OG Anunoby's late tip-in gave the New York Knicks a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, moving New York to a 3-1 series lead after one final possession that lasted 4.5 seconds.
Knicks Escape Final Possession Against Spurs
The Knicks were down 106-105 after Stephon Castle hit two free throws for San Antonio. AP reported that New York called timeout with 5.7 seconds left, just after Jose Alvarado nearly committed a backcourt violation that would have handed the ball to the Spurs.
Josh Hart was upset during the timeout after missing the defensive assignment that led to Castle's free throws. The possession that followed spared him a long offseason memory if New York turns this series into a championship.
Anunoby inbounded the ball while the Spurs used all five defenders to guard New York's four moving players. Jalen Brunson shook loose near midcourt, including from Victor Wembanyama, and caught the pass.
Jalen Brunson Miss Opens Door For Anunoby
Brunson took one dribble and released a shot from about 31 feet with 4.3 seconds left. The ball was in the air for about 1.2 seconds, missed short and kicked off the rim.
Anunoby had sprinted in from the inbound spot and kept moving while several players were boxed out, including Karl-Anthony Towns. With 2.5 seconds left, he leapt into space in front of Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell.
At roughly 2.0 seconds, Anunoby got his right hand to the ball and redirected it toward the rim. Towns later called it the right hand from God, which is about as formal as basketball theology gets in June.
NBA Finals Swing Toward New York
The ball dropped, the Knicks completed a comeback from 29 points down and Madison Square Garden had the kind of finish that tends to survive longer than the box score.
The play did not erase the rest of the night. It sharpened it. New York had already done the heavy work of recovering from a huge deficit; Anunoby supplied the last touch that turned the rally into a 107-106 win.
The Knicks now lead the NBA Finals 3-1 and are one victory from their first championship in 53 years. The Spurs, meanwhile, are left with the cruelest version of a defensive possession: they forced the shot they wanted, then lost the rebound they could not see coming.