Brunson Enters Knicks Lore Forever

"Brunson enters New York's legacy forever" Watch the highlights: In the U.S., the historic comeback was analyzed: "The Spurs simply handed out gifts" Sports 5 Published: 11.06.26, 07:39

The New York Knicks completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history last night, coming back from a 29-point second-half deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107:106 and take a commanding 3:1 series lead.

In the United States, people are struggling to absorb the scale of the drama, and ESPN's top analysts took time to examine the Spurs' collapse against the incredible determination of the guys from the Big Apple. Vincent Goodwill of ESPN praised the Knicks' performance, as they are now just one win away from their first championship since 1973.

"The Knicks proved they are never out of a game, even when it requires them to make crazy history," Goodwill wrote. "Jalen Brunson took another giant step toward having his name etched in gold in New York sports history with every nerve-racking clutch basket. But in the end, it was the Knicks' suffocating defense and physicality that set the stage for the biggest winning shot in the franchise's history, OG Anunoby's flight, 1.2 seconds from the end."

The crazy shot by Anunoby not only lit up the Garden, it also put him into the history books. According to ESPN data, Anunoby became only the fifth player since 1998 to score the first two go-ahead baskets of his playoff career in the final five seconds of a game, after, as recalled, hitting a crazy winning three-pointer for Toronto in the bubble in 2020. In doing so, he joined an especially prestigious group that includes Luka Doncic, Tyrese Haliburton, LeBron James and Robert Horry.

On the other side, Michael C. Wright focused on the tragic side of the night, San Antonio's collapse. The Spurs led comfortably 76:49 before the Wu-Tang Clan even got on stage for the halftime show, but then everything fell apart.

"The Spurs simply took their foot off the gas," Wright analyzed. "In a postseason that is all about learning lessons for the young Spurs, this last lesson may turn out to be the most painful and scarring of them all."

How historic was the Spurs' fall? Consider this stat, the Texans put up 76 points in the first half, but were held to just 30 in the entire second half. That is a 46-point free fall between halves, a figure that matches the sharpest drop in scoring output in a playoff game since the shot clock was introduced in the 1954, 55 season.

In addition, the Spurs led 81:52 during the third quarter, and no team has ever come back from a deficit of more than 24 points in an NBA Finals game, since Boston did it against the Lakers in 2008, and since the NBA began keeping a detailed play-by-play record for all four quarters in 1997.

History suggests the Knicks are one and a half feet away from the podium. They are the 39th team in history to take a 3:1 lead in the NBA Finals, and of the 38 previous cases, 37 teams finished the job and won the ring. The only team to squander such an advantage? Golden State's unforgettable 2016 team, which lost to LeBron James' Cleveland.

Despite that unequivocal statistic, senior analyst Tim Bontemps refuses to declare a champion and says the claim that the series is over is a complete "overreaction": "All four games in this series have been decided in the final seconds. Yes, I believe the Knicks will win the title, but with two days of rest between games, Victor Wembanyama will get a chance to recharge, and the young Spurs will still come out fighting."

Ahead of Game 5, which will be played on the night between Saturday and Sunday, Ben Golliver wonders how San Antonio's mentality will be affected by the event: "How do you pick up the pieces after the worst collapse in Finals history? The Spurs simply handed out gifts in the second half with passive offense and a series of mistakes. In the final two minutes, Wemby missed two crucial free throws, De'Aaron Fox rushed a transition layup instead of burning clock, and in the end they forgot about Anunoby on the offensive rebound that decided the game. Facing elimination with so many regrets in their heads, that is almost an impossible task for the young Spurs." NBA, did you find a language mistake?