Brunson Warns After Historic Comeback: It Is Not Over Yet

The New York Knicks surprised the world to within one win of their first championship since 1973. In Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden, the home team came back from 29 points down against the San Antonio Spurs and won 107-106 on OG Anunoby's tip-in at the buzzer, taking a 3-1 lead in the series. This was recorded as the largest comeback victory in NBA Finals history.

Captain Jalen Brunson was the star of the encounter. The playmaker, who played 44 minutes, shouldered his team with 36 points and 7 assists. The bulk of his points, scored on 12-of-25 shooting, came in critical moments of the game. After Brunson missed a shot with 16 seconds remaining, the ball fell to OG Anunoby and Anunoby recorded the game-winning basket with a tip-in with 1.2 seconds left. Anunoby finished the game with 33 points, reaching his career playoff record. The first half of the match was a complete display for the San Antonio Spurs: the visiting team led by Victor Wembanyama closed the half 76-49.

After the match, when TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson asked Brunson "How did that happen?" the captain answered with one word: "Believe." But his subsequent statements clearly revealed the cautious attitude Brunson was insisting on displaying before lifting the cup. Nothing was over yet. The Spurs and Knicks will play Game 5 in San Antonio on Saturday, and the Knicks need one more victory to embrace the championship.

Brunson described what they did when the team returned to the locker room while down 27 at halftime: "Really wasn't that much to be said at that point. It was really just we need to chip away. We need to hit singles, get on base and make plays from there." About his leadership style he said, "My parents raised me to never be a follower, always be a leader."

Aware of the weight of the situation they were in, Brunson confessed the thoughts that crossed his mind after falling 29 points behind. "I thought about it. But then I realized just where we're at. You're allowed to think. You're allowed to think about the worst possible scenario, but you've got to go out there and do something about it." This statement showed that Brunson was still focused on the obstacles in front of him on the road to winning the cup.

Brunson was not satisfied with his performance in the series. He had played at 37 percent accuracy in Game 3 and faced criticism. His responses at the pre-game press conference carried a clear self-critical tone: "As a leader, I'm going to be all right. I'm going to figure it out. But I've got to make sure everyone's on the same page." This approach allowed him as team captain to take the ball in hand and become the driving force for the 15-point comeback in the last eight minutes of Game 4.

On the Spurs side, Wembanyama could not hide his disappointment. After the match he said, "It was painful of course. It feels like we worked too hard to give up our lead. It's as simple as that. It just hurts." Wemby finished the match with 23 points and 13 rebounds but dropped to 3-of-14 shooting at 20.5 percent in the second half and was defeated by the Knicks' tight defensive shield. Stephon Castle recorded 13 points and De'Aaron Fox 18.

Game 5 will be played in San Antonio on Saturday, June 13. If the Knicks win this match they will have reached their second championship in 53 years (after 1970 and 1973). Brunson and his teammates are as close to winning the cup as one victory; but what the captain says is clear: the job is not yet done.

Image: sports.yahoo.com