Following their Game 3 loss, the Knicks emphasized the urgency of addressing their defensive lapses, particularly their missed assignments and lack of cohesion on the court.
Initially, it appeared that their defensive struggles would continue, but they managed to rediscover their form just in time.
Despite conceding 76 points in the first half, the Knicks staged a remarkable defensive resurgence in the latter half, paving the way for the largest comeback in NBA Finals history with a stunning 107-106 victory over the Spurs.
In the final 6 minutes and 24 seconds of the game, the Knicks held the Spurs to a mere seven points, edging closer to their first championship in 53 years.
“Honestly, we didn’t change much,” remarked coach Mike Brown. “We stuck to our original game plan, but our defensive execution improved substantially over longer periods. We remained focused on our responsibilities and increased our physicality without unnecessarily fouling, which proved crucial.”
San Antonio put on a shooting display in the first half, making 14 3-pointers in 26 attempts. Some of it was impressive shot-making, but a lot of it was the Knicks’ inability to defend the Spurs.
There were so many open looks from deep, partly due to the Knicks overcommitting to Victor Wembanyama. But their inability to stop the ball was particularly evident. The Spurs had 17 assists in the first half and plenty of balance, four players with at least 13 points.
“We needed to show them that first half was a fluke,” Jose Alvarado said.
They certainly did. The second half was a vastly different story. The Spurs were limited to 30 points, committed nine turnovers and shot 3-of-17 from 3-point range.
“Our contests were better, just one percent better,” OG Anunoby said. “Getting out faster and then finishing possessions with rebounds.”
The Knicks did it with a small lineup, Alvarado in the backcourt with Jalen Brunson for a good chunk of the fourth quarter. Wembanyama missed 11-of-14 shots, and was held to eight points. San Antonio only had four points in the paint after halftime.
“That’s unreal, and doing that especially in the fourth quarter,” Josh Hart said, referring to the defensive effort over the final two periods. “We were able to get stops without fouling, and that fueled our offense.”