, when Wembanyama was called for a flagrant foul after an elbow to Towns’ face, leaving the Spurs star one foul away from an automatic suspension. The call seemed to introduce hesitation into San Antonio’s play, and the Knicks capitalized immediately with a 13-0 scoring run. The Spurs cooled off dramatically, connecting on just 4 of 20 third-quarter shots and turning the ball over five times after only two turnovers in the entire first half.
Trailing 90-75 going into the final quarter, the Knicks chipped away at the lead steadily, withstanding San Antonio’s attempts to stem the tide and leaning on their collective resilience to stay in the fight. Brunson put the Knicks ahead for the first time all game with a 105-104 floater just 82 seconds away from the final buzzer. San Antonio’s Stephon Castle hit two free throws to reclaim the lead, setting up Anunoby’s last-second heroics.
After the game, Wembanyama took responsibility for the collapse, acknowledging his team’s lack of hunger in the final two quarters. “I don’t know. I think it’s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half,” the Spurs star said.
Towns paid tribute to the Garden faithful who never gave up on the team despite the lopsided halftime deficit. “It was an ugly, ugly game. We didn’t bring it in the first half. But they stuck with us,” Towns said.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown praised his team’s collective resilience in the face of severe early adversity, highlighting the squad’s chemistry as the key to the historic win. “You talk about a total team effort when we hit adversity. Our guys showed their resiliency and showed they’re connected enough to handle a moment like that,” Brown said.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, the largest comeback in NBA Finals history was a 24-point rally by the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2008. The Knicks’ 29-point comeback has now set a new benchmark for late-series resilience in championship play, putting New York 48 minutes away from their first NBA title in decades.