Sarah Quintanilla

The greatest meltdown in NBA Finals history now belongs to the San Antonio Spurs. After an avalanche of 3-pointers in the first half, the Spurs blew a 29-point lead in a devastating 107-106 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

San Antonio’s remarkably efficient shooting built a lead that stunned the Manhattan crowd. The team made 14 3-pointers, an NBA Finals record for a half, out of 26 attempts to take a 76-49 advantage heading into the locker room. New York chipped away as the Spurs went ice-cold, continuing to shoot and making one of their next 11 3-point tries. Still, the Knicks trailed by 15 points entering the final period.

New York embarked on a 30-14 scoring run in the fourth quarter to take its first lead of the game, a 105-104 edge with 1:22 remaining. The Knicks fouled guard Stephon Castle on a putback attempt, and Castle sank both free throws to retake the lead. Knicks superstar guard Jalen Brunson missed on the ensuing possession, and the ball caromed to guard De’Aaron Fox ahead of any New York defenders. Fox abandoned basketball convention with 13 seconds left, deciding to attempt a rushed fast-break layup rather than hold onto the ball and wait for the Knicks to stop the clock with a foul. Knicks forward OG Anunoby blocked the shot, and the raucous crowd awaited a last-chance possession to steal a stunning win. Brunson missed a jumper, but Anunoby soared in unchecked and tipped in the game-winning shot with 1.2 seconds left. Castle fumbled the inbounds pass on the Spurs’ final opportunity of the game, and New York secured the one-of-a-kind victory to take a 3-1 series lead.

After exhibiting remarkable poise to build a nearly 30-point advantage, the Spurs began to falter in simple execution as New York showed life. San Antonio committed only two turnovers in the first half, but added nine giveaways after halftime to contribute to the Knicks’ comeback. Fox dribbled the ball off his foot in one of several instances that evidenced insecurity in the midst of a looming disaster. The celebrity-riddled Madison Square Garden rose from its seats for every possession as the Spurs disintegrated offensively. After scoring 41 and 35 points in the first and second quarters, respectively, San Antonio could only muster up 30 points in the final two frames combined.

Brunson and Anunoby spearheaded the Knicks’ ascension. In the second half, Brunson scored 17 points while Anunoby scored 19 points and shot 5-for-5 from 3-point range. Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points and seven assists in the game.

Center Victor Wembanyama scored 24 points and 13 rebounds, while shooting 9-for-25 from the field. Rookie guard Dylan Harper totaled 21 points on an efficient 8-for-12 night. After the incredible long-distance display in the first half, the Spurs made just three 3-pointers in the second half out of 17 attempts.

The Knicks are one win away from their first title in 53 years. The teams return to San Antonio for Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Frost Bank Center.