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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Down as many as 29 points, the New York Knicks achieved an improbable comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs, to take Game 4 of the NBA Finals, 107-106, and are now one win away from claiming a championship.
Jalen Brunson stepped up once again, delivering big shots for his team with 36 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals. His teammate, OG Anunoby, also came up big with a 33-point night that included a game-winning tip-in shot with just 1.2 seconds remaining.
The Knicks looked like they were on the verge of getting blown out, with the Spurs leading 76-49 at halftime. However, they again put on a second-half performance that will go down in history, as they outscored San Antonio 58-30.
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While the win was exciting and celebrated by celebrity superfans and fans all around New York City, Brunson had a blunt response when speaking about his team being close to a championship.
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"There's nothing to celebrate," Brunson told reporters, adding, "It's not over yet. Not even close."
That statement shows that Brunson knows the Spurs aren't going to simply give up and allow the Knicks to take Game 5. That game will occur in San Antonio on Saturday, with the Spurs likely stinging from this loss and looking to come out with intensity.
However, one could say the Spurs did that in games throughout this NBA Finals, and the story was the same in all of their losses. Despite leading by double digits, they were unable to close out the Knicks down the stretch.
Wednesday night's game was eerily similar to the Spurs' one-point loss in Game 2. They had a late lead, and also a chance to win the game on the final play but were unable to come away with a victory.
These are the sort of painful lessons that young, inexperienced teams learn from and become better in the future. One has to wonder how the Spurs will respond to their worst loss yet, a demoralizing 29-point collapse.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs arrives at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in San Antonio.
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