The New York Knicks produced one of the most remarkable comebacks in NBA Finals history on Wednesday night, erasing a 29-point second-half deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 and move within one victory of their first championship since 1973.
At the heart of the stunning turnaround was All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, whose leadership and clutch shot-making helped transform what appeared to be a certain defeat into a memorable victory.
Brunson delivered his best performance of the Finals, finishing with 36 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. He shot 12-for-25 from the field, connected on three three-pointers and made nine of his 11 free-throw attempts. Most importantly, he scored 17 points in the second half as the Knicks steadily chipped away at San Antonio’s lead.
“We needed to hit singles, get on base and make plays from there,” Brunson said. “I feel like we did that tonight and we found a way to really just continue to do the things that helped us get to this point.”
The Knicks’ resilience has become a defining feature of their postseason run. They rallied from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals and have now overcome deficits of at least 12 points in each of the four Finals games, winning three of them.
Facing a 29-point hole in the third quarter, New York needed something extraordinary. Brunson provided it. He assisted on a key OG Anunoby three-pointer, knocked down crucial free throws and drained a three-pointer with 2:21 remaining to cut the Spurs’ lead to a single point. Moments later, he scored to give New York its first lead of the game at 105-104.
“Jalen, he’s an MVP candidate,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He does what an MVP is supposed to, and he did it again tonight.”
The game’s decisive moment came in dramatic fashion. With the Spurs leading 106-105 and only 5.7 seconds remaining, Brunson launched a contested 31-foot three-pointer while being double-teamed by De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama. The shot missed, but Anunoby crashed the glass and tipped in the rebound for the game-winning basket.
“Had two guys contesting, so was able to get some pressure off the rim,” Brunson said. “Got a good bounce off the rim, and OG being OG, just made a play.”
Despite the euphoria inside Madison Square Garden, Brunson remained focused on the bigger goal.
“Just happy that we found a way to come away with a win,” he said. “But there’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.”
With a 3-1 series lead, the Knicks are now one victory away from ending a 53-year championship drought.
