Carmelo Anthony’s presence behind the scenes became a subtle but notable storyline in the New York Knicks’ 107-106 Game 4 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, June 10, at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks rallied from a 29-point deficit and took a 3-1 series lead on OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Anthony was actively communicating with Knicks players during the late-game sequence, providing real-time observations from the sideline area. His instruction centered on a specific opportunity he believed was developing in the final possession.
Anthony recalled the moment immediately before the decisive play, saying: “Coming out of that timeout, I made eye contact with them and was yelling ‘The offensive rebound is there! Somebody go!’ I didn’t know who was going to go. But I just kept yelling, somebody go!”
The possession unfolded exactly as the former Knicks star anticipated. After Jalen Brunson’s contested three-point attempt, the ball caromed off the front rim and hung above the cylinder before Anunoby elevated and redirected it in for the game-winning score.
Brunson finished with 36 points, while Anunoby added 33 points, including the final touch that sealed New York’s largest Finals comeback since detailed play-by-play tracking began in 1997. The Knicks outscored San Antonio 58-30 in the second half after trailing by as many as 27 at halftime.
The Spurs had controlled the first half behind early perimeter efficiency, opening a 41-22 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 81-52 in the third. Victor Wembanyama finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds but shot 9-for-25 as San Antonio’s offense stalled late.
New York’s defensive swing in the third quarter limited the Spurs to 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting, setting up a final period that shifted entirely toward second-chance execution and half-court pressure. The Knicks have now produced multiple double-digit playoff comebacks in this postseason run, including a 22-point fourth-quarter rally earlier in the Eastern Conference finals.
With the victory, New York moved within one win of its first NBA championship since 1973, while San Antonio faces a 3-1 deficit heading into Game 5 on Saturday in San Antonio. Only one team in NBA Finals history has overcome that margin.
