The New York Knicks entered Game 4 at Madison Square Garden as -174 favorites to win the NBA Finals while leading the series 2-1. By the third quarter on Wednesday night, with the San Antonio Spurs leading by 29 points, those odds had flipped entirely. San Antonio was installed as a -165 favorite to win the game, and the momentum of the series looked like it was shifting.
Then the second half happened. And everything changed again.
The Knicks mounted the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, outscoring the Spurs 58-30 over the final two quarters to win 107-106 on a tip-in by OG Anunoby with 1.2 seconds remaining. New York now leads the series 3-1, and the odds reflect exactly what that means.
Where the Odds Stand Now
GettyJalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Knicks hold -420 odds to win the championship following the Game 4 victory. The Spurs sit at +320. The swing from the third quarter of Wednesday’s game, when San Antonio was favored, to where things stand now captures just how dramatically the series has shifted.
San Antonio now faces a 3-1 deficit. Only one team in NBA history has overcome that margin in the Finals. The Spurs must win three straight games, beginning with Game 5 on Saturday night in San Antonio at 8:30 PM ET, to keep their championship hopes alive.
How the Knicks Made History
GettyOG Anunoby of the New York Knicks.
San Antonio set the NBA Finals record for three-pointers in a half, hitting 14 of 26 from deep on their way to a 76-49 halftime lead. The Spurs scored 41 points in the first quarter alone.
Then they went cold. Just 14 points in the third quarter and 16 in the fourth. A team that had been historically dominant in the first half could not find the bottom of the net when it mattered most.
Jalen Brunson led the charge, bouncing back from a scoreless first quarter to finish with 36 points, seven assists, and three steals. OG Anunoby was extraordinary, shooting 10-of-15 from the field and seven of nine from three on his way to 33 points. The two combined for ten of New York’s 15 made threes in the second half.
A Brunson floater with 1:22 remaining gave the Knicks their first lead of the game. Stephon Castle hit two free throws to put the Spurs back in front. Then De’Aaron Fox grabbed a defensive rebound with under 15 seconds left and attempted a transition layup that Anunoby blocked. The Knicks called timeout, set up the final possession, and Anunoby tipped in a missed Brunson three with 1.2 seconds on the clock.
“I just went and crashed to try to get a tip dunk or something,” Anunoby said. “The ball went over my head, so I couldn’t really dunk it. I just tried to tip it in softly and it went in.”
Coach Mike Brown called it the defining moment in New York basketball history. “It has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball,” Brown said. “It was just unbelievable.”
What It Means for the Series
Victor Wembanyama had 24 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio but shot just 9-of-25 from the field in another Finals performance that will face scrutiny. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes despite spending much of the game in foul trouble.
Taylor Swift, Timothee Chalamet, and Spike Lee were courtside as the arena erupted. The comeback was the biggest in NBA Finals history. The Knicks are one win from their first championship since 1973.
Final Word for the Knicks
The odds tell the story. New York went from facing a potential series-tying deficit to standing one win away from a title in the space of one extraordinary second half.
The Spurs will not go quietly in San Antonio on Saturday. But right now, the numbers say the Knicks are almost there.
One win. That is all that stands between New York and 1973.
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