Gil's Arena Full Shows
Gil's Arena Full Shows
June 11, 2026

The Knicks' UNBELIEVABLE Comeback STUNS Gil's Arena

YouTube · Tgy7yKRFCec

Quick Read

The Knicks staged a historic 29-point comeback against the Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, sparking intense debate among analysts about resilience, coaching, and player performance.
Spurs set multiple Finals records in a dominant first half but suffered a historic collapse.
OG Anunoby delivered game-winning plays, including a crucial block and tip-in, alongside Jalen Brunson's steady scoring.
Coaching decisions and late-game composure (or lack thereof) were central to the outcome.

Summary

Game 4 of the NBA Finals saw the New York Knicks execute the largest comeback in Finals history, erasing a 29-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs to win and take a 3-1 series lead. The Spurs dominated the first half, setting multiple Finals records for scoring and three-point shooting, but collapsed dramatically in the second half. Key factors in the Knicks' victory included Jalen Brunson's consistent scoring, OG Anunoby's clutch plays (including a game-winning tip-in and crucial block), and a surprising coaching adjustment by Mike Brown to play Jose Alvarado. Analysts debated the Spurs' meltdown, attributing it to a lack of composure, poor coaching adjustments, and late-game errors by players like De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama, while praising the Knicks' 'refuse to lose' mentality.
This historic comeback fundamentally shifts the narrative and momentum of the NBA Finals, putting the Knicks on the verge of a championship. It highlights the critical importance of mental toughness, in-game adjustments, and clutch performance in high-stakes playoff basketball. For the Spurs, it's a painful lesson in maintaining leads and composure, potentially shaping their young stars' development and future coaching strategies.

Takeaways

  • The Knicks' 29-point comeback is the largest in NBA Finals history, showcasing their 'refuse to lose' mentality.
  • Spurs' second-half collapse was attributed to poor coaching adjustments and critical late-game errors by key players like De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama.
  • OG Anunoby's outstanding two-way performance, including a game-winning tip-in and a pivotal block, made him a strong Finals MVP contender.

Insights

1Knicks' Historic 29-Point Comeback

The New York Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit, the largest in NBA Finals history, to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4. This comeback was fueled by a dominant second-half performance where they outscored the Spurs significantly, especially in the third and fourth quarters.

Spurs led by 29 points in the second quarter and 20 points early in the fourth. The Knicks outscored the Spurs 26-14 in the third quarter and had a 20-4 run in the fourth.

2Spurs' Record-Setting First Half Followed by Collapse

The Spurs started Game 4 with record-breaking offensive efficiency, hitting 14 threes in the first half (a Finals record) and scoring 76 points, the most by a road team in Finals history. However, they dramatically cooled off, scoring only 14 points in the third quarter and struggling significantly in the fourth.

Spurs shot 60% from the field and 54% from three in the first half, but were held to 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting in the third period and 2-for-11 shooting in the final nine minutes.

3OG Anunoby's Clutch Performance and MVP Candidacy

OG Anunoby delivered a playoff career-high 33 points, including 7-for-9 from three-point range, and made the game-winning tip-in. He also had a critical chase-down block on De'Aaron Fox, solidifying his impact on both ends of the floor and making a strong case for Finals MVP.

Anunoby scored 33 points (10-for-15 FG, 7-for-9 3PT), had the game-winning tip-in, and blocked De'Aaron Fox's potential game-winning layup attempt. He is averaging 24 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1.5 blocks on 58/56/92 shooting splits for the series.

4De'Aaron Fox's Late-Game Blunders

De'Aaron Fox made several critical errors in the fourth quarter, most notably attempting a layup instead of dribbling out the clock and forcing a foul with the Spurs up by one point in the final seconds. This decision led to OG Anunoby's game-winning block.

Fox tipped the ball to himself, drove for a layup, and was blocked by OG Anunoby. Fox admitted post-game, 'I just thought I'd be able to outrun him.'

5Wemby's Struggles in the Clutch

Victor Wembanyama, despite leading the Spurs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, struggled significantly in the second half and clutch moments. He shot 3-for-14 in the second half, missed two crucial free throws with 1:47 left, and had zero defensive rebounds and zero blocks in the second half.

Wembanyama missed two free throws with remaining, shot 3-for-14 in the second half, and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. He had zero defensive rebounds and zero blocks in the second half.

6Mike Brown's Coaching Masterstroke with Jose Alvarado

Knicks coach Mike Brown made a 'gutsy' and 'shrewd' decision to insert Jose Alvarado into the game for 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, despite Alvarado and Brunson never having played together. Alvarado responded by making all three of his shots, including two crucial threes, acting as a catalyst for the comeback.

Alvarado played 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, made all three of his shots (including two threes), and was a +11. This was the first time he and Brunson had played together in their NBA careers.

7Knicks' Playoff Resilience is a Trend

This 29-point comeback is not an isolated incident for the Knicks. They now have five 20-point comeback wins in the last two playoffs, holding a 5-3 record when trailing by 20 points, compared to the rest of the NBA's combined 4-71 record in such situations.

The Knicks have five 20-point comeback wins in the last two playoffs and are 5-3 when trailing by 20 points in the last two postseasons. They also came back from 22 points down against the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Lessons

  • Coaches must be prepared to make unconventional adjustments (e.g., playing untested lineups) when facing large deficits or struggling to maintain leads in high-stakes games.
  • Players, especially point guards, need to prioritize game management (dribbling out the clock, forcing fouls) over hero-ball plays in critical late-game situations, regardless of their confidence in making a shot.
  • Teams with significant leads must maintain offensive aggression and defensive intensity, avoiding complacency or premature 'playing not to lose' mindsets that can lead to historic collapses.

Quotes

"

"We're resilient, you know. We never give up. You know, it's a game of runs. They went on our run early. We knew we were going to go on our own runs, so we just stay with it. Kept pushing."

OG Anunoby
"

"What's going through my mind right now? I think it's going to go one of two ways. One of two ways. And a bad one and a good one. And I know the bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this. Getting more together. And I know this is what we're going to do."

Victor Wembanyama
"

"The gutsiest, shrewdest coaching move I've ever seen in a finals game was with Jose Alvarado because you just don't do that. You can't do that. To Nick's point, they'd never played together one minute of their NBA lives and you throw him out there for 10 minutes in the fourth quarter and guess what? Did he ever make you look genius?"

Skip Bayless
"

"I don't say that the Knicks took this game. You It was given to you because we didn't make you work on defense while we're up 25. We didn't make every possession count."

Rashad McCants
"

"Time is your friend. You just seen Wimby trick off two humongous free throws. You get fouled, you up, you up. You're like down."

Brandon Jennings

Q&A

Recent Questions

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