NBA legend Charles Barkley branded the San Antonio Spurs “the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilisation” after the New York Knicks pulled off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.
The Spurs led by 29 points as they aimed to level the best-of-seven series in New York before hosting game five, but the Knicks fought back to win 107-106.
London-born OG Anunoby claimed a tip-in basket with 1.2 seconds left to clinch victory, much to the delight of a star-studded crowd at Madison Square Garden, which included Taylor Swift and Timothee Chalamet.
It gave the Knicks a 3-1 lead in the series and put them within one win of their first championship since 1973.
The previous biggest comeback in the NBA Finals was 24 points, by the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.
San Antonio went 29 points up in the second quarter and their 27-point lead at half-time (76-49) was the largest for a road team in Finals history, but they then scored just 30 points in the second half.
“That was some of the most mismanaged, stupid basketball,” said ESPN analyst and former NBA most valuable player Barkley.
“When you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help, and the San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game.”
Victor Wembanyama scored a team-high 24 points for San Antonio and claimed 13 rebounds.
“I can’t really explain it right now,” said the NBA’s defensive player of the year.
“I don’t know. I think it’s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”
The Knicks still trailed 90-75 heading into the fourth quarter but Jalen Brunson put them in front for the first time at 105-104 with 82 seconds remaining.
Anunoby then made a block with 11.1 seconds left, to stop the Spurs leading 108-105, before tipping in the game-clinching score after Brunson’s three-point attempt struck the rim.
“One word that caps that all is just ‘belief’,” Brunson told ESPN. “It was chipping away, one possession at a time. It wasn’t going to be one play to get us back.”
Game five is in San Antonio on Saturday (01:30 BST, Sunday).
By BBC Sports
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