#380: The Knicks comeback for the ages
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What made the Knicks’ 29‑point comeback the greatest in Finals history?
Thinking basketball podcast, my name is Ben, and we have just witnessed, I guess technically, the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, the San Antonio Spurs with a 27-point lead at halftime. And then Cody went with the bold strategy of what if we didn't run offense for the next 24 minutes? Uh OG Ananobi is I don't know how we're supposed I don't know how we're supposed to make content right now. Like if you're listening to this. tomorrow, the day after this happens, you've had an entire night to sleep with what just occurred. And I'm saying this as a person who has Cody, tell the people how shocked I am right now. Tell the people how much shock I have.
Um zero percent shock.
Zero percent shock. I'm sure most of you are very shocked. I have zero percent shock. I was tracking this the entire way and I still don't know what to say, so I'll throw it to you for maximum entertainment uh before we start breaking down this game. Why hee hee he what w what do you say after that, my friend?
Well, first of all, I do I do want to say we have receipts. I have legitimate receipts from texts, from group chats, of Ben being like a it was like a twenty-some point lead, he texts me, he's like, uh, this isn't over. This is a pretty precarious spot. I think you made a comment about the the rubber band is about to smack back. And I think when they were down six in the fourth, you send a message to the group chat and you're like, the Knicks are winning this. And then some Knicks fans around were like, Oh my goodness, don't don't jinx us, don't do this to us.
You can't jinx Jalen Brunson. I learned that a long time ago. Jalen Brunson. Jalen Bronson is on jinxable. The thing is I think the biggest thing working against the Spurs in this game was their youth. Because if we if we pull back, and I rarely say that, I I have held fast that uh that is often something that's overrated, and in fact it's worked in San Antonio's favor, and their players and their age and their roles have really held up for most of this playoff run. But what happened in this game is we came out of game three and the Spurs had a bunch. Of really subtle offensive adjustments, figuring out basically how they wanted to crack the Knicks' defense. And if you're a member, you get our member content here at patreon.com/slash thinking basketball.
We had a whole video on this, and so the first six minutes in the game, I'm like, okay, do the Knicks have a way to counter this? And it was even worse because the Spurs at that point were just like, Oh, yeah, this is target practice. We can get whatever we want. You load up on Wemby, we're getting a wide open. Open three. You attack our threes, we're closing out. You don't rot load up on Wemby, we're putting him in spots to succeed. Now we got some lobs coming back like we had in game three. And I forget who it was. I forget if it was Legler, uh Tim Legler or Richard Jefferson on the call, but someone early on said they're on pace for eighty in the half, and they did almost get to eighty in the half.
It was a twenty-nine point lead. It was seventy-six forty-nine. And very importantly, the The Spurs had two turnovers in the first half. Two turnovers in the first half. So what that tells me Yes, there was some good shooting. They made 14 threes, which is a finals record. They shot 50, just a little bit over 50%, but they were really, really high quality shots. And so between the high quality shots and the low turnovers, that half-court offensive process was flowing. Meanwhile, this was the four straight game or third and a half straight game. Technically, I gotta choose my words wisely here after what we just saw. The third and a half straight game. Where the Knicks really just struggled to get good shots in the half court.
Brunson wants to bring Wemby up into the pick and roll. The Spurs know how they want to defend that. And the Knicks' best plays for me at that point in the game, at that point in the series, continue to be the special teams plays, the the loose balls. Anytime they get run out in transition, you just know it's gonna be a loose ball, and Josh Hart's gonna pick it up and he's gonna find a way to make the play.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What made the Knicks’ 29‑point comeback the greatest in Finals history?
0:07–6:57
2
How did the Spurs’ youth and offensive adjustments affect the first half?
6:57–13:45
3
Why was OG Ananobi’s shooting performance a game‑changing factor?
13:45–21:12
4
What key defensive plays (e.g., OG’s blocks, Towns’ screens) shifted momentum in the fourth quarter?
21:12–27:43
5
How did fatigue and Wembanyama’s reduced effectiveness influence the Spurs’ collapse?
27:43–36:20
6
Why did the Knicks’ pick‑and‑roll efficiency improve after halftime?
36:20–43:52
7
What were the decisive final‑minute sequences that clinched the win?
43:52–50:26
8
What does this comeback mean for the rest of the series and potential Finals MVP debate?
50:26–55:40