New York went crazy this Wednesday with OG Anunoby’s tap-in with one second left that gave the Knicks a 107-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs, after completing a 29-point comeback, the largest in the history of the NBA Finals.
With this victory, the Knicks take a 3-1 lead and are just one victory away from their first ring since 1973, which they could win this coming Saturday in San Antonio. Only LeBron James’ 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers have come back from 3-1 in Finals history.
Jalen Brunson with 36 points and Anunoby with 31 put the Knicks in basketball history with this comeback at Madison Square Garden.
Diabolical start of San Antonio
After the Spurs won the first quarters in the first three games of the Finals, Mike Brown’s message to his players before Wednesday’s game was blunt: “We can’t let you get off to a good start tonight.”
Easier said than done. In the blink of an eye the Spurs went 2-12 with a 10-point lead, charging Karl-Anthony Towns with two personals after 62 seconds of the game, the fastest in a Finals since 1998.
Brown called a timeout, but the Knicks could not change the poisonous rhythm that the Spurs imposed. The first quarter ended with San Antonio up 22-41, with 65.2% accuracy for the Spurs and 29.4% for the Knicks; A real nightmare in the Garden.
Unlike in previous games, the Spurs did not take their foot off the accelerator in a second quarter that became a rain of three-pointers that left the once bustling New York stadium in stony silence.
Dylan Harper, with a perfect 3 of 3, along with De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Carter Bryant, scored the Spurs’ eight triples in 16 attempts during the second quarter, for a total of 14 of 26 from the perimeter at halftime.
Only Jalen Brunson, with 15 points in the second quarter, kept the Knicks overwhelmed with hopes of signing an epic comeback.
The score at halftime was 49-76, a difference of 27 points that left a historical record: the largest advantage of a visiting team at the end of the first half in an NBA Finals.
Ring-flavoured patting
After being down 29 at the start of the second half, the Knicks went on a 13-0 run, one of their specialties, to get back into the game. After all, these same Knicks came back 22 points in less time against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Spurs started to get nervous. From two losses in the entire first half to five in the third quarter. From 53.8% in triples to 16.7% (2 of 12). From rain to drought: San Antonio closed the quarter with only 14 points.
The Knicks’ comeback attempt, led by OG Anunoby, left the score at 75-90 heading into the final quarter, with the home side feeling good.
Another New York storm in the form of 20-4 put the Knicks within just four points (95-99) with more than four and a half minutes left. Victor Wembanyama -24 points and 13 rebounds- had erased his smile. What was going to happen already seemed inevitable.
Mitch Johnson called a timeout and Fox hit a three-pointer to give the Spurs some breathing space, but it was of no use. With 1:22 left, a basket by Brunson gave the Knicks their first lead of the entire game at 105-104.
Stephon Castle put the Spurs back in control from the free throw with 30 seconds left.
Ball to Brunson, who missed the basket, giving the Spurs the last possession, but Fox, instead of burning time or waiting for the foul, attempted the shot and missed, giving possession back to the Knicks.
That’s when Anunoby tapped in the rebound of a missed three-pointer by Brunson and unleashed madness at Madison Square Garden. From misery to glory in 24 minutes.