An unprecedented feat marked Game 4 of the NBA Finals, where the New York Knicks staged a monumental comeback to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106. The dramatic victory came after the New York team reversed a 29-point deficit, securing a 3-1 lead in the decisive series.
This clash was already shaping up to be an instant classic. A basket from OG Anunoby just 1.2 seconds from the final whistle sealed the triumph, turning an imminent defeat into a truly memorable moment. The Knicks’ comeback not only marked the biggest in NBA Finals history, but also positioned the team just one win away from the coveted title.
The main highlights of the Knicks’ comeback on the night
In this edition, we delve into five narratives that explain New York’s feat, which put the team on the brink of the title:
- Entry to the story:Anunoby’s decisive basket not only capped an epic comeback at Madison Square Garden, but also put the Knicks in dominant position in the Finals, up 3-1 in the series.
- Global impact:The basketball universe expressed its astonishment at the spectacle witnessed.
- The essence of the Knicks:A dive into the mentality of the New York team and its resilience that yielded another miracle at the Garden, according to the team’s analysis.
- Anunoby’s heroic performance:Anunoby’s key blocking, ball deflection and unforgettable performance were the highlights of Game 4, as highlighted by Steve Aschburner.
- Decisive Alvarado:The Knicks relied on Alvarado’s unexpected contribution in the final moments of the fourth quarter, providing a crucial boost.
Next steps in the Finals and audience data
Now with the series at 3-1 for New York, the NBA Finals will return to San Antonio for Game 5. The game is scheduled for this Saturday, broadcast starting at 8:30 p.m. ET. The question remains whether the Knicks will win their first championship since 1973 or whether the Spurs will be able to force a Game 6.
Game 3 of the Finals, broadcast on ABC and ESPN, averaged 23.8 million viewers. This number made it the most watched Game 3 in 28 years, surpassing any mark since the Bulls-Jazz series in 1998.
29-point comeback: how the Knicks built a historic triumph and took a 3-1 lead in the Finals
For the opening 24 minutes, the Spurs demonstrated overwhelming dominance, putting on one of the most impressive performances in NBA Finals history. However, in the next 24 minutes, the Knicks produced a never-before-seen turnaround in a decision, a spectacle that will be remembered as a landmark in the sport.
The final score of Knicks 107, Spurs 106, was the result of a spectacular comeback. After trailing by 29 points at the start of the third quarter, the New York Knicks outscored the San Antonio Spurs 58-30 in the second half. The culmination of the comeback was OG Anunoby’s basket with 1.2 seconds remaining, which sealed the Knicks’ 3-1 series lead.
The main highlights of the match were OG Anunoby, with 33 points, including 7 of 9 on three-point shots and a crucial block, and Jalen Brunson, who scored 36 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Together, they scored 69 points, 36 of which in the second half alone, surpassing Spurs’ total points in that period.
Before the legendary comeback, the night began with an unprecedented attack from the Spurs, who scored 41 points in the first quarter, with six three-pointers. By halftime, they had already converted 14 three-point shots, a Finals record for a single half, consolidating a 76-49 lead.
Among the Spurs players who stood out early on, Victor Wembanyama scored 16 points in the first half, ending the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks. Devin Vassell contributed 18 points, 5 rebounds and made all five of his three-point attempts. Seven different Spurs players have made a 3-point shot. The 76 points scored in the first half represented the second-highest score in a Finals first half in the play-by-play era, resulting in a 27-point lead.
That was the third-largest halftime lead in Finals history. No team in Playoff history had ever recovered from such a huge halftime deficit, let alone in the Finals. However, San Antonio did not give up easily. Their lead reached 29 points with 9 minutes and 40 seconds left in the third period, with the score at 81-52. Madison Square Garden was silent, the Spurs seemed unstoppable, and the Knicks had no answers.
Despite the adversity, the New York team did not give up. A dunk from Anunoby and three-pointers from Brunson, Josh Hart and Anunoby himself sparked a 13-0 run. The Knicks closed the quarter with a 23-9 rally, culminating in another three-pointer from Anunoby that cut the deficit to 15 points early in the final quarter. The gym was starting to light up again, and what seemed impossible minutes before suddenly seemed achievable.
However, Spurs reacted. After an exchange of points, Wembanyama extended San Antonio’s lead to 95-75 with 9:33 minutes left. Just as New York seemed to revive, a new challenge emerged. Until Wednesday, playoff teams had a record of just 4 wins and 733 losses when they were trailing by 20 or more points in the final quarter, in the era of broadcast play-by-play, a success rate of 0.5%. And in the Finals, this had never happened before: 45 teams tried, and 45 teams failed.
