Josh Hart reflected on one of the most dramatic finishes of the NBA Finals as the New York Knicks erased a 29-point deficit and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
Hart described the closing sequence, where OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining completed the comeback and sealed a 3-1 series lead.
“I was obviously ecstatic. I missed that block out at the end. Castle out the two free throws and went up. And then I was, you know, I wasn’t in on that last play. So, I’m just in there just, you know, hoping my guys make a play.”
He credited Anunoby for finishing the possession in a high-pressure moment and emphasized his impact throughout the postseason run.
“And OG, he’s been amazing, you know, since he’s got here. This whole playoff run, he’s been amazing in both sides of the ball and, you know, he’s a winning player and he won and made a winning play.”
The Knicks trailed by as many as 29 points in the first half before tightening their defensive approach after halftime. Hart pointed to discipline and execution as the turning point rather than any external adjustment.
“No, it was just continue to do what got us here. I think in that first half we didn’t do that. And we got back to being refocused and having better discipline.”
New York’s defense held San Antonio to just 30 points in the second half, a swing that reshaped the game’s final stretch. Hart highlighted the importance of limiting fouls while maintaining pressure in critical possessions.
“I mean, we defensively in the second half we gave up 30 points. You know, that’s unreal. And doing that, especially in the fourth quarter when I think it was like eight or nine minutes left and they had five fouls and they were in the penalty and we were able to get stops without fouling and that fueled our offense.”
Hart also addressed the Knicks’ ability to manage momentum shifts during a long season defined by volatility and external pressure. He pointed to consistency as the foundation of their late-season success.
“In the 82-game season especially New York you know there’s going to be mountains and valleys if we win three or four in a row you know we’re the best team in the league if you lose three or four in a row everybody’s on the trade block you know we know that and that’s why during the course of a season you try to stay even.”
He explained how that same mindset carried into playoff comebacks, where the focus shifted in stages rather than attempting to erase large deficits in one push.
“You just want to continue to chip. You don’t look at, you know, when you’re down 29, we got to win this game. You look at it when you get down 29 of okay let’s get it to 20.”
Hart added that the approach continued as the game progressed into tighter margins late in the third and fourth quarters.
“There’s three minutes left in the third quarter we’re down you know 18 you’re thinking let’s get it to 10 and then in the fourth quarter you’re like, you know, this is winning time anything happened.”
He credited the organization’s structure and roster construction for building a group capable of repeated comeback scenarios in high-pressure playoff environments.
“It starts with Leon. Bringing together a group of guys that have high character, that have winning traits and habits and, you know, are willing to sacrifice, you know, for each other.”
Hart also placed the game among the most significant moments of his career, ranking it just behind a collegiate championship.
“Probably second. You know, we won a national championship in 2016.”
The Knicks now shift focus to Game 5 in San Antonio, where they will attempt to close out the series after taking control with one of the largest Finals comebacks in NBA history.
