NYK a win away from NBA title after historic 29-point comeback

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

That game will forever be etched in the basketball world.

For the first time in NBA Finals history, a team down by 29 points completed the comeback and won in dramatic fashion, while putting itself on the brink of ending a 53-year championship drought.

It was a testament to the New York Knicks’ mental fortitude, composure, and poise.

On June 11, 2026, New York pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history after erasing the San Antonio Spurs’ 29-point lead, 107-106, in Game 4 of the ongoing 2025-26 NBA Finals.

The win helped the Knicks move a win away from capturing the Larry O’Brien Trophy, extending their series advantage over San Antonio to a commanding 3-1 lead.

That was total insanity.

For the record, the Spurs held a 29-point lead twice, the first coming off a Dylan Harper basket that put San Antonio ahead, 71-42, while the last came after De’Aaron Fox buried a jump shot at the 9:40 mark of the third quarter, 81-52.

While most New York fans were already prepared to cover their booze cups and hide their cheering paraphernalia, the players and coaching staff held their heads up and believed they could achieve the improbable.

San Antonio kicked off Game 4 with cruel intentions, aiming to rack up a second consecutive road win at Madison Square Garden by setting an NBA Finals record with 14 3-pointers at the half that built a massive 76-49 lead.

Every San Antonio 3-pointer just kissed the net.

Led by Devin Vassell, Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, and Fox, the Spurs were bound for a masterful finish after protecting their double-digit lead until the end of the third quarter.

However, New York flipped the script in the fourth and final frame, tightening its defensive coverage to limit the Spurs to just 16 points in the period.

Jalen Brunson was huge during the fourth quarter, scoring in bunches every time the Knicks got the chance to push the leather off a San Antonio missed basket.

When the 8:10 mark ticked, it was down to 15.

Three minutes later, it was trimmed to just four.

During those stretches, the Knicks smelled blood.

The impossible then quickly turned into reality when Brunson buried a clutch trey at the 2:22 mark that helped the Knicks pull to within a point, 104-103.

After back-to-back defensive stops, New York officially completed the comeback off a Brunson floater, which put the Knicks back in the driver’s seat, 105-104, with only 1:22 remaining.

It was pandemonium.

From a dead-silent crowd, Madison Square Garden immediately exploded, with stars, former players, and the rest of the 19,812 fans erupting in awe.

With only 32 seconds left, the Spurs found a glimmer of hope after Stephon Castle knocked down both of his free throws to put San Antonio back up by a point, 106-105.

The Spurs nearly sealed the deal after Fox perfectly tracked down the loose ball, but his layup attempt on the other end was swatted away by the trailing OG Anunoby.

New York head coach Mike Brown called a timeout to map out the game-winning play in the final 5.7 seconds, which he designed for Brunson.

Nerves were all over the building when Brunson missed the trifecta, but a leaping Anunoby saved the Knicks, drilling the game-winning putback layup for a 107-106 cushion in the final 1.2 seconds of regulation.

San Antonio had one final chance to win the game, but its inbound play to Castle was perfectly defended by Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson.

Brunson led the way for the Knicks with 36 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals, while Anunoby added 33 markers, four boards, one dime, and one block.

Despite being plagued by foul trouble, Karl-Anthony Towns still finished with a double-double, delivering 13 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists.

Can the Spurs still redeem themselves after the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history?

Or will New York put an end to San Antonio’s Cinderella playoff run and claim the Larry O’Brien Trophy?

All those questions will be answered on June 14, 2026, when both teams meet again for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.