Key Points
- Knicks beat Spurs 107-106 after trailing by 29, the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
- OG Anunoby's putback with 1.2 seconds left won it.
- Jalen Brunson scored 36; Anunoby added 33 on 7-of-9 from three.
- New York leads the series 3-1, one win from its first title since 1973.
The Spurs led by 29 points, set an NBA Finals record with 14 three-pointers in a half, and lost. The New York Knicks erased the largest deficit any team has ever overcome in a Finals game, beating San Antonio 107-106 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
The collapse, then the rally
For three quarters this was a rout. San Antonio led 41-22 after the first quarter and stretched it to 76-49 by halftime, those 14 first-half threes an NBA Finals record. The Spurs still led 95-75 with 9:33 to play. Then the Garden turned the game: New York closed on a 32-11 run the rest of the way, hunting the Spurs off the three-point line and getting downhill against a San Antonio team that suddenly couldn't score.
The finish
It came down to a final possession. Jalen Brunson missed a three, and OG Anunoby chased down the rebound and put it back with 1.2 seconds left for the 107-106 lead. Brunson finished with 36 points, 12-of-25 shooting, and 7 assists; Anunoby was the engine of the comeback with 33 points on 10-of-15 from the field and 7-of-9 from deep. Victor Wembanyama posted 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs, a strong line swallowed by the collapse around him. This was the same building where San Antonio had won Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead; two nights later the Knicks took it back.
One win away
New York now leads the Finals 3-1 with a chance to close out the championship in Game 5. The Knicks have not won a title since 1973 — the longest drought of any of the NBA's traditional flagship franchises — and they are a single victory from ending it.
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