Knicks complete historic 29-point comeback to take 3-1 NBA Finals lead over Spurs

The New York Knicks have secured a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals after overcoming a 29-point second-half deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4. The victory, which took place at Madison Square Garden, marks the largest comeback in NBA Finals history since detailed play-by-play statistics were kept in 1997. The win brings New York within one victory of securing their first championship in 53 years, shifting the series to San Antonio for Game 5 where the Spurs face elimination.

The turning point of the contest arrived early in the third quarter when Victor Wembanyama was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for elbowing Karl-Anthony Towns. The infraction brought Wembanyama one point away from a one-game suspension and appeared to shift the momentum of the game. Following the call, the Knicks began to chip away at the deficit, with Jalen Brunson hitting a three-pointer with approximately eight-and-a-half minutes remaining in the quarter to spark a 7-0 run that forced a Spurs timeout.

San Antonio’s offensive collapse was compounded by uncharacteristic errors from their backcourt. De’Aaron Fox committed two significant turnovers in the fourth quarter, including a deflection that led to a foul and a missed layup attempt with 13 seconds remaining. Earlier in the quarter, Josh Hart committed critical errors, including a missed layup and a defensive foul on Stephon Castle that allowed the Spurs to take a 106-105 lead with less than a minute remaining.

New York’s comeback was anchored by clutch performances from its key players. Karl-Anthony Towns scored his first fourth-quarter points of the series, including a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer to cut the deficit to single digits. Jalen Brunson also delivered in the final minutes, driving past Castle to hit a floater that gave the Knicks their first lead of the game with approximately 1.5 seconds left. Coach Mike Brown’s decision to keep Jose Alvarado on the court alongside Brunson for the final 10 minutes proved pivotal, as Alvarado scored eight points in the fourth quarter.

The game concluded with a dramatic final sequence. With 1.2 seconds remaining, Brunson missed a three-point attempt, but OG Anunoby secured the game-winning offensive rebound and tipped the ball in for the winning points. Anunoby, who finished with a playoff career-high 33 points, was aided by Towns, who deflected a potential game-winning lob pass from Castle at the same moment. The victory sets up a decisive Game 5 in San Antonio, with the Knicks seeking to end their long championship drought.