Spurs squander – Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs appeared set to close out Game 4 of the NBA Finals, only to watch the Knicks erase a 29-point lead and win by one. The collapse included missed free throws, and a late De’Aaron Fox mistake that swung the game before
When the San Antonio Spurs went into the stretch with a 29-point first-half cushion. it looked like Game 4 was slipping into their control. Then the second half unraveled piece by piece—missed free throws by Victor Wembanyama. a late-game misstep from De’Aaron Fox. and a Knicks surge that left Madison Square Garden roaring as New York moved one win from a championship.
It was a painful swing that Wembanyama didn’t sugarcoat after the final buzzer. “It was painful of course. It feels like we worked too hard to give up our leads. It’s as simple as that. It just hurts,” he told reporters during his postgame remarks.
San Antonio shot hot in the first half, only to let the game disappear down the stretch. The most jarring moment came in the final 11 seconds. With the Spurs already holding a one-point lead. Fox knocked the ball away from the Knicks at halfcourt—but instead of running out the clock or trying to draw a foul. he attempted a layup. He missed, and there was no foul called. The Knicks gained possession and used the remaining seconds to stay alive.
With 7.5 seconds left, New York went to work. A jump shot by the Knicks missed, but OG Anunoby turned it into a turning point in a New York way—his tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining gave the Knicks a 107-106 lead, and ultimately the win.
Even after that, the Spurs still had time to try to get the victory once more. But they couldn’t land a clutch shot before the buzzer as the Knicks celebrated. The shift was stark enough to turn halftime into a distant memory: the Spurs led 76-49 at the break. then were outscored 48-30 in the second half.
On the scoreboard, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Anunoby added 33 points, including the game-winning tip-in. For San Antonio, Wembanyama finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks, while Fox and Devin Vassell each scored 18. Stepon Castle was limited to 13 points after previously going for 20 points in the Spurs’ Game 3 win.
As Game 4 ended with the Knicks moving toward the finish line, the stakes shifted immediately for Wembanyama and the Spurs. With the series down 1-3 and heading back to San Antonio, the task gets steeper: they would need to win three straight after a loss that felt especially humiliating.
Game 5 between the Knicks and Spurs arrives at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks NBA Finals Game 4 OG Anunoby De'Aaron Fox Madison Square Garden Jalen Brunson Stephon Castle Devin Vassell