Knicks one win away from NBA title after record comeback against Spurs

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkNew York Knicks forward OG Anunoby, third from left, tips in the match winner in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden [Geoff Burke-Imagn Images/AP]By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated PressPublished On 11 Jun 202611 Jun 2026The New York Knicks made 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 in Game 4 on Wednesday night.OG Anunoby tipped in the miss of Jalen Brunson’s long 3-point attempt with 1.2 seconds remaining to complete the rally, giving the Knicks a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals and three chances to win the title.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Wembanyama scores 32 as Spurs power past Knicks in Game 3 of NBA Finalslist 2 of 4Photos: Trump courts boos at historic New York NBA Finals appearancelist 3 of 4New York Knicks hold off San Antonio Spurs 105-104 for 2-0 NBA Finals leadlist 4 of 4Trump booed ‘thunderously’ at NBA Finals: What we knowend of listIt looked impossible early, when the Spurs rolled to a 27-point halftime lead. But Brunson helped bring the Knicks back with 36 points, and Anunoby finished with 33, swooping in as Brunson’s shot bounced softly off the front of the rim and stretching high with his right hand to tap it in.“I told OG as big, as strong, as athletic as he is, he’s got to be a monster on the offensive glass tonight,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.“I don’t know if there was a play bigger than any other play in the history of Knicks basketball.”Game 5 is Saturday night in San Antonio.Sensational Knicks comebackNo team had come from more than 24 points down in a finals game, when the Boston Celtics did it against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008, since the NBA began keeping detailed play-by-play for all four quarters in 1997. The Spurs led 81-52 in the third quarter.The only bigger comeback on record in any playoff game was 31 points by the Los Angeles Clippers against the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of a first-round series in 2019.The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak snapped in Game 3 and seemed headed for a second straight defeat throughout the first half, when Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs opened the biggest halftime lead by a visiting team in the finals.But the young Spurs, who made 11 of their first 16 3-pointers, went cold in the second half, going 3 for 17 behind the arc as the Knicks outscored them 58-30.“We got on our heels; we missed some shots,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s disappointing, to say the least.”New York Knicks centre Mitchell Robinson, left, and guard Josh Hart celebrate after Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs, June 10, 2026, in New York [Ross D Franklin/AP]Delirious fans inside Madison Square Garden sang along to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ a few minutes after watching something that seemed almost impossible.Wembanyama had 24 points and 13 rebounds, but shot just 9 for 25 from the field.Road teams had won the first three games, only the second time that had happened in the finals. San Antonio was well on its way to making it 4 for 4.President Donald Trump was not at this game – though Taylor Swift was – but the same restrictions remained around Madison Square Garden as when Trump attended Game 3. That angered the Knicks, who decided not to go forward with plans to hold an outdoor watch party outside the arena.New York Knicks fans celebrate during a watch party inside New York’s Central Park during Game 4 [Heather Khalifa/AP]Knicks vs Spurs timelineInside the building in the first half, there was not much for the hosts to be happy about, either.But the Knicks gave themselves a chance by limiting the Spurs to 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting in the third quarter, using a 13-0 run to get back in it and cutting it to 90-75 heading to the fourth.These Knicks, who erased a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, just don’t quit.Even when the comeback seemed for naught, when Stephon Castle was fouled after the Knicks had taken the lead and made two free throws to put San Antonio back ahead with 30 seconds left, the Knicks had one more rally in them.Dylan Harper scored 21 points, and De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each had 18 for the Spurs, who will try to regroup and send the series back to New York for Game 6 on Tuesday.“I think it began before [the fourth quarter],” Wembanyama said of the Spurs’ collapse. “I can’t really explain it right now. I don’t know… We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”Fans booed Wembanyama when he came onto the floor to warm up about an hour before the game, and the Knicks tried to get rough with him, with Mitchell Robinson called for a flagrant foul for hitting him above the shoulders, and Jose Alvarado reviewed for one after going below the belt.Wembanyama – who was also called for a flagrant – stood up OK against the Knicks, but will regret the two free throws he missed with 1:47 left and San Antonio leading 104-103.New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby #8 attempts a shot over San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during the first half of Game 4 on June 10, 2026 [Frank Franklin II/AP]