But the Knicks rewrote history. It all started with a series of three-pointers from Jose Alvarado, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anunoby, in a 13-2 run, capped off by a difficult shot from KAT in the paint. Madison Square Garden exploded again, and Brunson shined, scoring four consecutive points. Timely three-pointers from Anunoby and Alvarado closed the gap to just four points (104-100). It was a 22-7 run, and the comeback seemed within reach again. The gym was deafening, and Brunson wasn’t finished.
With 2 minutes and 21 seconds left, he shot from distance, beating Wembanyama’s extended marker, with ABC’s Mike Breen exclaiming: “HIT IT! Game for one point! This gym is shaking right now!” Fifty-nine seconds later, the ball returned to Brunson’s hands, and the “Decisive Captain” shined once again, converting a floater with 1 minute and 22 seconds remaining, leaving the score at 105-104. For the first time in the game, the Knicks were ahead.
But Stephon Castle didn’t waver, making two free throws on the next possession to put San Antonio back in the lead. Then chaos ensued. A rebound off a loose ball left De’Aaron Fox free on the court for what appeared to be a decisive layup. However, Anunoby came flying in from behind, trapping the ball against the backboard before the Knicks regained possession and called a timeout with six seconds remaining. New York had one more chance to accomplish the impossible.
Naturally, the ball ended up in Brunson’s hands. He received it near midcourt, advanced against a quick double check and shot from 9.5 meters. The ball hit the rim of the basket and bounced high into the air, hovering over a group of players crowded under the basket. While athletes from both teams fought for position for the rebound, another white shirt appeared from the perimeter: it was Anunoby. Running unmarked, he passed through the crowd and extended his right arm, managing to touch the ball enough to redirect it towards the basket, which fell. Madison Square Garden erupted in applause.
“IT’S GOOD! IT’S GOOD! IT’S GOOD!” exclaimed Mike Breen. “It’s pandemonium here at the Garden – they can’t believe it!” On the next play, the Knicks had accomplished the unimaginable. A 29-point deficit turned into a one-point victory. A game that seemed lost has become an all-time classic. An initially missed shot turned into a legendary play, and the Knicks were one win away from the NBA title. “Unbelievable,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after the game. “That has to be the most iconic shot in New York basketball history.” Jalen Brunson added, “There’s one word that sums it all up… believe.”
Global repercussion: basketball reacts to the Knicks’ unforgettable spectacle
Mike Breen’s words summed up the overall feeling: “Absolutely stunning.” ABC’s Richard Jefferson added: “We’re paid to talk, and me and [Tim Legler] are here speechless.” Even Charles Barkley expressed his disbelief: “I can’t believe what I just saw.”
When the Knicks rallied from a 29-point deficit, the surprise spread far beyond the borders of Madison Square Garden. From celebrities on the court to NBA legends, current stars and fans around the world, the basketball universe celebrated New York’s unlikely achievement.
2026 NBA Draft correspondent and analyst AJ Dybantsa witnessed the ending live and managed to sum it up in just three words: “MY. GOD!” Our All Access team captured the explosion of madness at the epicenter of the celebration, capturing the feeling of the biggest upset in Finals history seconds after the final whistle. Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony found Brunson on the court moments after the win, hugging the New York captain after an unforgettable triumph.
The chaos extended to the tunnel, where Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller cheered with joy alongside Knicks fans. Kylie Jenner was also spotted smiling while watching the whole thing. The euphoria infected Taylor Swift, who danced and left the court as the post-game celebration took over Madison Square Garden. The final whistle generated scenes of pure euphoria at the celebration party in Central Park, with thousands of people celebrating the turnaround.
The disbelief was not limited to New York. Players, media members and fans from across the basketball world flooded social media with reactions to one of the most surprising endings in Finals history. Lonzo Ball, Lonzo Ball (via X): “That was really crazy.” Ja Morant (via X): “wow 🤯🔥.” Jaylen Brown (via X): “OG Anunoby is different.” Max Kellerman (via X): “That was one of the greatest basketball games of all time.” Jared Weiss (via X): “The Knicks are a magical team. This is the pinnacle of the sport.” Jamal Crawford (via X): “The iconic Garden just witnessed the best night in its history…”
The secret to comebacks: The Knicks’ mentality that defies statistics
The team was at a double-digit disadvantage in every game of these Finals. Last Wednesday, the team trailed by 27 points at halftime. At risk of seeing their 2-0 series lead undone, the Knicks needed a change. “The coaches didn’t want to show any video to the players,” coach Mike Brown said of the halftime break. “We let them sit for a while, talk to each other…” He added: “We still have a lot of time ahead of us. We need a little luck. But we’re going to do what we know how to do to make that luck happen to us.”
