Knicks Stage Largest Comeback in NBA Finals History, Take 3-1 Lead Over Spurs — Game 5 Preview and Odds

The New York Knicks completed the most improbable comeback in NBA Finals history Wednesday night, rallying from 29 points down in the second half to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 at Madison Square Garden and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining gave New York a win that will be talked about for generations, putting the Knicks one victory away from their first NBA championship since 1973.

The Spurs, who finished the regular season with the NBA’s best record at 62-20, appeared to have Game 4 firmly under control. But a stunning collapse in the second half turned what looked like a series-tying victory into the darkest moment of San Antonio’s postseason run.

The Historic Collapse and the Comeback

San Antonio was at its best through the first half, connecting on 14 three-pointers in the first two quarters — a new record for most threes made in a single half in NBA Finals history — and building a 76-49 advantage at the break. The Spurs pushed the lead as high as 29 points, holding a 95-75 advantage with under ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

At that point, no team in NBA Finals history had ever come back from more than 24 points down. The previous record had stood since 2008, when the Boston Celtics mounted a 24-point comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks’ deficit was larger, their window was smaller, and the crowd inside Madison Square Garden had every reason to fear the worst.

What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. Jalen Brunson, who had gone scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting in the first quarter, responded with one of the great second-half performances in Finals history. He finished with 36 points on 12-of-25 shooting to go along with seven assists. A Brunson three-pointer over the seven-foot-three Victor Wembanyama briefly gave New York its first lead of the game, and when Brunson’s final three-point attempt rimmed out, Anunoby leaped to tip the ball softly through the net with 1.2 seconds left.

“That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after the game.

Anunoby was equally vital, finishing with 33 points on an astonishing 10-of-15 shooting, including 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. His performance complemented Brunson’s perfectly, providing a secondary scoring option when the Spurs could not account for both stars simultaneously. The Spurs, for their part, managed just 14 third-quarter points and 16 in the fourth as their offense sputtered completely after an historic first half.

Wembanyama, the second-year superstar who had scored 32 points in San Antonio’s Game 3 victory and entered the series as one of the most anticipated Finals performers in years, finished with 24 points on 9-of-25 shooting. How he responds in a must-win environment at home on Saturday could define the rest of the series.

Game 5 Odds and Betting Lines

The series shifts to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday, June 13, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Despite holding a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Knicks are listed as road underdogs for the game. According to FanDuel, the Spurs are favored at -198 on the moneyline, with New York at +164, reflecting San Antonio’s imposing home record of 32-8 during the regular season.

The Spurs are also 5.5-point favorites against the spread, with the over/under set at 216.5 points. Bettors looking at series winner odds will find a starkly different picture: the Knicks are priced at around -500 to claim the championship, with the Spurs at +380 — a complete reversal from the start of the series when San Antonio opened as the favorites. New York entered the playoffs at +2200 to win the title.

For the Spurs to extend the series, they must become the first team in NBA Finals history to overcome a 3-1 deficit. The challenge is historically daunting, which is why New York sports betting markets have made the Knicks heavy championship favorites regardless of Saturday’s single-game spread.

What to Watch in Game 5

Wembanyama will need a significant performance to keep San Antonio’s season alive. His 9-of-25 shooting night in Game 4 was far below the standard he set in Game 3, and the weight of elimination at home will test his composure as a second-year player facing the biggest moment of his career. A return to his Game 3 form would make for a dramatically different game than the one that unfolded Wednesday.

For the Knicks, the challenge is sustaining the emotional momentum of a historic comeback in a hostile road environment. Brunson has been exceptional throughout the series and enters Saturday as the NBA Finals MVP frontrunner at -140 odds. Anunoby at +400 for MVP offers value for those who believe his Game 4 performance signals sustained elevation rather than a one-night surge. Karl-Anthony Towns, who has had a quieter series by his standards, is listed at +1900 for MVP — a number that could shift quickly if he dominates in a potential closeout game.

Selected prop bets for Game 5 include Anunoby to score 20 or more points at +116, Josh Hart to dish six or more assists at +154, and Wembanyama to grab 12 or more rebounds at -106. The total of 216.5 will be worth watching given San Antonio’s first-half offensive explosion in Game 4 and the likelihood that both teams will come out with heightened defensive urgency in an elimination context.

New York has not won an NBA championship in 53 years. Saturday night in San Antonio, with three chances to close it out, represents the most concrete opportunity the franchise has had in a generation to finally end that drought.