Biggest Comebacks in NBA Finals History: Where Does Knicks' Game 4 Win Over Spurs Rank?
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The 2025–26 Knicks have put themselves in the history books.
Coming back from a 29-point deficit, New York chipped away at it throughout the second half. With 1.2 seconds left, forward OG Anunoby, perhaps the Knicks’ best player in the NBA Finals through four games, came sprinting through the lane to tip in a Jalen Brunson miss to give the Knicks a 107–106 lead. That score would hold.
The Spurs had made a habit of coming out hot in the first quarter throughout the series, though the Knicks usually had an answer in the second quarter. In Game 4, however, San Antonio kept its hot play rolling through halftime, leading 76–49 at the half.
The team held that 29-point lead twice in the game: after a Dylan Harper layup with 3:06 left in the second quarter (71–49), and again with 9:40 remaining in the third quarter after a De’Aaron Fox pull-up jumper (81–52).
From that point forward, the Knicks outscored the Spurs 55–25, capped by Anunoby’s instantly iconic tip-in.
OG ANUNOBY WITH THE PUTBACK.
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2026
KNICKS COMPLETE THE 29-PT COMEBACK FOR THE WIN.
LARGEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ZtWVWY6JsR
That comeback surprasses the previous NBA Finals record by a full five points. That honor previously went to the 2008 Celtics, who came back from 24 points down against the rival Lakers to win, 97–91, in Game 4 on the road.
The two series share some similarities. Boston won two games to open that series, but fell in Game 3 before claiming the comeback win in Game 4. The Celtics went on to win in six games.
Boston opened the series at home, however, while the Knicks went up 2–0 in San Antonio. Now, they head back to Texas to try and close out the Spurs on the road on Saturday in Game 5. The series would return to MSG for a Game 6, if necessary, whereas Game 7 would take place in San Antonio.
New York still has work to do to capture the championship, but they are within one win of the title, and they got there in epic fashion.
The biggest comebacks in NBA Finals history
DATE | MATCHUP | DEFICIT | FINAL SCORE | Series Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
June 10, 2026 | San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks | Spurs led by 29 | Knicks 107, Spurs 106 | TBD (Knicks up 3–1) |
June 12, 2008 | Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers | Lakers led by 24 | Celtics 97, Lakers 91 | Celtics def. Lakers 4–2 |
June 7, 1995 | Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic | Magic led by 20 | Rockets 120, Magic 118 | Rockets def. Magic 4–0 |
June 2, 2011 | Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat | Heat led by 15 | Mavericks 95, Heat 93 | Mavericks def. Heat 4–2 |
June 14, 1992 | Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls | Trail Blazers led by 13 | Bulls 97, Trail Blazers 93 | Bulls def. Trail Blazers 4–2 |
June 13, 2006 | Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat | Mavericks led by 13 | Heat 98, Mavericks 96 | Heat def. Mavericks 4–2 |
June 12, 2012 | Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder | Heat led by 13 | Thunder 105, Heat 94 | Heat def. Thunder 4–1 |
June 12, 2024 | Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks | Mavericks led by 13 | Celtics 106, Mavericks 99 | Celtics def. Mavericks 4–1 |
How did the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history transpire?
The Spurs seemingly could not miss a shot in the first half. That may have cursed them in the second half, as they settled for far too many poor shots and contested threes out of the rhythm of the offense.
San Antonio was 14-for-26 from three-point range in the first half, allowing them to build their significant lead into the early third quarter. In the second half: 3-for-18.
The Spurs kept chucking while the Knicks worked better possessions and turned around their fortunes. Karl-Anthony Towns, sidelined by two early fouls, made big plays down the stretch and scored his first five fourth-quarter points of the finals.
Brunson came up in the clutch, as he so often does, scoring 17 of his 36 points in the second half, including nine in the fourth quarter.
And, of course, there was Anunoby, the efficient assassin who scored 33 points on just 15 shots, including 7-of-9 threes and one tip-in that will be playing on Madison Square Garden highlight packages and YouTube compilations across the five boroughs for years to come.
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Tom Dierberger is the Deputy News Director at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor’s in communication from St. John’s University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.
Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a season as senior college football writer at Athlon Sports and previous three-year run at SI as a writer and editor for the Breaking and Trending News team. When he’s not watching a game, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater. Dan has a bachelor’s degree in writing and rhetoric from Syracuse.