Knicks complete historic comeback, nearing title win

NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks completed a record comeback from 29 points down and moved to the brink of their first championship since 1973 by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 on Wednesday night. OG Anunoby tipped in Jalen Brunson's miss on a long 3-point attempt with 1.2 seconds left to complete the rally, giving the Knicks a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals and three chances to win the title.

The situation appeared dire early on, as the Spurs rolled to a 27-point halftime lead. However, Brunson spearheaded the comeback with 36 points, and Anunoby contributed 33. Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday night in San Antonio.

Prior to this, no team had come back from more than 24 points down in a Finals game, a record set by the Boston Celtics against the Lakers in 2008 since detailed play-by-play record keeping began in 1997. The Spurs led 81-52 with 9:40 remaining in the third quarter. The only larger comeback on record in any playoff game was 31 points by the Los Angeles Clippers against the Golden State Warriors in 2019.

The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak snapped in Game 3 and seemed on course for a second-consecutive defeat during the first half, when Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs opened with the largest halftime lead by a visiting team in the Finals. The Spurs had started strong, making 11 of their first 16 3-point attempts, although they faltered in the second half, shooting only 3-for-17 from beyond the arc as the Knicks outscored them 58-30.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson commented, "We got on our heels -- we missed some shots. It's disappointing, to say the least."

With minutes remaining, delirious fans inside Madison Square Garden sang along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" after witnessing what seemed almost impossible. Wembanyama recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds but struggled with his shooting, finishing 9-for-25 from the field. Remarkably, the first three games saw road teams taking victories, marking only the second time this has occurred in the Finals.

Restrictions around Madison Square Garden remained in effect, similar to those during Game 3 when President Donald Trump attended, prompting the Knicks' organization to cancel plans for an outdoor watch party. In the first half, fans found little to cheer about, but the Knicks tightened their defense, limiting the Spurs to 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting in the third quarter as they executed a 13-0 run to set up a comeback.

Even when it seemed the comeback was in jeopardy, with Stephon Castle getting fouled and making two free throws to reclaim the lead for San Antonio with 30 seconds left, the Knicks persevered. Dylan Harper scored 21 points for the Spurs, while De'Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each contributed 18. The Spurs are now looking to regroup and send the series back to New York for Game 6 on Tuesday.

Before the game, Wembanyama faced boos from the crowd while warming up, and tensions rose as the Knicks attempted to be physical with him, including a flagrant foul called on Mitchell Robinson. Despite a tough game, Wembanyama will likely regret missing two free throws that could have sealed the game. According to DraftKings odds, the Knicks were as long as 22-1 on the live moneyline before their comeback against the Spurs.