The Collapse That May Have Decided the Finals
A 29-point Knicks comeback, an unforgettable OG Anunoby sequence, and another late-game Spurs meltdown have shifted the championship firmly toward New York.
The San Antonio Spurs have held double-digit leads in every game of the Finals. Yet somehow, they find themselves trailing the New York Knicks 3-1.
That disconnect tells the story of this series.
The Knicks simply refuse to go away. Time and time again, they have absorbed punches, stayed within striking distance, and executed when the game mattered most. On both ends of the floor, New York has been the more resilient and clutch team. Meanwhile, the Spurs have repeatedly undermined themselves with careless mistakes and poor late-game decision-making.
Victor Wembanyama has been the best player in the series overall, but he has struggled in the biggest moments. Whether it’s a lack of experience, aggression, or both, the Spurs have not been able to consistently lean on their superstar when games tighten up. The solution seems obvious: get Wembanyama the ball in the paint, where he can generate high-percentage looks, draw fouls, and put pressure on the defense.
Instead, during the Knicks’ historic 29-point comeback in Game 4, San Antonio continued to settle for three-pointers throughout the second half. Possession after possession, they bailed New York out. Every missed shot gave Jalen Brunson another opportunity to chip away at the deficit, and slowly but surely, the momentum shifted.
By the closing minutes, Madison Square Garden had become a force of its own.
The Spurs looked rattled, and the pressure ultimately showed. With the game hanging in the balance, one of San Antonio’s veterans, De’Aaron Fox, made a costly mistake. Rather than dribbling out the clock and forcing New York to foul, he attacked the rim looking for a layup. OG Anunoby met him at the basket with a sensational block, and moments later found himself in the right place at the right time for a remarkable game-winning tip-in at the other end.
It was the defining sequence of the series.
In fact, Anunoby may have played his way into the lead for Finals MVP. While Brunson has delivered his usual offensive brilliance in the clutch, Anunoby has been exceptional on both sides of the ball, making winning plays in every game and impacting virtually every key moment.
Now the Spurs face an enormous challenge.
Blowing a game like Game 4 can leave scars. The second-half collapse wasn’t just a tactical failure; it was a psychological one. Still, there is a reason this series isn’t over. San Antonio has consistently shown that it can build large leads against New York. For long stretches, the Spurs have looked like the better team.
The question is whether they can sustain that level for a full 48 minutes.
If they can eliminate the mental lapses, value possessions, and trust Wembanyama in the moments that matter most, a comeback remains possible. But that’s a big “if.”
Right now, it’s difficult to imagine the Spurs fully recovering from the emotional damage of Game 4. Even if they force a Game 6, they would return to a city desperate to witness its first championship celebration in decades. The energy inside Madison Square Garden would be unlike anything the Spurs have faced all season.
To win the title, San Antonio may need to spoil the biggest party New York basketball has ever seen before returning home and surviving a winner-take-all Game 7.
That’s a daunting path.
And after what happened in Game 4, it feels like the Knicks can already see the finish line.