In one of the most dramatic reversals in NBA Finals history, the New York Knicks overcame a massive halftime deficit on Wednesday (U.S. time) to edge the San Antonio Spurs, 107-106, in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden — vaulting the franchise to a 3-1 series lead and within striking distance of their first championship in 53 years.
A Deficit That Looked Insurmountable at the Half
Through the first two quarters, the Knicks were being dismantled on their home floor. San Antonio outscored New York 76-49 before the break, with the Spurs’ advantage stretching to as many as 29 points at one stage. The crowd inside Madison Square Garden, one of the most iconic venues in professional sports, went quiet as the visiting team appeared to be coasting toward a series-tying victory that would have sent the championship back to 2-2.
What the game looked like at halftime and what it became by the final buzzer were two entirely different realities.
Brunson Carries the Offense When It Mattered Most
The Knicks’ second-half turnaround was anchored by Jalen Brunson, who finished the night with 36 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals, according to official NBA game statistics. Brunson was relentless in attacking the paint during the fourth quarter, drawing fouls and converting at the free-throw line in the moments when every possession carried championship implications.
His ability to manufacture points through contact — rather than relying purely on jump shooting — gave New York a reliable source of offense even when the Spurs tightened their perimeter coverage.
Anunoby Catches Fire From Three-Point Range
Alongside Brunson, OG Anunoby delivered what may stand as one of the defining individual performances of this Finals run. The forward scored 33 points, shooting 10-of-15 from the field overall and a near-perfect 7-of-9 from three-point range. His ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc in rapid succession was instrumental in collapsing San Antonio’s lead, as the Spurs’ defense struggled to contain the volume of clean looks New York was generating through improved ball movement in the second half.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 13 points and 10 rebounds, providing steady interior production, while Josh Hart contributed eight rebounds and six assists — the kind of well-rounded, complementary output that sustained a full 48-minute comeback effort across the entire roster.
Knicks Connect at Nearly 47 Percent From Deep
As a collective unit, the Knicks shot 46.9 percent from three-point range in Game 4, converting 15 of 32 attempts from distance, NBA records show. That efficiency from beyond the arc was the structural backbone of the second-half surge. San Antonio’s defense, which had functioned so effectively in the first two quarters, failed to adequately adjust to the pace and spacing New York deployed after the break.
The Knicks also held the Spurs to just 3-of-10 on second-chance opportunities in the second half and turned San Antonio turnovers into transition points — a sharp reversal from a first half in which the visitors seemed capable of converting nearly every possession into points on the scoreboard.
Wembanyama Struggles With Efficiency Despite Big Numbers
For the Spurs, the collapse was not the result of passive effort from their marquee players. Victor Wembanyama, the French center widely regarded as the cornerstone of San Antonio’s long-term future, recorded 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks — numbers that would represent a strong outing for most players. However, the NBA’s reigning generational prospect shot just 9-of-25 from the field, and that inefficiency proved decisive as the Knicks’ defense locked in during the crucial third and fourth quarters.
Rookie Dylan Harper was one of the few Spurs to shoot efficiently, finishing with 21 points on 8-of-12 from the floor. Devin Vassell contributed 18 points on five made threes, and veteran guard De’Aaron Fox added 18 points and seven assists. Despite those individual contributions, the Spurs went cold collectively at the worst possible time, as a lead that had appeared unassailable at halftime vanished in less than 24 minutes of game time.
More Than Five Decades of Waiting Now Down to One Game
The weight of franchise history looms large over this series. The Knicks last claimed the NBA title in 1973, when legends Willis Reed and Walt Frazier led New York to its second — and most recent — championship banner. More than half a century of playoff disappointments, roster rebuilds, and near-misses have followed, testing the resolve of one of the league’s most passionate and historically significant fanbases.
According to historical NBA data, teams that take a 3-1 lead in the Finals go on to win the championship the overwhelming majority of the time. New York now stands closer to ending its drought than at any other point in the modern era of professional basketball, and the opportunity to clinch on the road in Game 5 would only amplify the significance of what this squad has accomplished.
Game 5 Heads to San Antonio on June 14
The series now travels to Texas, with Game 5 scheduled at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Tipoff is set for the morning of Sunday, June 14, Philippine time, the NBA confirmed.
For the Spurs, the path forward is narrow but not without historical precedent. A small number of teams in NBA history have successfully rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to claim a championship — though such reversals are statistically rare and require the trailing team to win three consecutive games, including two on the road.
San Antonio must secure a victory in Game 5 to force the series back to Madison Square Garden for a potential Game 6. Failing to do so would close out the Spurs’ season entirely and deliver New York its first championship in more than five decades.
The pressure on San Antonio’s coaching staff and young roster is considerable. The task ahead is to replicate the dominance they demonstrated in the first half of Game 4 — and maintain it across a full game, something they were unable to do on Wednesday night at MSG.
For the Knicks, momentum, home-court advantage converted, and the weight of history all point in one direction. Whether New York can finish the job in Game 5, or whether the Spurs can mount a comeback series of their own, is the defining question remaining in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Source: Originally reported by wire reports
