A halftime deficit that looked fatal turned into one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NBA Finals history on Wednesday (U.S. time), as the New York Knicks outscored the San Antonio Spurs 58-30 in the second half to win Game 4, 107-106, at Madison Square Garden. The victory gives New York a 3-1 lead in the championship series and puts the franchise within a single win of its first NBA title in more than five decades.
Deep Trouble at the Half — Then a Historic Turnaround
Nothing in the first two quarters suggested what was coming. San Antonio dominated the opening half, outscoring New York 76-49 and pushing its lead as high as 29 points at one stage. Madison Square Garden, normally among the loudest arenas in professional basketball, fell into an uncomfortable silence as the Spurs appeared to be cruising toward a series-tying victory that would have squared the Finals at 2-2.
What followed after the halftime buzzer, however, was exactly the kind of performance Knicks supporters have dreamed about for generations. New York returned from the locker room as an entirely different team, locking down San Antonio's offense while exploding on the other end in a manner few could have anticipated given the scoreline at the break.
Brunson Leads the Charge With 36 Points
At the center of the comeback was Jalen Brunson, who finished the night with 36 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals. According to NBA game logs, Brunson was relentless in the fourth quarter, repeatedly driving into the paint, drawing fouls, and converting at the free-throw line during the game's most critical possessions. His ability to control pace and manufacture points in clutch situations was the engine that kept the rally alive.
Alongside Brunson, OG Anunoby delivered a performance from the perimeter that was nothing short of extraordinary. Anunoby finished with 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, including a stunning 7-of-9 from three-point range. His accuracy from beyond the arc repeatedly pushed the Knicks' momentum forward and prevented San Antonio from regrouping defensively in time to protect their lead.
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 high-effort, multi-category output that gave New York the depth required to sustain a full-game comeback effort over 48 minutes.
46.9 Percent From Three — Knicks Catch Fire From Distance
As a team, the Knicks connected on 15 of 32 three-point attempts, shooting an efficient 46.9 percent from beyond the arc for the game, according to official NBA statistics. That marksmanship from long range was central to the rapid pace at which New York closed the gap in the third and fourth quarters. San Antonio's defense struggled to adjust to the volume and quality of open looks the Knicks were generating as their ball movement improved dramatically from the first half.
New York also clamped down on second-chance opportunities, limiting San Antonio to a difficult 3-of-10 night on offensive rebound conversions. The Knicks capitalized on Spurs turnovers throughout the second half — a sharp contrast to the opening two quarters, when San Antonio seemed capable of converting nearly every possession into points on their way to building what appeared to be an unassailable lead.
Wembanyama Finishes With 24 Points But Spurs Go Cold
San Antonio's collapse in the second half was not due to a lack of individual effort from its star players. Victor Wembanyama, the generational French center around whom the Spurs' long-term rebuild is constructed, posted 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. However, the NBA's statistical records for the game show Wembanyama shot just 9-of-25 from the field — an inefficiency that proved decisive as New York's defense tightened and his supporting cast failed to compensate for the shooting struggles.
Rookie Dylan Harper was among San Antonio's more reliable performers on the night, scoring 21 points on an efficient 8-of-12 from the field. Devin Vassell contributed 18 points, including five made three-pointers, and veteran guard De'Aaron Fox also scored 18 to go with seven assists. Despite those individual contributions, the Spurs went cold as a collective unit in the moments that mattered most, and a lead that had felt insurmountable at halftime dissolved entirely by the final buzzer.
A 53-Year Championship Drought on the Brink of Ending
The Knicks last won the NBA championship in 1973, when Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and a storied New York roster claimed what remains the franchise's most recent title. More than five decades have passed since that victory, a period marked by playoff heartbreaks, rebuilding projects, and near-misses that have tested the loyalty of one of basketball's most passionate and enduring fanbases.
Now, holding a 3-1 series advantage — a margin from which NBA teams have historically closed out championships at an overwhelming rate — New York stands closer to ending that drought than at any point in the modern era of the league. Should the Knicks clinch on the road in San Antonio, the victory would add yet another dramatic chapter to what is already shaping up as a landmark postseason run for the franchise.
Game 5 Scheduled June 14 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio
The series now moves to Texas for Game 5, which is scheduled at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, with tipoff set for the morning of Sunday, June 14, Philippine time, according to the NBA schedule. For the Spurs, the situation is dire but not entirely without historical precedent — a small number of teams in NBA history have successfully recovered from 3-1 series deficits, though such comebacks remain statistically rare and are widely considered among the most difficult feats in professional basketball.
San Antonio must win Game 5 to force a Game 6 back at Madison Square Garden. Failing to do so would end the Spurs' season and deliver New York its first championship banner in more than half a century. The pressure on San Antonio's coaching staff and roster heading into Sunday's contest will be considerable, particularly for a young team built around Wembanyama's promise and a collection of emerging talents who must now find a way to recapture the first-half dominance they showed in Game 4 — and sustain it for a complete game.
For the Knicks, momentum and history appear to be aligned in their favor. Whether New York can close out the series in Game 5, or whether San Antonio can engineer a comeback of its own, remains the defining question of the 2026 NBA Finals heading into its final stretch.
Originally reported by: wire reports