How will the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs follow up on one of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history? Can New York win its third game in San Antonio this month and take home its first championship since 1973?
The Knicks are up 3-1 in the series after they overcame a 29-point deficit in Game 4 to stun the Spurs. New York trailed by 27 points at halftime and mounted the largest halftime comeback in NBA postseason history, thanks to 30-plus-point performances from Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. This is the third Finals in which the first four matchups were all one-possession games in the final two minutes of regulation, and the second Finals with multiple games decided by a point.
Only one team has won a Finals after facing a 3-1 series deficit -- the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers -- and teams are 37-1 when leading 3-1 in the Finals.
But none of those teams had Victor Wembanyama on their roster, and the Spurs have led all four Finals games by double digits at some point. Is anyone counting out Wembanyama and the Spurs after these close games?
ESPN NBA reporters Tim Bontemps, Ben Golliver, Vincent Goodwill and Michael C. Wright look ahead to Game 5. Can the Knicks close it out? Can the Spurs send the series back to New York? Let's get into how both teams feel coming out of Game 4, and how both squads could win:
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What's the feeling around the Knicks after their Game 4 comeback?
Goodwill: Relief. The Knicks knew they put themselves in a situation that, against a more seasoned Finals opponent, would've spelled a different result. But they've shown a remarkable ability during the past two postseasons to come back from dire circumstances. They didn't acknowledge that they're one win from a title. They were in the moment while also saying the Spurs won't go down easily in Game 5.
They knew a lot went their way as they erased a 29-point hole.
"You've got to have a little luck in sports," Knicks coach Mike Brown said. "But you can also make your luck, too. So, you've got to have some natural luck and some luck where you're going to make your own, and that was probably the biggest message."
Seems as though luck has been on the Knicks' side this postseason.
What's the feeling around the Spurs after their Game 4 collapse?
Wright: Frustration. They're saying all the right things. Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson said, "I wouldn't want to be with any other guys," adding that "we believe we can get it done."