Miracle at the Garden: Knicks Erase 29-Point Deficit to Reach Brink of History

The New York Knicks completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history on Wednesday night, rallying from 29 points down to stun the San Antonio Spurs 107-106. Jalen Brunson's 36 points and OG Anunoby's last-second tip-in have moved the franchise within one win of its first championship since 1973.

The Spurs had control of the game in the first half with a 27 point lead at halftime and the Spurs had to just keep there foot on the gas and they would've tied the series at 2-2. However in the second half of the game the Spurs went ice cold as they were held to 14 points in the 3rd quarter shooting 4 for 20 (20%) and gave up a 28-9 run in a seven minute stretch in the 4th quarter the Knicks by that time had gained momentum as they cut into the lead thought both the 3rd and later taking the lead in the 4th quarters with New York taking the lead with 1 minute and 22 seconds left on the clock. After San Antonio's Stephon Castle hit two clutch free throws to put the Spurs back up 106–105, the Knicks had one final possession with 5.7 seconds remaining. Jalen Brunson launched a contested 30-foot three-pointer over Victor Wembanyama. The shot clanged off the front iron, but OG Anunoby flew in from the perimeter, out-leaping three Spurs players to tip the ball back in with just 1.2 seconds left on the clock. A final desperate attempt by the Spurs failed, sending New York into absolute delirium. The Knicks led for a total of only 53.8 seconds the entire night.

The Knicks now are on the door step of history and now can win their first NBA championship since 1973. They able to complete this comeback due to suffocating defense as the Knicks drastically shifted their defensive scheme in the 2nd half . They ramped up their perimeter pressure, completely taking away San Antonio's rhythm from deep and holding them to a brutal 3 of 17(17.6%) from 3rd point range in the second half . The Knicks made a conscious effort to disrupt Victor Wembanyama's comfort zone by playing highly physical, borderline aggressive defense with a key contributor being Jose Alvarado who was highly disruptive to the Spurs. The relentless physical toll completely wore Wembanyama down; he shot just 9-of-25 for the night and missed two crucial free throws with 1:47 left in the game that would have pushed the Spurs' lead to three. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby did a lot of the heavy lifting after Karl Anthony Towns got into foul trouble with Brunson finishing with 36 points on 7 assists and 5 rebounds with OG finishing with 33 points and shooting 7/9 from three point range.

spurs vs knicks game 4 of Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama image from The Guardian

On the Spurs end, this game showed the inexperience of the young core with Victor Wembanyama being worn down as the game progressed, despite having 24 points he shot a rough 9-25 and 2-8 from three. Costly turnovers also played a role as San Antonio's young backcourt struggled against the Knicks’ suffocating perimeter pressure. The Spurs began turning the ball over, which directly fueled the Madison Square Garden crowd and allowed Jalen Brunson (36 points) to get out in transition, scoring quick, easy buckets before the Spurs' half-court defense could set, this culminated one biggest collapses in NBA history with Charles Barkley calling the Spurs the "dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization". With game 5 in Texas with all the momentum the Knicks way will the Spurs find an answer for the Knicks or will the Knicks win their first title since 1973?