Knicks rally from 29 down, claim record Game 4 audience and 3-1 NBA Finals lead against Spurs
The New York Knicks completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, erasing a 29-point deficit to defeat San Antonio 107-106 on an OG Anunoby tip-in, while Game 4 drew an average 20.9 million viewers – the biggest Game 4 audience since Michael Jordan’s 1998 Finals farewell.
The dramatic comeback
The Knicks trailed the Spurs by 29 points in the second half of Game 4 before OG Anunoby sprinted from the sideline and tapped in a Jalen Brunson miss with one second remaining for a 107-106 victory. It was the largest deficit ever overcome in an NBA Finals game.
Record television audiences
ABC’s broadcast averaged 20.9 million viewers and peaked at 23.2 million concurrent viewers during the rally, making it the most-watched NBA Finals Game 4 since the 1998 Chicago-Utah series concluded Michael Jordan’s final championship run. The figure was 123 percent higher than Game 4 of last season’s Oklahoma City-Indiana finals. Game 3 had already set a record for that slot, averaging 23.8 million viewers across ABC and ESPN and peaking at 26.2 million; that contest, the first Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999, was attended by President Donald Trump and won by the Spurs 115-111.
- Game 3 Average
- 23.8 millions
- Game 3 Peak
- 26.2 millions
- Game 4 Average
- 20.9 millions
- Game 4 Peak
- 23.2 millions
Anunoby’s place in New York lore
Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns called the tip-in the “Right hand from God,” a comparison to Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup goal that quickly spread through social media. Coach Mike Brown deemed the shot “iconic,” linking it to New York sports moments such as Willis Reed’s 1970 Finals return and David Tyree’s Super Bowl helmet catch. Anunoby, the London-born forward, offered a characteristically muted response.
It’s a really cool picture. Everyone has been telling me how much it means, and obviously I can see how much it means. It’s just really cool to be a part of it, and I’m really grateful.
One win away
The series shifts to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday, with the Knicks one victory from securing the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973.
