NBA Finals: Knicks’ Game 4 comeback is shattered
Lorenzo Reyes talks about how the Knicks turned a bad game around and handed the Spurs a victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
NEW YORK — Sometimes in sports, there are moments that feel impossible. What we all witnessed seemed to be an outrageous fantasy script. Once it’s over, everything feels like a blur.
This was one of those moments.
On Wednesday, June 10th, the New York Knicks completely dominated the San Antonio Spurs in the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history, erasing a 29-point lead.
And with a team just one win away from winning for the first time in 53 seasons, it was without a doubt the best game in the franchise’s storied history.
The Knicks went hot on the Spurs in the second half, but San Antonio missed 28 of their first 34 attempts after the break. This was a game in which New York completely collapsed in the first half, but then corrected itself and played their most calm game of the season.
And with this 3-1 lead, the Knicks inched closer to etching their place in NBA lore with one of the most remarkable performances in postseason history.
As a result, the team overall went from Jalen Brunson’s 36 points to OG Anunoby’s 33 points (including the game-winning tip-in and 7-of-9 3-point shooting).
This is the type of game that puts players in the heart of the city. Years from now, they’ll be talking about this night, about Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, about Anunoby. They will become icons. They become verbs.
And participants will be telling the story of this game for the rest of their lives.
“I want to thank our fans,” Towns said after the game. “They stuck with us. It was an ugly, ugly game. We didn’t take it in the first half. But they stuck with us. They stayed in their seats, kept rooting for us, kept finding ways to give us energy.”
“It’s a testament to their grit, their resiliency, the New York way. We found a way to come out of the mud and get through the first half. I think anyone who lives in New York knows that if you want to be successful in this city, you have to be able to get out of the mud safely. And tonight, we did that.”
But this was such an unbelievable victory that fans watching at home may have called off the game at half-time. It was so unbelievable that viewers probably scoured the internet for trivia and statistics about the biggest disaster in NBA Finals history. To that end, the Spurs set multiple NBA records in the first half.
- Over the past 30 years in the playoffs, NBA teams have gone 4-750 in the playoffs when trailing by 20 points or more in the fourth quarter (according to NBA statistics expert Keerthika Uthayakumar).
- In the first half, the Spurs set a record for most 3-pointers in a half in Finals history with 14.
- The Spurs scored 76 points in the first half, the most points in a first half by a road team in NBA Finals history.
- The Spurs’ 41-22 advantage (19 points) after one game was the largest first-quarter lead by a road team in Finals history.
The second half was a completely different story.
Impossibly, the Spurs missed 31 of 39 field goal attempts and 14 of 17 3-point attempts in the second half. Watching the Knicks first cut the lead to 20 points, then 10, then five, shooting just 20.5 percent before the Knicks finally pulled off an unthinkable comeback.
It is not correct to say that this is a story of two halves. Must read to understand. The points obtained after the first half are as follows.
“Master class in self-destruction”: Knicks fully uncovered in first half
After Mitchell Robinson shot him in the throat with an easy elbow, Victor Wembaneyama, sprawled out on the court, stared at Robinson and repeatedly pointed to his temple. And while doing that, Wenbanyama was smiling. The message was undeniable.
I’m inside your head.
The New York Knicks were completely out of sorts in the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and frustration with the officiating soured the team’s mindset.
It probably started right after Game 3, when Knicks coach Mike Brown started his postgame press conference complaining about officiating and free throw inconsistencies. That tough mentality didn’t energize the Knicks, and instead spilled over into Game 4. That contributed to New York’s overall undisciplined play.
All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has become an integral part of New York’s offense, committed two fouls in the first 1:02 of the game. The second time was completely unnecessary, when he stepped on Wembang Yama on his way to the hoop but pinned Wembang Yama’s arm to his body.
After Wembaneyama hit Robinson against the post for a scoop lay-in, Robinson elbowed him and ended up with a flagrant foul. Wembaneyama bit Robinson with his jaw as both players took to the floor, until Robinson’s frustration boiled over.
Late in the second quarter, backup guard Jose Alvarado realized he had to box out Wenbanyama at the expense of his 16-inch height before he stumbled to the court. As he stood up, Alvarado unnecessarily hooked one of Wenbanyama’s thighs. As a result, De’Aaron Fox’s free throw resulted in three points and an and-1 foul.
It was a master class in self-destruction, steeped in New York aggression, execution, and overall nature.
Playing in the NBA Finals is tough enough, especially against an up-and-coming team with unique, generational talent like Wenban Yama. Still, New York has managed to fabricate the narrative that they are playing. against officials. That’s a recipe for destruction.
The Knicks shot 29.4% in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, the Knicks had seven turnovers to San Antonio’s only two, resulting in a -11 turnover differential. Defensively, New York gave it their all, allowing the Spurs to make 14 of 26 attempts (53.8%) from beyond the arc, setting a record for most 3-pointers in a first half in NBA Finals history.
Earlier this week, before the results of Game 3 were known, the city was electric. Fans were absolutely delighted. The only question here was whether it would be a sweep or if the Spurs could find a way to extend the series.
But now, facing a 27-point deficit at halftime, the Knicks relinquished any momentum they had in the NBA Finals, and the series returned to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday, June 13th.
Forget about sweeps and parades. The Knicks now need to save the series. And the only way they can do it is by keeping a semblance of calm.
***
As it turns out, New York has discovered just that.
