{"id":3512,"date":"2026-06-12T21:08:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T21:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3512"},"modified":"2026-06-12T21:08:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T21:08:22","slug":"the-nba-finals-have-been-close-still-knicks-are-in-command-and-need-1-win-over-spurs-for-the-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3512","title":{"rendered":"The NBA Finals have been close. Still, Knicks are in command and need 1 win over Spurs for the title"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) embraces forward Og Anunoby after Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

SAN ANTONIO \u2014 The final moments in each of the first four games between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs in these NBA Finals had much in common, including that the outcome was still undecided with a minute left every time.<\/p>

Read more Cristiano Ronaldo wants Portugal focused on good start before talking about title hopes at World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n

Game 1,<\/a> Knicks led by four with 58 seconds to go. Game 2,<\/a> Knicks won by one when Victor Wembanyama\u2019s game-winning try just misses. Game 3,<\/a> Spurs won by four. Game 4,<\/a> Knicks won by one again after OG Anunoby got a miracle tip-in.<\/a><\/p>\n

There hasn\u2019t been a finals like this, with a margin of four points or less in the final minute of each of the first four games, since 1973. New York won that series. The Knicks haven\u2019t been champions since.<\/p>\n

That could change Saturday. New York \u2014 leading the series 3-1 \u2014 can close out the Spurs in San Antonio when the finals resume with Game 5.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be present,\u201d Knicks coach Mike Brown said Friday. \u201cYou can\u2019t think about the outcome. It\u2019s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play.\u201d<\/p>\n

The series could easily be tied right now, after San Antonio wasted a 29-point lead in Game 4 in what became the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history.<\/p>\n

The Spurs led 81-52 in the third quarter on Wednesday night and got outscored 55-25 the rest of the way, missing 29 of their final 35 shots and losing on OG Anunoby\u2019s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining. Taylor Swift was among the many<\/a> who celebrated long after the final horn, and now the Spurs have to find a way to somehow regroup from absolute agony.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s conviction in strength and confidence,\u201d Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. \u201cThat\u2019s what it is. There\u2019s no trick. There\u2019s no avoiding what\u2019s happened. There\u2019s no avoiding all four games have been winnable games. There\u2019s no avoiding we\u2019re down 3-1. There\u2019s not avoiding ways that we could be better. There\u2019s nobody that\u2019s going to be harder on ourselves and accountable to ourselves than the people in the locker room and each other.\u201d<\/p>

Read more FBI searches offices of Ohio voter registration group, seizing computers<\/a><\/p>\n

Entering Game 4, teams with leads of 29 or more points in a game were:<\/p>\n

\u2014 249-0 this season.<\/p>\n

\u2014 288-2 over the last 30 postseasons.<\/p>\n

\u2014 4,088-13 over the last 30 seasons, counting regular season and playoff games.<\/p>\n

That means the Spurs \u2014 who have had double-digit leads in all four games \u2014 had about a 99.7% chance of winning Game 4, tying the series and coming home with all the momentum. They\u2019re on the brink of elimination instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have that belief that we have a chance to win,\u201d said Spurs guard De\u2019Aaron Fox, who has heard tons of criticism since Wednesday for his decision to try a layup instead of running down the clock when he had the ball and San Antonio leading by one in the final moments. \u201cBut we\u2019re taking this one game at a time. We\u2019re not looking at it as we need to win three games. We need to win tomorrow and then we give ourselves a chance to play another game.\u201d<\/p>\n

It will not be easy. When the Knicks have had a closeout opportunity this season, they\u2019ve left no doubt.<\/p>\n

New York is 3-0 in closeout games in these playoffs, winning them by the almost comical average of 39.3 points per game. The Knicks led by 61 points before winning 140-89 to close out Atlanta in Round 1, led by 44 points before winning 144-114 to close out Philadelphia in Round 2, then led by 45 points before winning 130-93 to close out Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.<\/p>\n

All that happened on the road, too. And thousands of Knicks fans are expected in San Antonio on Saturday night, all ready to see New York end that long title drought.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne possession at a time, one play at a time, one quarter at a time,\u201d Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said. \u201cYou\u2019re thinking about the now, how you can be better the next possession, how can you turn the page, positive or negative. Regardless of what\u2019s going on, our mindset and approach has to stay the same. I think we\u2019ve done a very good job of that. It\u2019s something that has grown over the season. It\u2019s really important, especially obviously now.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Federal judge indefinitely blocks Trump\u2019s $1.8 billion payout fund<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NBA: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nba<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The final moments in each of the first four games between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs in these NBA Finals had much in common<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nThe NBA Finals have been close. Still, Knicks are in command and need 1 win over Spurs for the title - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3512\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The NBA Finals have been close. 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