The Knicks were drowning. Then, in the fourth quarter, something shifted.
In the long and often heartbreaking story of New York basketball, Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden offered something rare — a reminder that belief, sustained long enough, can rewrite what seemed already decided. The Knicks, buried beneath a 29-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs, clawed back through a ferocious fourth-quarter surge and won 107-106 on OG Anunoby's tip-in with 2.3 seconds remaining, completing the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. The victory moves New York to within one win of its first championship since 1973, a half-century of waiting now condensed into a single game in San Antonio on Saturday night.
- A 29-point hole at home had silenced Madison Square Garden and left the Knicks staring at a series that seemed to be slipping away.
- Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs had controlled nearly every dimension of the game, their lead ballooning through relentless three-point shooting and dominant interior play.
- Then the fourth quarter arrived — a 28-9 run in seven minutes that dismantled the deficit possession by possession, turning desperation into something that looked, impossibly, like destiny.
- Jalen Brunson's layup gave New York its first lead of the night with just over a minute left, and when Anunoby tipped in a miss with 2.3 seconds on the clock, the comeback was complete.
- Thousands flooded the Manhattan streets at the final buzzer, and the Spurs — who had been on the verge of seizing control — now face elimination in Game 5 on Saturday.
The Knicks were drowning at home, down 29 points as the San Antonio Spurs methodically dismantled them through three quarters. Victor Wembanyama was dominant on both ends, San Antonio's shooting was relentless, and the Madison Square Garden crowd had gone quiet. The series, which the Spurs had seized momentum in with a Game 3 victory, appeared to be tilting decisively away from New York.
Then the fourth quarter happened. The Knicks launched a 28-9 run of ferocious execution — defensive stops converting into fast breaks, each basket compounding belief — until what had seemed impossible began to feel inevitable. Brunson drove through traffic for a layup with 1:22 left to give New York its first lead of the night, 105-104. The Spurs answered with two free throws from Stephon Castle, but they had nothing left. With 2.3 seconds remaining, Anunoby tipped in a Brunson miss to seal a 107-106 victory — the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Wembanyama's 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks became a footnote to one of basketball's most stunning reversals. The Spurs, who had been one strong game from controlling the series, now face elimination. New York holds a 3-1 lead, and fans poured into the Manhattan streets to celebrate a win that had seemed gone just minutes before. Game 5 is Saturday night in San Antonio — one win from ending 53 years of waiting.
The New York Knicks were drowning. Down 29 points at home, the Madison Square Garden crowd had gone silent, and the San Antonio Spurs looked like they were about to take control of the NBA Finals. Then, in the fourth quarter, something shifted. The Knicks went on a 28-9 run in just over seven minutes, each possession building momentum, each defensive stop turning into a fast break, each basket feeding the belief that the impossible might actually happen. With 2.3 seconds left, OG Anunoby tipped in a Jalen Brunson miss, and the Knicks had completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, winning 107-106 and moving within one victory of their first championship in 53 years.
For most of Wednesday night, the Spurs had controlled everything. Victor Wembanyama was dominant on both ends of the floor, San Antonio's three-point shooting was relentless, and the Knicks looked overmatched from the opening tip. The deficit ballooned to 29 in the second quarter, and it seemed the series was about to shift decisively in San Antonio's favor. The Spurs had won Game 3 and appeared ready to seize momentum, but they had not accounted for what would unfold in the final twelve minutes.
The fourth quarter became a blur of desperation and execution. The Knicks dismantled the Spurs' lead with a ferocity that seemed to surprise everyone in the building, including themselves. Brunson drove through traffic for a layup with 1:22 remaining to give New York its first lead of the night at 105-104. The Spurs answered with a pair of free throws from Stephon Castle to go back up 106-105, but they had run out of answers. Anunoby's tip-in with seconds remaining sealed it.
Wembanyama finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks for San Antonio, a performance that would have been dominant in almost any other context. Instead, it became a footnote to one of the most stunning reversals in basketball history. The Spurs had been on the verge of taking control of the series. Now they faced elimination.
Thousands of Knicks fans poured into the Manhattan streets after the final buzzer, chanting and celebrating a victory that seemed impossible just minutes earlier. The team that had entered the season with championship expectations now stood on the threshold of delivering on them. Game 5 is Saturday night in San Antonio. One win away from 1973.
Citações Notáveis
The Knicks stared into the abyss and somehow found a way out— The Guardian reporting on the game
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
How does a team come back from 29 points down? That's not just a deficit—that's a psychological chasm.
It starts with one stop, one basket. You have to make the other team feel it. Once the Knicks got it to 20, then 15, the Spurs started to tighten up. Wembanyama was still playing well, but the whole rhythm changed.
But Brunson's layup with 1:22 left—that was the moment, wasn't it? The first lead of the game?
That's when you could feel it shift from hope to inevitability. The Spurs had been in control for 40 minutes. Suddenly they were chasing.
And then Castle's free throws put them back up. One last gasp of control.
Right. But they'd already given away the momentum. Anunoby's tip-in was almost inevitable at that point. The Spurs had nothing left.
What does this do to San Antonio's confidence going into Game 5?
They're in a 3-1 hole. They have to win in their own building or go home. That's the weight they carry now.