OG Anunoby scores 33 points, sealing the Knicks' comeback victory with a game-winning putback with 1.2 seconds remaining.
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NEW YORK — The San Antonio Spurs had figured things out. After two ugly offensive games at home, they had broken through in Game 3 of The Finals. Two nights later, the floodgates opened.
The Spurs scored an amazing 57 points on their first 29 possessions of Game 4, a rate of 1.97 points per trip down the floor. They were 11-for-16 from 3-point range and in a terrific rhythm offensively.
The New York Knicks finally managed to string together some stops, but they still trailed by 29 points late in the second quarter and again early in the fourth.
Prior to Wednesday, teams were 12-4,088 (.003) in games they trailed by at least 29 points in the 30 years for which we have play-by-play data. That includes a 2-228 (.007) record in the playoffs.
The Spurs were going to even this series, with two of the final three games at home.
And then …
The Knicks found a way to make this incredible playoff run they’re on even more amazing. They came all the way back from 29 points down in the second half, got two huge plays from OG Anunoby in the final 12 seconds, and came away with a thrilling, 107-106 victory to take a 3-1 series lead.
“Our guys showed their resiliency,” said Knicks head coach Mike Brown. “And showed they’re connected enough to handle a moment like that.”
1. Wembanyama flagrant gets it started
When Victor Wembanyama picked up a flagrant foul with 9:27 left in the third quarter, the thoughts of most observers were about what it meant for later in the series.
Because he had been called for a flagrant 2 in the conference semifinals against Minnesota, this one gave him three flagrant-foul points, one shy of a suspension.
But that foul had more immediate repercussions, because it was the start of the comeback. Karl-Anthony Towns’ two ensuing free throws were the start of a 13-0 run that cut the 29-point deficit to 16.
Nine of those other 11 points came on 3-pointers that were open because Wembanyama or Luke Kornet were stationed in the paint, looking to protect the rim.
First, Wembanyama picked up Mikal Bridges on a drive, but didn’t follow him back out to the perimeter, where he handed the ball off to Brunson.
De’Aaron Fox got hit by the screen and Brunson stepped into a pullup 3.
Three possessions later, Wembanyama was zoning up in the paint, leaving Anunoby alone in the right corner. Towns found him there and the deficit was 19.
The Knicks still weren’t putting multiple buckets together, but a few possessions later, Kornet was ignoring Hart to protect the basket on a baseline out-of-bounds play. Hart didn’t hesitate and drained an open 3 from the top of the arc that got the Madison Square Garden crowd on its feet … even though the Knicks were still down 16:
It was clear at that point that the building believed.
And Wembanyama’s flagrant foul could still have an effect on this series going forward.
“I’m going to be more careful,” he said afterward. “But it’s not going to change much.”
2. Spurs come up empty offensively
Jalen Brunson missed an open 3-pointer after Towns’ free throws, and the Knicks still needed to get stops. At that point, the Spurs had scored 81 points on 53 possessions (1.53 per).
Over the final 21 1/2 minutes, they scored 25 on 40 (0.63 per), shooting 6-for-35 (17%) and turning the ball over eight times.
“We didn’t change much,” Brown said. “We basically kept the same game plan. But defensively, we just did it harder for longer stretches, and we were really in tune to what we were supposed to be doing. Our level of physicality increased without sending them to the free-throw line, as well, which is huge.”
Some of the Spurs’ issues were self-inflicted.
“It’s a pretty clear picture,” said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson. “If you watch the game in terms of what we did in the first half and why we scored so many points: It was pace, finding the paint, passing the ball to your teammate, taking good shots. The second half was opposite of that.”
De’Aaron Fox had two unforced turnovers late in the third quarter. Wembanyama missed two free throws with 1:47 left in the fourth.
One particularly damning possession came late in the third, with the Spurs still up 15. They got two offensive rebounds, but missed three 3-point attempts, with Wembanyama taking two quick ones instead of attacking the paint:
The Spurs also missed two wide-open looks from their two best shooters – Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell – when they were up nine midway through the fourth.
“We feel like we’ve decided the outcome of all four games,” Johnson said. “We need to be better in the next game.”
3. Anunoby makes the biggest plays
Despite the Spurs’ offensive struggles in the second half, the Knicks still needed a miracle after Brunson missed a contested floater with 16 seconds left. De’Aaron Fox chased down the loose ball and seemingly had a step on OG Anunoby in transition.
He could have dribbled the ball out and forced to foul. He didn’t need to shoot.
But he did … and Anunoby blocked his layup. Jose Alvarado grabbed the rebound and the Knicks had a chance.
After Fox used the Spurs’ foul to give, the Knicks called timeout. Brunson missed a long 3 and Anunoby was there with the tip-in with 1.2 seconds left.
Hart had allowed the Stephon Castle offensive rebound that had put the Spurs ahead with 30.3 seconds left, and he probably owes Anunoby dinner (or more) now.
“This game was crazy,” Hart said. “I’ve got a special shoutout for OG, man because he saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret.”
The Knicks are now 2-0 in these playoffs after trailing by at least 20 points. The other 15 teams are 1-35. They’re just the third team in the 30 years for which we have play-by-play data to win multiple games they trailed by 20+, joining last year’s Knicks (3-3) and last year’s Pacers (2-5).
“We all stay together, connected” Alvarado said, of his team’s ability to come back from big deficits,” and we believe in each other. That’s the main thing.”
And they’ll have a chance to win a championship in Game Five on Saturday (8:30 ET, ABC).
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John Schuhmann has covered the NBA for more than 20 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Bluesky.
