Historic Knicks Comeback
Knicks Overcome Historic 29-Point Deficit to Defeat Spurs, Nearing First NBA Title Since 1973
The New York Knicks pulled off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history on Wednesday night, erasing a 29-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 at Madison Square Garden. OG Anunoby tipped in a Jalen Brunson miss with 1.2 seconds left to seal the win, giving New York a 3-1 series lead CBS News.
The Knicks are now one win away from their first NBA Championship since 1973. Game 5 is Saturday in San Antonio wpxi.com.
How the Knicks Wiped Out a 29-Point Hole
San Antonio came out blazing. The Spurs shot 11-of-16 from three-point range in the first quarter and led 41-22 after one period, according to The Guardian. By halftime, the lead was 27 points — 76-49 — the largest halftime advantage by a road team in NBA Finals history.
The Knicks slowly chipped away in the second half, outscoring the Spurs 58-30 after the break CBS News. Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 36 points. Anunoby added 33 points on 7-of-9 shooting from three. With 2:30 left, Brunson hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to one. The Knicks were back in it.
De'Aaron Fox's Late Blunder Cost the Spurs the Game
With 15 seconds left and the Spurs leading 106-105, Fox grabbed a loose ball. All he had to do was hold it. Instead, he tried to run in for a layup to extend the lead to three. Anunoby blocked the shot off the backboard with 11 seconds left, according to The Guardian.
Fox explained the decision after the game. "I tried to get a layup to get up three... I just thought I'd be able to outrun [Anunoby]. That's it," he told Sports Illustrated. Analyst Emmanuel Acho was less charitable, calling it "the dumbest NBA Finals play I've seen" Basketball Network.
Anunoby's Tip-In Becomes Instant Knicks Legend
After Fox's turnover, Brunson drove and missed. Anunoby, following the shot as his coach instructed, tipped the ball in with 1.2 seconds on the clock. The Garden erupted. "Coach told me I need to get on the glass... and it happened at the end," Anunoby said, per NBC Sports.
Head coach Mike Brown called it "the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball" Forbes. Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns described the basket as the "Right hand from God" The Guardian. Madison Square Garden was "delirious," with fans singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" minutes after the buzzer CBS News.
New York's 53-Year Wait Is Almost Over
The Knicks last won a title in 1973. Their only other Finals appearance since then was 1999 — also against San Antonio — a series they lost in five games Basketball Wiki. The previous record for a Finals comeback was 24 points, set by the Boston Celtics against the Lakers in Game 4 of the 2008 Finals The Washington Post.
Only one team in NBA history — the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers — has ever come back from a 3-1 Finals deficit. If the Knicks win Saturday, they will celebrate on the Spurs' home floor at Frost Bank Center. New York City's mayor estimates the championship run could generate up to $465 million for the local economy CBS News.
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