NBA Daily Digest: Knicks One Win Away, OG's Tip-In Caps Largest Comeback in Finals History
OG Anunoby tipped in a Jalen Brunson miss with 1.2 seconds left to complete a 29-point comeback — the largest in NBA Finals history — as the Knicks beat the Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 to lead the series 3-1. Brunson had 36 points, Anunoby 33. Game 5 is Saturday in San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with Wembanyama at three flagrant fouls and one away from automatic suspension.
Game 4 recap: Knicks 107, Spurs 106 — the largest comeback in Finals history
OG Anunoby tipped in a missed Jalen Brunson three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left Wednesday night, completing a 29-point comeback and giving the New York Knicks a 3-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs. No team had ever come back from more than 24 points down in an NBA Finals game — that record stood since Boston's rally against the Lakers in 2008. The Spurs made it look worse than a 29-point deficit suggests: they led 81-52 in the third quarter, the largest blown halftime lead by a visiting team in Finals history.1
The shift in the second half was stark. San Antonio made 11 of its first 16 three-pointers in the opening two quarters, then shot 3-for-17 from three after halftime as the Knicks outscored them 58-30. New York held the Spurs to 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting in the third quarter and used a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 90-75 heading into the fourth.
Brunson finished with 36 points (12-for-25 FG, 9-for-11 FT), scoring 16 in the fourth quarter alone. But the moment belonged to Anunoby, who added 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting and sealed it with a decisive block on De'Aaron Fox to give New York the final possession before his putback. "I don't know if there was a play bigger than any other play in the history of Knicks basketball," said coach Mike Brown.1
Victor Wembanyama (SF/C, Spurs) posted 24 points and 13 rebounds but shot just 9-for-25 from the field. He also missed two consecutive free throws with 1:47 remaining while San Antonio led 104-103 — the sequence that put the Knicks within a score. "I can't really explain it right now," Wemby said postgame. "We clearly weren't the most hungry in the second half. It just hurts."3
For the Spurs: Dylan Harper (G, Spurs) scored 21 points — becoming the youngest player to crack 20 in a Finals game — while Fox and Devin Vassell each had 18.
Series standings
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| Series | Score | Next game |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 NBA Finals | Knicks lead 3-1 | Game 5 — Sat., June 14, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC, San Antonio) |
The Knicks are 3-1. Of the previous 38 teams to hold a 3-1 Finals lead, 37 have gone on to win the title.1
Flagrant fouls and physicality
Both teams were called for flagrant fouls in Game 4. Mitchell Robinson (C, Knicks) received a Flagrant 1 for contact above Wembanyama's shoulders. Jose Alvarado (G, Knicks) was also reviewed for below-the-belt contact on Wemby and received a flagrant call. Wembanyama himself was assessed a flagrant during the game.1
The Knicks' physical approach to Wembanyama has been a deliberate strategy throughout the series. Fans booed Wemby during warmups — he absorbed it and finished as the Spurs' leading scorer regardless. His foul total in the series now warrants watching: a fourth flagrant in the Finals brings an automatic one-game suspension under league rules.
OG's MVP case — and the ladder reshuffle
OG Anunoby (SF, Knicks) has quietly put together one of the most efficient performances in this series. Through four games he is averaging 23.8 points on 55% from three, with 15 made threes — more than Towns and Brunson combined (14). His block on Fox in the closing seconds, setting up the game-winner, was the other half of the play that never gets discussed enough.2
After Game 4, Anunoby jumped to the top of NBA.com's Finals MVP ladder. The updated standings:
| Rank | Player | Team | Finals averages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OG Anunoby | Knicks | 23.8 pts, 4.0 reb, 1.3 ast |
| 2 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Knicks | 15.8 pts, 10.8 reb, 2.8 ast |
| 3 | Victor Wembanyama | Spurs | 27.8 pts, 10.5 reb, 3.3 blk |
| 4 | Jalen Brunson | Knicks | 29.5 pts, 4.5 reb, 5.0 ast |
| 5 | Dylan Harper | Spurs | 16.3 pts, 6.8 reb, 2.8 ast |
Wembanyama leads the series in scoring but dropped to third given the outcome. Brunson sits fourth despite his 36-point performance in Game 4 — an indication of how much the narrative has shifted toward OG's two-way impact.
Courtside: Taylor Swift at MSG
Taylor Swift attended Game 4 in place of President Trump, who was at MSG for Game 3. The same security perimeter around Madison Square Garden remained in effect — a restriction the Knicks pushed back on publicly by canceling their planned outdoor watch party outside the arena.1 Swift was introduced on Celebrity Row alongside Spike Lee and other notables. The NBA confirmed she was "all smiles" celebrating on the court after the comeback.4
Game 5 preview: Saturday in San Antonio
Game 5: Saturday, June 14, 8:30 p.m. ET — AT&T Center, San Antonio | ABC
The series shifts back to San Antonio for a game the Spurs must win to stay alive. Their road record this postseason (7-3) suggests they do not wilt in hostile environments, but they have never faced elimination at home in these playoffs, and the Knicks are riding the momentum of the largest second-half comeback in Finals history.
Key storylines heading into Saturday:
- Can the Spurs fix the second-half collapse? San Antonio was 11-for-16 from three in the first half and 3-for-17 after halftime in Game 4. Whether that is a correctable execution breakdown or the Knicks simply making adjustments at the break is the central tactical question.
- Wembanyama's flagrant count. He currently has three flagrant fouls in the series. A fourth triggers an automatic suspension. That reality will shape how referees call his aggression and how he defends.
- KAT's fourth-quarter emergence. Towns had not scored in any of the three previous fourth quarters before Game 4. He was on the floor and impactful in the closing minutes Wednesday. Whether that carries forward matters for Knicks' closing lineups.
- First title since 1973. The Knicks last won a championship 53 years ago. The AT&T Center crowd will be loud, but New York now has three chances to close it out.
No injury designations have been reported for either team ahead of Game 5 as of Thursday morning.
Around the league
No trades, signings, or significant roster moves were reported across the league on Wednesday or Thursday. The Finals has consumed the calendar — with only Game 5 on the schedule, the league is in a holding pattern until Saturday night.
References
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