From 2-0, to oh no to OG.
OMG.
Remember where you were.
Remember who you watched it with. Remember this feeling.
This will live in those special places not just in Knicks lore, not just in New York City lore, not just in NBA lore.
But in sports lore. This is one of the great comebacks in sports history. One of the greatest moments you’ll ever see.
The Knicks were on the brink of getting decimated on their home floor. Now, they’re on the brink of an incredible championship.
They trailed by one and, after a timeout, had the ball with 5.7 seconds left. Everyone knew Jalen Brunson was going to take the last shot.
What they didn’t know was who would be the actual hero.
Brunson’s shot missed off the rim. But Anunoby skied high and tipped it in with just 1.2 seconds left. The Spurs didn’t even get a shot on the other end.
Ballgame. Anunoby delivered what might just be the biggest play in Knicks history. The fans inside Madison Square Garden had no interest in leaving after the Knicks secured their miraculous 107-106 Game 4 win over the Spurs Wednesday night, which gave them a commanding 3-1 series lead with the Finals heading back to San Antonio.
They knew they had just witnessed something special. Something that was too unbelievable to script.
Something they will never stop talking about. Well after the final buzzer, they sang “Don’t stop Believing” as the celebrations continued on the court.
It was perfectly poetic. The Knicks never stopped believing.
They trailed by 19 after the first quarter, the biggest first-quarter deficit by a home team in Finals history. They trailed by 27 at halftime, the biggest halftime deficit by a home team in Finals history. The Spurs’ 14 made 3-pointers were the most ever in a half in Finals history. Their deficit was as much as 29 in the second half.
The Knicks looked dead. They had lost their minds in the first half. Lost their composure. It felt like the attention inside MSG had already turned to Game 5.
But they outscored the Spurs by 12 in the third quarter and by 16 in the fourth quarter. Victor Wembanyama disappeared. Brunson and Anunoby emerged and powered a comeback for the ages.
Anunoby’s 3-pointer cut the Knicks deficit to four points with 4:34 left. That’s when the comeback truly felt like it might happen. Brunson later rose up and drilled a deep, 27 foot- 3-pointer in Wembanyama’s face to bring the Knicks within one with 2:21 left. De’Aaron Fox threw the ball away on the other end, and Josh Hart had what would’ve been a wide-open breakaway dunk. But he got caught in the air and missed.
Then the Knicks fouled Wembanyama on the other end. No problem.
Wembanyama, just like he did in Game 2, melted in the biggest moment. He missed both free throws.
Then Brunson came down the other end and nailed a floater to give the Knicks the lead with 1:22 left. It was their first lead of the game.
But Stephon Castle, with a pair of free throws after being fouled going for an offensive rebound, re-established a one-point Spurs lead with 30.3 seconds left. Hart, in another rough moment, got caught ball watching, allowing Castle to sky for the rebounds before being fouled.
Brunson, with a chance to put the Knicks back ahead, missed on the other end, but it was followed by Anunoby blocking Fox on the other end.
Then a timeout. Then Anunoby’s tip-in.
Just like that, a championship is right there.
Remember this feeling.
