OG Anunoby’s tip-in in the dying seconds sealed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history as the New York Knicks overturned a 29‑point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107‑106 in a dramatic Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
Game‑winning heroics
With 1.2 seconds left and the Knicks trailing by one, Jalen Brunson launched a three‑point attempt that missed. Anunoby charged towards the basket, tipped the rebound into the net and sent the arena into pandemonium. The play has already been described by Knicks centre Karl‑Anthony Towns as the “right hand from God” and by coach Mike Brown as “perhaps the greatest play in New York history”.
Anunoby’s winner was preceded by a critical defensive contribution. With 11.4 seconds remaining and the Spurs leading 106‑105, he blocked De’Aaron Fox’s layup attempt, preventing San Antonio from extending their advantage and giving the Knicks a final possession. Anunoby is one of only a handful of players since 1997 to record both a blocked shot and a go‑ahead basket inside the final 15 seconds of a playoff win.
The victory completed a staggering turnaround. The Spurs had led 76‑49 at half‑time – the largest half‑time advantage by a visiting team in an NBA Finals game – after hitting 14 three‑pointers in the first half, a Finals record for a single half. The Knicks responded by outscoring San Antonio 58‑30 in the second half, limiting them to just 30 points after the break. In the third quarter alone, the Knicks restricted the Spurs to 14 points on 4‑of‑20 shooting, cutting the deficit to 90‑75. The final period saw New York explode for 42 points to San Antonio’s 16, a remarkable feat given that NBA teams had gone 4‑750 in the playoffs over the previous 30 years when trailing by 20 or more points in the fourth quarter.
Brunson finished with 36 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 44 minutes. Anunoby contributed a playoff career‑high 33 points on 10‑of‑15 shooting, including 7‑of‑9 from three‑point range, alongside four rebounds and one steal. For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama led with 24 points and 13 rebounds but shot just 9‑of‑25 from the field, while Dylan Harper provided 21 points off the bench.
Hart’s missed opportunity and a ‘lifetime of regret’
Josh Hart will be the first to admit he owes Anunoby a considerable debt. Inside the final two minutes, with the Knicks trailing by one point, Hart intercepted a pass from De’Aaron Fox and sprinted on a fast break with a clear path to the basket. Seemingly caught between a layup and a dunk, his shot caught the back iron, denying New York a crucial score.
Just a few possessions later, Hart was beaten to an offensive rebound by Spurs guard Stephon Castle – the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selected from UConn – and fouled him. Castle converted both free throws to put San Antonio back in front with 30.3 seconds left.
When asked about the sequence, Hart said Anunoby had saved him from “a lifetime of regret”. “I’m sitting there just hoping my guys make a play,” Hart explained. “And OG, he’s been amazing since he’s got here. This whole playoff run, he’s been amazing on both ends of the ball. He’s a winning player and he made a winning play.”
Hart, who won an NCAA national championship alongside Brunson and Mikal Bridges at Villanova in 2016, ranked Wednesday night’s win as his second‑greatest on‑court moment. “I won a national championship in 2016. [Jalen Brunson] and [Mikal Bridges] will probably remind you that I only have one and they have two. So that night is No. 1. This one is definitely No. 2.”
NBA legend Gilbert Arenas echoed Hart’s assessment, claiming that without Anunoby’s heroics, Hart would have faced an unforgiving backlash. “Josh Hart! Josh Hart! The way this game is going, Josh Hart, that layup and that right there, you are going to be on the hate list of New York,” Arenas said during a live broadcast. “You are the guy that’s going to be blamed. I’m trying to tell you, if you don’t score now, you are the guy that’s going to be blamed.”
The missed layup takes on even greater significance given the stakes. The Knicks are now one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973 – a drought of 53 years. Meanwhile, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox has faced fierce criticism from analysts including Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley for driving for a layup instead of running out the clock on San Antonio’s final possession, a decision that led directly to Anunoby’s block and the Knicks’ game‑winning chance.
Fan reaction and post‑game scenes
Euphoria swept across New York City after the final buzzer, with celebrations erupting throughout the five boroughs. But the scenes also turned rowdy. The NYPD said Thursday morning that multiple people had been arrested outside Madison Square Garden after fights broke out in the streets around the arena. Witnesses reported people climbing onto cars and light poles, and a police vehicle was photographed with a damaged windshield.
Notable figures in attendance included Taylor Swift. The victory also carried personal significance for several Knicks players: Brunson signed a four‑year, $156.5 million contract extension with the team in July 2024; Mikal Bridges, who played alongside Brunson and Hart at Villanova, signed a four‑year, $150 million extension on 31 July 2025, a deal widely seen as team‑friendly and providing financial flexibility; and Anunoby was acquired from the Toronto Raptors on 30 December 2023 in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second‑round pick.
For the Spurs, the loss was compounded by the aftermath of Fox’s late‑game error, while the team’s recent draft moves – including selecting Castle fourth overall and trading for Rob Dillingham with the eighth pick before moving him to the Minnesota Timberwolves – offered little consolation as they now head back to San Antonio facing a 3‑1 series deficit.
