The New York Knicks have pulled off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history to send Madison Square Garden into meltdown, and move within one victory of a drought-breaking championship.
The Knicks defied the odds and rewrote history in remarkable scenes on Thursday (AEST), edging the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 after overcoming a 29-point half-time deficit to take a 3-1 series lead, and move within one win of their first championship since 1973.
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It is the biggest single-game comeback in NBA Finals history, built on a dominant 58-30 second-half surge led by star guard Jalen Brunson, who finished with 36 points, five rebounds and seven assists, steering his side through a remarkable turnaround.
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The decisive moment came from an unlikely source. Defensive specialist OG Anunoby crashed the glass for a put-back basket after Brunson’s late attempt, tipping the Knicks into the lead as they closed out one of the most dramatic wins in franchise history.
“Just do whatever it takes to win,” Anunoby said of the winning basket.
The Spurs, despite leading for much of the game, were left clinging to a one-basket advantage late, with a puzzling decision from De’Aaron Fox drawing scrutiny as he chose not to hold possession and instead allowed the Knicks back into position for free throws that ultimately shaped the finish.
It is a moment that will be remembered as a costly lapse in judgement in a high-stakes setting. Despite the ending, Fox delivered his strongest performance of the series, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the defeat.
For the Spurs, the challenge now is response. They return home needing to regroup quickly and find a way to force Game 6, or risk watching a Knicks celebration on their own floor.
‘The DUMBEST basketball team in history’ | 00:32
SPURS’ FIRST HALF DOMINANCE
The Spurs came out firing early, jumping to a 12-2 lead after a steal and dunk from Julian Champagnie. From there, they never looked back.
The visitors were handed another boost moments later when officials overturned an initial foul call on Victor Wembanyama, instead ruling Karl-Anthony Towns responsible for the contact. The decision left the Knicks star with his second foul just two minutes into the contest and forced head coach Mike Brown into an early reshuffle.
Towns would play just three minutes in the opening quarter as foul trouble disrupted New York’s plans, leaving Brown to dig deep into his frontcourt rotation much earlier than expected.
San Antonio took full advantage, dominating the first quarter for the fourth straight game and racing to a 19-point lead by the first break. Wembanyama set the tone with 13 points, while Devin Vassell added 12 as the Spurs shot a blistering 15-for-23 from the field and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc.
The frustration was evident for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson managed just four points, all from the free-throw line, and was yet to make a field goal, while Mitchell Robinson found himself in the spotlight after a physical sequence with Wembanyama.
After being scored on by the Spurs superstar, Robinson responded with a hard foul that was upgraded to a flagrant after review, further highlighting the growing tension inside Madison Square Garden.
The officiating crew remained under the microscope moments later when Luke Kornet appeared to get away with a crucial goaltending violation. The missed call sparked loud “Ref, you suck!” chants from the home crowd as frustration continued to build.
The animosity between Alvarado and Wembanyama only added another layer to the contest. Just days earlier, Alvarado had warned that Wembanyama’s foul on Brunson in Game 3 would be his “last one”. The first time the pair matched up, Alvarado delivered a hard foul on the French star, sending the play to review. Officials ultimately deemed the contact a common foul and declined to upgrade it to a flagrant.
Despite the Knicks beginning to find some rhythm offensively, highlighted by a momentum-shifting and-one from Josh Hart, the Spurs refused to ease up.
For the first time in the series, San Antonio avoided its familiar second-quarter collapse and instead extended its advantage to half-time lead of 27 points.
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