NBA Finals: New York Knicks Look to Close Out Series as San Antonio Spurs Fight for Historic Comeback

SAN ANTONIO. The New York Knicks will have their first chance this Saturday to win the NBA championship and end a 53-year title drought. Leading 3-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, the Knicks visit the San Antonio Spurs aiming to clinch the series, while the Texans attempt to extend the matchup and keep alive their dream of a historic comeback.

The series is inevitably marked by what happened in Game 4. San Antonio squandered a 29-point lead and fell 107-106 in one of the most impressive comebacks ever remembered in an NBA Finals. Despite the emotional blow, the Spurs' locker room insists they still believe in their chances.

De'Aaron Fox's message has been clear in the hours leading up to the game. The point guard believes the series has been much more evenly matched than the overall score reflects and reminds that all four losses have been decided by narrow margins. For San Antonio, the priority is to focus solely on Game 5 and not on the magnitude of the task that would come with overcoming a 3-1 deficit.

The reality is that the Spurs have competed in every game. They lost the first two games in Texas 105-95 and 105-104, bounced back with a 115-111 victory at Madison Square Garden, and came very close to tying the series before the collapse in Game 4.

Facing them will be a team that has demonstrated extraordinary ability to survive difficult moments. The Knicks appeared completely out of the game when they trailed by 29 points last Wednesday, but found a way to return once again.

Jalen Brunson led the comeback once more. The point guard posted 36 points and 7 assists in Game 4 and has now surpassed the 30-point mark three times during these NBA Finals. His ability to show up in decisive moments has become one of the great differences in the series.

Alongside Brunson, OG Anunoby shined, delivering one of the most important nights of his career. The small forward set his playoff career highs with seven three-pointers and 33 points, and hit the game-winning putback with 1.2 seconds remaining that left the Knicks one victory away from the championship.

Despite the euphoria surrounding the New York franchise, the message inside the locker room is one of maximum caution. Mike Brown has stressed that closing an NBA Finals series on the road represents one of the most difficult challenges in professional basketball and expects an immediate response from a Spurs team that will play with the urgency of a team with no margin for error.

Much of San Antonio's hopes will once again rest on Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman has scored at least 24 points in each of the four games of the series, although his shooting percentage continues to be below his usual standards. In Game 4 he finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks, but needed 25 shots to reach that production.

History also doesn't favor the Spurs. Only one franchise has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in an NBA Finals: LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 against the Golden State Warriors. However, Wembanyama insists the team must move past what happened in New York and focus exclusively on the next opportunity.

Game 5 presents itself as a true test of character for both teams. The Knicks have the chance to complete a historic season and lift the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time since 1973. The Spurs, meanwhile, need a victory to force the series back to Madison Square Garden and keep alive an NBA Finals that seemed to be under control just days ago.