NEW YORK — With just 41.7 seconds left in the first quarter and the San Antonio Spurs leading 37-20, Victor Wembanyama was on the floor, clapping and signaling to his teammates. But moments later, he was on the receiving end of an elbow from Mitchell Robinson, a sign of the tension brewing between the Spurs and the New York Knicks.
What started as a promising Game 4 for the Spurs quickly turned into a nightmare as they surrendered a staggering 29-point lead, ultimately losing 107-106. This defeat marked the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, leaving San Antonio trailing 3-1 in the series. OG Anunoby capped off the Knicks’ comeback with a tip-in of a Jalen Brunson miss in the final seconds, putting the Spurs on the brink of elimination ahead of Saturday’s Game 5 at Frost Bank Center.
Reflecting on the loss, Wembanyama expressed a mix of emotions, stating, “I think it’s going to go one of two ways: a bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.”
The atmosphere in the Spurs’ locker room postgame was somber, with players sitting in silence, heads down, many glued to their phones. One phone even hit the floor with a loud thud, highlighting the frustration in the room.
Coach Mitch Johnson described the loss as one of the most painful experiences of the season, emphasizing the disappointment of failing to finish after a strong first half. “To put as much good work into that first half as we did, get the lead that we had and not finish the job is disappointing to say the least,” he said.
In a critical moment with 13.1 seconds left, veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox attempted a layup that could have extended the Spurs’ lead to three points, but Anunoby blocked the shot, paving the way for the Knicks’ game-winning tip. Fox acknowledged the importance of scoring, saying, “You have to score. Try to get a layup, get up three [points], [and] force them to need a 3. OG made a good block.”
Earlier in the game, Wembanyama missed two crucial free throws with 1:47 remaining, contributing to the Spurs’ inability to maintain their lead. Despite a dominant first half where they scored 76 points and set a record for the most 3-pointers in a half of an NBA Finals matchup, the Spurs faltered in the second half, managing only 30 points.
Rookie guard Dylan Harper noted, “We went away from everything we were doing. In the first half, a lot of tough shots went in. Really, that was because we were playing the right way. We got away from that in the second half because of the lead. We just can’t take our foot off the gas.”
Wembanyama, who played 44 minutes, acknowledged that the intense game took a toll on him. Coach Johnson explained that the decision to keep him on the court was strategic, given the stakes of the game.
Now, the Spurs face elimination for the second time this postseason, having previously triumphed in a Game 7 against Oklahoma City. Keldon Johnson, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, expressed the team’s resolve, stating, “We’re going to continue what we do, bring our brand of basketball and correct the things we can correct going forward. I believe, one through 15, whoever steps on the court, we’re going out there to get the job done.”
Wembanyama remains optimistic despite the setback, saying, “We’ve proven we can surpass these difficulties. Even though we haven’t been there before, I’m convinced we’re built that way and we’re going to use the better of this. It’s going to tighten us up.”
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