The San Antonio Spurs fell down 3-1 to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals following a stunning 107-106 loss in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The Spurs looked set to tie this series when they led by 29 points early in the third quarter, but then proceeded to collapse in stunning fashion.
This was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, and Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was asked postgame what went wrong offensively for his team in the second half.
“I mean, obviously, a few things to score 30 points in a half,” Johnson said, via SNY. “We got away from what got us the 76 points in the first half, just in terms of putting pressure on the rim, rolling after screens, running, continuing to find the paint, whether it’s for ourselves or for a teammate.
“We got on our heels and missed some shots, and then you don’t get as many free throws and high percentage looks when you play on your heels like that,” Johnson added.
The Spurs were scorching hot in the first half, racking up 76 points after going 28-47 (59.6%) from the field and 14-26 (53.8%) from beyond the arc. They broke the record for most threes made in a half in the NBA Finals, and all was going well.
Unfortunately, the second half was a complete disaster. The Spurs managed to record just 14 points in the third quarter and 16 in the fourth. They went 8-39 (20.5%) from the field and 3-17 (17.6%) from beyond the arc after halftime.
Despite the disastrous third quarter, the Spurs still led by 20 points early in the fourth. The Knicks then took over, and Johnson was asked when he felt their momentum became a bit too much to overcome.
“I didn’t feel that until the clock hit zero,” Johnson said. “I mean, there was times where again I felt part of that third quarter and then some part probably early mid of the fourth quarter again where we got away from playing the brand of basketball got us the lead. And then you saw at times aggressiveness and just conviction that we played with early on dissipate a little bit.
“And they made some shots, and that’s where you felt the momentum a little bit,” Johnson continued. “We just needed a few more tough-minded plays to finish the job.”
For all of the Knicks’ efforts, it had seemed like the Spurs had finished the job. They forced Jalen Brunson into a miss while leading 106-105 with under 20 seconds remaining, and all De’Aaron Fox had to do was hold on to the ball and get fouled. Fox instead tried to score and got blocked by OG Anunoby. That gave the Knicks the ball back, and Anunoby made the game-winning tip-in after Brunson’s miss.
While the Knicks were showered with praise after the game, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley ripped Fox and the Spurs on Inside the NBA. Barkley called them the dumbest team in the history of civilization.
Bouncing back from a loss like this will be tough, especially as the Spurs are now facing elimination. Johnson remains confident in his team, though.
“We have two days to put everything we have into that game,” Johnson said. “That’s the only game that matters. And by no means am I not acknowledging the Knicks and what they’ve done and give them credit for playing good basketball, but we feel like we’ve decided the outcome of all four games, and we need to be better in the next game.”
The Spurs shot themselves in the foot here and also at the end of Game 2. They could very easily be the ones leading 3-1, but it is the Knicks who hold that advantage.
Game 5 will tip off at Frost Bank Center on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Johnson and the Spurs players have expressed confidence, but it will be interesting to see how this group responds.
