🏀 Score board
New York Knicks
107
San Antonio Spurs
106
Player of the Night
You want to talk about NBA MOM performances? This is the standard. OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left completed a 29-point comeback — the greatest collapse in NBA Finals history — and suddenly the Knicks are one win away from ending their 53-year championship drought. Madison Square Garden went absolutely nuclear.
Anunoby finished with 33 points while shooting an absolutely ridiculous 10-of-15 from the field and 7-of-9 from three. Let that efficiency sink in for a second. When your team is down 29 points in a Finals game and you’re still knocking down contested threes like it’s a shootaround, that’s not just hot shooting — that’s pure ice in your veins. The Knicks won 107-106, and this performance instantly enters the pantheon of legendary Finals moments.
Here’s what makes this special: When Jalen Brunson’s long 3-point shot bounced off the front of the rim, Anunoby leaped with his right hand stretching high to softly flick it in. Karl-Anthony Towns called it the “Right hand from God.” That tip-in — off a miss, with 1.2 seconds left, to cap the biggest comeback ever — is the kind of play that defines careers. This is NBA MVP level clutch gene stuff, and Anunoby just announced himself on the biggest stage possible.
Other Standout Players
36 points and 7 assists on 12-of-25 shooting. The engine that kept this comeback alive. Hit the floater to give the Knicks their first lead of the game late, proving once again why he’s the heart of this team.
24 points and 13 rebounds but shot just 9 for 25 from the field. Missed two free throws with 1:47 left while San Antonio led 104-103 — those will haunt him. Still a monster, but this loss stings differently.
13 points and 10 rebounds. Picked up two early fouls that limited his impact, but stayed engaged defensively. The double-double kept the Knicks alive during the darkest stretches.
Fan Mood Check
Delirious fans inside Madison Square Garden sang along to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” minutes after watching history. They’re one win from ending 53 years of pain.
You led by 29. You were one game away from tying this series. Now you’re facing elimination and only one team — Cleveland in 2016 — has recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the finals. Brutal doesn’t even cover it.
Hot Issues
No team had come from more than 24 points down in a finals game since Boston did it against the Lakers in 2008. The Knicks just erased 29. This is the stuff legends are made of.
The young Spurs went 3 for 17 from behind the arc in the second half after making 11 of their first 16 threes. When your offense completely vanishes and you can’t buy a bucket, even a 29-point lead isn’t safe.
Let’s be real: the Spurs rolled to a 27-point halftime lead, but the Knicks limited them to just 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting in the third quarter. That defensive intensity completely flipped the game. When you watch these Knicks, who erased a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter against Cleveland in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, you realize this team genuinely doesn’t know how to quit.
The wildest part? Even when Stephon Castle made two free throws to put San Antonio back ahead with 30 seconds left, the Knicks had one more rally in them. That’s championship DNA right there. You’re down all game, you claw back, you take the lead, you lose it again — and you still find a way to win with literally 1.2 seconds left.
For the Spurs, this is devastating. Dylan Harper scored 21 points and De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each had 18, and they still couldn’t close it out. The young core showed up, Wembanyama was solid despite the efficiency struggles, and they built the biggest lead you could ask for in a Finals game. But championships aren’t won in the first half — they’re decided in those final possessions when everything is on the line.
Now the pressure shifts entirely to San Antonio. The Knicks have a 3-1 lead and three chances to win the best-of-seven series — starting with Game 5 on Saturday night in San Antonio. The Spurs have to win three straight, starting at home, or their magical season ends in heartbreak. Meanwhile, New York is 48 minutes away from their first title since 1973. The Garden is going to be absolutely unhinged for Game 6 if this goes back.
From an individual perspective, Anunoby just made himself a ton of money and cemented his legacy in one play. That tip-in is getting replayed for decades. Knicks coach Mike Brown called it “the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball” — and honestly, what’s the argument against it? This is the kind of moment that defines entire franchises. Patrick Ewing never got this. Carmelo never got this. OG Anunoby just delivered it on a silver platter.
The supporting cast deserves massive credit too. Brunson’s 36 points kept them in striking distance when the deficit felt insurmountable. Towns battled foul trouble but grabbed crucial rebounds. The defense locked in when it mattered most. This was a complete team effort wrapped in individual heroics — which is exactly what championship runs look like.
Saturday’s Game 5 in San Antonio is must-watch television. The Spurs have their backs against the wall, playing at home, needing to keep their season alive. If they win, this series gets interesting again. If the Knicks close it out? We’re talking about one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history, capped by the most improbable Finals comeback ever. How is nobody talking more about the fact that this Knicks team just refuses to die?
OG Anunoby just delivered the most clutch tip-in in Finals history while shooting 70% from three — and somehow this still feels like the Jalen Brunson show. That’s how deep this Knicks team is.