It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.
The New York Knicks pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, overcoming a 29-point deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 Wednesday.
Just like the entire series, San Antonio started the game hot and set the tone early. The Spurs led 41-22 at the end of the first quarter and eventually led by 29 thanks to scorching shooting throughout the first half.
But they couldn’t sustain that for the second half, shockingly scoring just 14 and 16 in the final two quarters, respectively.
It came down to the key moments late in the fourth when New York needed buckets and San Antonio didn’t really know who to turn to. That’s where some inexperience emerged.
Jalen Brunson hit a big three right in front of Victor Wembanyama, while Jose Alvarado of all Knicks made some plays, too. Despite a colossal layup miss by Josh Hart, OG Anunoby made up for it with the tip-in make of his life in the final moments.
San Antonio had just 1.2 seconds to get off a shot, still ample time in today’s league. But the inbounds pass to Stephon Castle fell short and he couldn’t get off a look in time.
Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 36 points, shooting more efficiently with a 12-25 clip and adding seven assists. Anunoby’s underrated playoffs continued further with 33 points on 10 of 15 shooting, including the most important bucket of the game.
Karl-Anthony Towns was the only other Knick to eclipse double-figures, scoring 13. He struggled for playing time in the first half due to foul trouble, but he made a tough and timely triple in the fourth.
San Antonio had five double-digit scorers, with Wembanyama’s 24 leading the way. But he only went 9-for-25 from the field, including two straight missed free throws in the closing stretch. Dylan Harper led all bench scorers with 21 points, while De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each added 18. But when it mattered most, no Spur could get on the ball and calm things down.
It was the opposite case for the Knicks, who could at least turn to Brunson — and sometimes Alvarado — to dribble out the clock until the right moment showed up.
Despite San Antonio’s hot start, the Knicks ended up with a better 3-point rate (15-for-32/47% to 17-for-43/40%). A true tale of two halves summarized with one statistic.
The Knicks’ 53-year wait for a championship can end as early as Saturday evening. The series heads back to San Antonio, where the Spurs lost the opening two games.
How the Spurs respond to this setback will tell all. Their backs are fully against the wall, and it happened in the worst manner possible.
For the Knicks, it’s exactly where they’d hoped to be.
Here are five things to know about Jalen Brunson.
