The New York Knicks moved one win from their first NBA championship since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden after the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Knicks Rally From 29 Down In Game 4
New York trailed by 29 points before taking a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. OG Anunoby finished the comeback with a tip-in off a Jalen Brunson miss, getting his fingertips on the ball with 2.1 seconds left after Brunson released a deep 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining.
The comeback broke the previous NBA Finals record set by the Boston Celtics, who came back from 24 points down against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the 2008 Finals. That Boston team went on to win the series in six games; the Knicks now have their own closeout chance.
OG Anunoby Delivers At Both Ends
Anunoby's final touch was the headline play, but ESPN reported that he also blocked De'Aaron Fox on a layup attempt with 11.7 seconds left while San Antonio was protecting a one-point lead.
He entered the late stages already in the middle of a strong Finals. ESPN noted that Anunoby was averaging 23.8 points per game on 58% shooting through four games, a steady run that has pushed him into Finals MVP conversation despite never having made an All-Star team.
Knicks coach Mike Brown said Anunoby had been challenged at halftime to be more active on the offensive glass. After the game, Brown called the tip-in "the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball." That is a large sentence in a city that enjoys large sentences, but the play earned its oxygen.
Spurs Collapse After Hot First Half
The Spurs shot 60% in the first half and led by 27 at halftime, but ESPN reported that they shot 20% in the second half as the Knicks worked back into the game.
Jose Alvarado added all eight of his points in the fourth quarter after Brown turned to him late to take some pressure off Brunson and give New York another ball-handling option.
The Knicks have repeatedly leaned on late rallies during this playoff run, and this one left them roughly 72 hours from a chance to end five decades without a title. The Spurs, after letting Game 4 slip from their grip, have to answer with no margin left for a similar fourth-quarter wobble.