NBA legend Magic Johnson didn’t sugarcoat his words when pointing out the major mistake the San Antonio Spurs made in their Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
The Spurs made NBA Finals history in the game, albeit for the wrong reason. After leading by as many as 29 points, San Antonio lost 107-106, with OG Anunoby making the game-winning tip-in for New York.
The collapse marked the largest comeback ever in NBA Finals history. The Knicks used a 20-4 run in the fourth quarter to cut the lead, and the Spurs simply had no answer for them when the pressure mounted.
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
However, it’s clear that the Spurs have no one to blame but themselves for the loss. They had a number of chances to seal the win even after the Knicks’ comeback, but they couldn’t execute.
For one, Victor Wembanyama missed two free throws with under two minutes left. Had he made those freebies, San Antonio would have been up 106-103.
One of their biggest mistakes, however, was De’Aaron Fox’s attempt to be a hero for the Spurs. With 17 seconds left, Brunson attacked the basket but missed his floater, resulting in a loose ball.
As the ball bounced to the Spurs’ side of the court, Fox recovered it and proceeded to run to the rim despite having Anunoby and Jose Alvarado behind him. Anunoby ended up blocking Fox’s layup attempt, allowing New York to get possession with 10 seconds remaining on the clock.
According to Johnson, it was a “huge mistake” by Fox, especially since the Spurs were ahead at that point. He could have simply dribbled the ball and let the clock run down, which would have forced the Knicks to foul him.
“De’Aaron Fox made a huge mistake when he got the ball with seconds left in the fourth and decided to go for a layup instead of dribbling the ball out to be fouled,” Johnson wrote after praising the Knicks for the historic comeback.
We just watched the Knicks make the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history! The first and second half were two completely different stories – the Spurs dominated in the first half and Knicks stormed back in the second. Jalen Brunson put the team on his back with his 36-point…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 11, 2026
It remains to be seen if the Spurs can bounce back from the shocking defeat. They are now down 3-1 in the series, with the action shifting back to San Antonio.
Sure enough, the Spurs cannot afford to make the same mistakes they did in Game 4 if they want a realistic chance to extend the NBA Finals series.
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