Source: Alamy Stock Photo
New York Knicks Move Within One Win of the NBA Championship
The New York Knicks moved one step closer to capturing the NBA title after achieving a dramatic 107-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the Finals, overcoming a 29-point deficit in what became the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
The Knicks now hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and are just one victory away from securing the championship as the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5.
The decisive moment came in the closing seconds when British forward OG Anunoby rose to grab the rebound from a missed three-point attempt by teammate Jalen Brunson and converted it with just 1.2 seconds remaining, sending the packed Madison Square Garden crowd into celebration and giving New York a memorable victory.
Brunson once again led the way for the Knicks with 36 points, while Anunoby added 33 points, including the game-winning basket. On the other side, French star Victor Wembanyama finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, but his efforts were not enough to prevent defeat. Dylan Harper contributed 21 points, while De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each added 18.
A Historic Comeback for New York
San Antonio appeared to be cruising towards a comfortable victory after dominating the first half and setting an NBA Finals record by making 14 three-pointers before the break. The Spurs exploded offensively from the opening tip, scoring 41 points in the first quarter while shooting 15-for-23 from the field.
Meanwhile, the Knicks struggled badly in the early stages, shooting just 29.4 percent from the floor and facing additional challenges after Dominican star Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two early fouls.
The visitors stretched their advantage to 29 points before halftime and headed into the locker room with a commanding 76-49 lead, the largest halftime advantage ever recorded by a road team in an NBA Finals game.
Everything changed after the interval. New York tightened up defensively and successfully disrupted San Antonio’s rhythm, while the Spurs suffered a surprising collapse. After their explosive first-half performance, the visitors managed just 30 points in the entire second half.
A series of turnovers and a noticeable lack of concentration contributed to San Antonio’s downfall. The Spurs converted only four of their 20 field-goal attempts in the third quarter and committed five turnovers after giving the ball away only twice in the first half.
The Knicks capitalized on the shift in momentum and gradually chipped away at the deficit. Towns delivered several crucial plays, including a difficult basket over Wembanyama that cut the gap to just nine points.
As the game entered its final minutes, the home side continued to apply pressure until Brunson created a spectacular basket that gave New York their first lead of the night, putting the Knicks ahead 105-104 with 1:22 remaining.
San Antonio responded through Stephon Castle, who converted two free throws to restore the Spurs’ advantage. However, the final word belonged to Anunoby, who secured a crucial offensive rebound and converted the historic game-winning basket.
With the victory, the Knicks surpassed the previous record for the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, which had been held by the Boston Celtics after overcoming a 24-point deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 Finals.
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Author
BW Arabia Editorial Team - Sports Analysis UnitThe BW Arabia Editorial Team delivers expert sports analysis, match insights, and data-driven coverage across regional and global competitions.