Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals may go down as one of the greatest games in NBA history. The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs delivered an unforgettable battle that captivated basketball fans around the world from opening tip to final buzzer. The matchup had everything—historic individual performances, records shattered on both sides, dramatic momentum swings, and the electric energy of a New York crowd sensing its team was just one victory away from its first NBA championship in 53 years. Amid all the excitement, three records stood above the rest. Ironically, while they highlighted the brilliance on display, they also played a major role in the Spurs' downfall.
Game 4 began with the Spurs shooting from beyond the arc as if they were channeling the 2016 Golden State Warriors. Everyone had the green light, and nearly every shot seemed destined to find the bottom of the net. San Antonio set an NBA Finals record for most three-pointers made in a first half, knocking down 14 of their 26 attempts from deep and surpassing the previous mark of 13 set by the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers. For the first 24 minutes, the Spurs' offense was nearly unstoppable. They set the Finals record for the largest halftime road lead in NBA history at a 27-point lead.
Ironically, that historic shooting display may have contributed to their collapse. As the old basketball saying goes, "live by the three, die by the three." After building their offense around their scorching first-half success, the Spurs continued to rely heavily on the three-point shot in the second half. The difference was that the shots stopped falling. San Antonio went just 3-for-17 from beyond the arc after halftime, and rather than adjusting their attack, they remained committed to the perimeter. What had been their greatest weapon in the first half ultimately became a major factor in allowing the Knicks to erase the deficit and seize control of the game.
At halftime, the New York Knicks looked like a team headed for Game 5, buried under a Spurs avalanche of three-pointers and momentum. But basketball games are not won in 24 minutes — they are won in 48. Protecting a massive lead requires the same urgency that built it, and San Antonio appeared to relax just enough to open the door. The Knicks stormed through that opening. As every NBA fan knows, the league is a game of runs, and New York delivered one for the ages. Trailing by 29 points in the third quarter, the Knicks mounted the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. They outscored the Spurs 58-30 in the second half, surpassing the previous Finals comeback record set by the 2008 Boston Celtics.
The ending felt cinematic. With under two seconds remaining, Jalen Brunson missed a deep three-pointer that seemed destined to end the rally. Then OG Anunoby came flying in from the weak side, tipped the ball through the net, and completed a legendary comeback that will live forever in Finals history. The dramatic victory gave the Knicks a 3-1 series lead, pushing them just one win away from their first NBA Championship in over 50 years.
