Barkley Blasts Spurs After Knicks Complete Historic Comeback

After two overtimes: Panathinaikos forced a fifth game in the final series / Sport1

OG Anunoby’s dramatic winning basket, which completed a historic New York Knicks comeback and a 107:106 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, rightly got most of the headlines. But a few seconds before the decisive tip-in, Anunoby also made the defensive play that made the miracle possible. With 16.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Knicks down by one, Jalen Brunson missed a two-point shot. The ball bounced back, and De’Aaron Fox controlled it on his way to what looked like an easy basket at the other end, a dunk or layup that could have ended the game. Join Walla Sport and Kia’s game of guesses over a huge play. Anunoby / GettyImages

"We saw the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization. … The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game." Charles Barkley after the Spurs allowed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history ? pic.twitter.com/Y7t4UZsVhU, NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 11, 2026

"That was a dumbass play. He did not have to shoot that ball.", Charles Barkley on De'Aaron Fox (h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/ZbLGKiEOsv, Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 11, 2026

But Anunoby, as is his habit on defense, did not give up on the play. He chased Fox, managed to get a hand on the ball and block the shot, prevented an almost certain basket and gave the Knicks one last chance. Fox could have held the ball, burned time and forced the Knicks to foul, but instead he went straight to the rim, a decision that proved costly for the Spurs. On the Inside the NBA recap show, Charles Barkley called Fox’s decision to go for a layup a "dumb play."

"That was a dumbass play," Barkley said. "He did not have to shoot that ball."

On the next play, Fox fouled Brunson at midcourt. The Knicks called timeout, and Brunson missed a long three-pointer, but Anunoby was there to clean up at close range, make it 107:106 and give New York a 3:1 lead in the series.

The Knicks are now one win away from their first championship since 1973, while the Spurs will need to recover from a painful collapse and one decision by Fox that will be remembered for a long time if the series ends in the next game.

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Barkley did not stop at criticizing Fox, and sharply attacked the Spurs’ entire second-half performance.

"We saw the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization," he said on ESPN’s postgame show after San Antonio blew a huge lead. "They had a 29-point lead and took eight straight three-pointers. That was one of the most badly managed, dumbest basketball performances I’ve ever seen. If you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help you."

The Spurs scored only 30 points in the second half, after hardly missing from beyond the arc in the first half. "The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game with some of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen on a basketball court," Barkley concluded.

He later returned to Fox’s play, which was blocked by Anunoby instead of using time and forcing a foul. "Deandre Fox, whatever his name is. De’Aaron Fox," he said. "That was a dumb play. There was no reason for him to shoot that ball."

Barkley added, "They had a 29-point lead, they took eight straight threes, they barely ran any time off the clock, and you’re telling yourself, ‘This game is not over yet.’"

In conclusion, he said, "The Knicks got a Christmas present in June tonight."

Shaquille O’Neal also agreed with Barkley’s criticism, saying the Spurs "got too comfortable" in the second half and "brought the Knicks back to life."