What these Knicks do is play fast, move the ball and stage some of the biggest comebacks in basketball history. “And the last thing we told them was: We’re going to cut the gap to about 15-17 early in the fourth quarter, and if we do that, we’ll have a chance,” Brown explained. This is due to the now historic list of remarkable comebacks by this team:
- The 22-point comeback, through the fourth quarter and overtime, in Game 1 of the Eastern Finals against Cleveland on May 19.
- Two 20-point comebacks in Games 1 and 2 of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals in Boston.
- Erasing an 18-point 4th quarter deficit against the Rockets on February 21st.
- The 17-point comeback on Christmas Day, in the fourth quarter, again against Cleveland.
“‘We’re good. Keep it up, we’re good,'” OG Anunoby said of his halftime message. “We’ve reacted many times when we were losing.” Confident and building on that history of comebacks, the Knicks did exactly as Brown asked, despite trailing 90-75 early in the fourth quarter. The gap reached 20 points before the Knicks’ comeback really began, resulting in the first Finals victory of the play-to-play era for a team that was trailing by more than 20 points heading into the final quarter.
From a broader perspective, the playoffs as a whole over this period (since 1998) have seen just five comebacks of 20 or more points in the final quarter. The remarkable statistic is that the Knicks have won two of those five — in the last month — between Wednesday’s surprise victory and Game 1 against Cleveland. Another shocking fact: when trailing by 17 points or more in the last 9 minutes of regulation time, teams had a record of 0-96 in the Finals since 1970-71. New York trailed 95-78 with 8:59 left on the clock. “When you do it once, you know you can do it again,” Anunoby said. “You never want to be down, but that’s how it goes.”
Another factor that contributed to this mindset? The “Decisive Captain”. Brunson’s 9 points in the final quarter, the game’s highest during that period, added to his 9.5 points per game, the highest average of the postseason. New York’s “one game at a time” approach kept the deficit in perspective. “Just stay focused. Don’t let yourself get too down or discouraged at the moment,” Anunoby said. Josh Hart reflected: “In an 82-game season, especially in New York, there are going to be ups and downs… If you lose three or four games in a row, they all become available for trade… You try to stay at the same level.”
Thanks to the fans were also present. “We have the best fans in the world,” Anunoby said. “We all feel it. We all feed off that energy. The energy is amazing and we love our fans.” New York shows that no lead is safe as the series returns to San Antonio for Game 5, with the Knicks one win away from the top.
Spectacular performance from OG Anunoby: crucial details from Game 4
From “Decisive Captain” to OG Anunoby, Game 4 of the NBA Finals was marked by a surprising ending and an unexpected start. NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner offered his four main takeaways from the game, starting where the Knicks’ comeback began, with the score 81-52 to the Spurs in the third quarter. “Then the magic happened. The ghosts of New York’s 13-game playoff winning streak, which had just ended, resurfaced. And—lo and behold!—the home team finally won a game.”
The Knicks lead the series 3-1, just one victory away from ending a 53-year streak without NBA titles, because they believed when few others did. “Coming back from a 29-point deficit…it gives you the confidence to know that, OK, we’re never out of the game,” coach Mike Brown said. Before the match, Brown had already praised OG Anunoby, stating: “He has improved throughout the series. I think he can even reach a higher level.” By the end of the night, the versatile player from New York had left thousands of people speechless. “I don’t know if there was any play more important than any other in the history of Knicks basketball,” Brown said of Anunoby.
José Alvarado: the point guard’s unexpected role in the decisive turnaround
In the biggest upset in Finals history, the Knicks’ shortest point guard stood out. This is not Brunson, but José Alvarado, who measures 1.83m. NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt analyzed Alvarado’s crucial contributions in Game 4, even after a low-key start.
“But in the fourth quarter, Alvarado was as indispensable as Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart,” Zillgitt wrote. Alvarado, a Brooklyn native and former high school basketball player at Christ the King in Queens, was everywhere: scoring points, grabbing rebounds, passing the ball, defending, helping the Knicks to an improbable and stunning comeback victory.
Alvarado played nine minutes and 40 seconds in the final quarter and scored eight points, dished out three assists and grabbed two rebounds. The Knicks outscored the Spurs by 17 points when Alvarado was on the court. Knicks coach Mike Brown made a point of mentioning Alvarado in his opening statement at the postgame press conference. “José was unbelievable tonight,” Brown said. “He changed the game.” Alvarado expressed that he was on the verge of tears when the final horn sounded. “Just being part of this journey is incredible,” he said.