The New York Knicks fly into Texas with a 3-1 stranglehold on the 2026 NBA Finals. One more win and the drought ends. Fifty-three years without a title. The wait could finally be over.
They did it the hard way in Game 4. Down 29 points. The largest deficit ever overcome in Finals history. Madison Square Garden went from funeral quiet to absolute bedlam in the final minutes. Jalen Brunson dropped 36. OG Anunoby made the play that sealed it. The Spurs felt it slip away.
Now the series shifts to Frost Bank Center. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on June 13 — 6:00 a.m. IST on June 14 for fans waking up early in India. The Spurs are desperate. The Knicks are one step from immortality.
How We Got Here: The Series So Far
Game 1 in San Antonio belonged to New York. Brunson scored 30 and the Knicks stole home-court momentum with a 105-95 win. Game 2 stayed tight until the final possession. New York escaped 105-104. Suddenly the Spurs were staring at a 2-0 hole.
San Antonio punched back in Game 3 at the Garden. Victor Wembanyama went for 32 and the Spurs won 115-111 to cut the lead to 2-1. Then came Game 4. The one nobody will forget.
| Game | Date | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 3 | Knicks win | 105-95 |
| Game 2 | June 5 | Knicks win | 105-104 |
| Game 3 | June 8 | Spurs win | 115-111 |
| Game 4 | June 10 | Knicks win | 107-106 |
The Knicks trailed by 29 in the third quarter of Game 4. They chipped, they clawed, they refused to die. Brunson kept attacking. Anunoby hit huge shots and made the final tip-in with 1.2 seconds left. History flipped in one night.
Key Matchups That Will Decide Game 5
Jalen Brunson vs. Spurs defense
Brunson has averaged 29.5 points in the series. In Game 4 he was unstoppable in the second half. He creates for others and finishes through contact. San Antonio must make him uncomfortable without fouling.
Victor Wembanyama vs. Knicks frontcourt
Wembanyama has been a monster — 24 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4, 32 in Game 3. He blocks everything and stretches the floor. The Knicks will throw length and physicality at him. Karl-Anthony Towns and the help defense have to stay disciplined.
OG Anunoby’s two-way impact
Anunoby’s defensive versatility has been massive. His late heroics in Game 4 changed the series. If he stays aggressive on both ends, the Knicks’ margin for error grows.
Injury and Team News
Spurs center Luke Kornet is questionable with an illness. He provides valuable backup minutes behind Wembanyama. Without him, San Antonio’s frontcourt depth takes a hit. The Knicks have avoided major new injuries and enter relatively healthy.
Home-court energy at Frost Bank Center will be different. Spurs fans have watched their team drop the first two games here. They need a statement performance tonight.
Why the Knicks Are So Close — And Why the Spurs Still Have Hope
New York has won three straight closeout opportunities on the road this postseason. They play with a veteran calm that the younger Spurs sometimes lack. The 29-point comeback gave them something rare — belief that nothing is impossible.
But the Spurs are not done. They went 38-13 at home during the regular season. Wembanyama is the best two-way player on the floor when healthy and engaged. A hot shooting night from San Antonio’s role players plus elite defense could force a Game 6 back in New York on Tuesday.
History is brutal here. Teams leading 3-1 in the Finals are 37-1 all time. Only the 2016 Cavaliers came back from that deficit.
What to Watch For on Saturday Night
Can the Spurs build an early lead and hold it? Or will the Knicks’ experience show again in the fourth quarter?
Watch how New York handles Wembanyama’s rim protection. If Brunson and the guards get into the paint consistently, the Spurs will be in trouble.
Also watch the three-point volume. Both teams have lived and died by the long ball at times. In a Game 5, the team that takes better shots usually wins.
Bottom Line
The Knicks are the better team right now. They have the best player in the series in Brunson, the momentum from the greatest comeback ever, and a chance to end 53 years of frustration.
The Spurs have the home crowd, a generational talent in Wembanyama, and nothing left to lose. They will throw everything at New York tonight.
One team leaves Frost Bank Center with a championship within reach. The other goes home knowing history is almost never kind to teams down 3-1.
Tip-off is 8:30 p.m. ET. For fans in India, set those alarms. This one matters.
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