Jalen Brunson finishes with 36 points (12-25 FGs), five rebounds and seven assists in the Knicks’ 29-point Game 4 comeback.
• Download the NBA App
• Complete coverage: 2026 NBA Finals
Where does an epic, never-before-seen NBA Finals comeback begin?
It is an existential and practical question.
Existentially, does it start in the heart? In the mind? Deep within?
Practically, does it start with a defensive stop? A bucket? Inspiring words during halftime or a timeout?
Such heady questions are necessary as the NBA world sifts through the aftermath of the New York Knicks’ amazing 29-point second-half comeback and 107-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
However you want to dissect and analyze what happened – and the storylines from OG Anunoby to Jose Alvarado to the Spurs’ collapse are abundant, wonderful and perplexing – Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson is almost always at the center of the spectacular.
Brunson produced his best game of the Finals when the Knicks needed him the most. He finished with 36 points on 12-for-25 shooting, including 3-for-7 on 3-pointers and 9-for-11 on free throws, seven assists, five rebounds, three steals and just three turnovers (his lowest total of the Finals).
Brunson scored 17 points in the second half – eight in the third quarter and nine in the fourth as the Knicks chiseled the deficit.
“We needed to hit singles, get on base and make plays from there,” Brunson said. “I feel like we did that tonight and we found a way to really just continue to do the things that helped us get to this point, and it would be huge for us to kind of build off that for next game.”
New York’s comeback story continues
The Knicks are the prototypical play-through-every-possession team. It has been a beneficial mindset, allowing them to rally 22 down in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks have trailed by at least 12 points in the four Finals games and have won three.
Now, with the way the game is played, a 14-point or even 20-point deficit up to a certain point in the fourth quarter is surmountable. A 29-point deficit in the third quarter requires a special performance.
Earlier in the series, when the Knicks came back from a double-digit Spurs lead, Brunson said: “We had to do a good job of staying composed in those situations. It’s a credit to the character that this team has. Not being able to fold in situations like that is key to winning games like this.
“At this stage of the season, things aren’t going to be pretty. It’s going to be ugly. It’s going to be grinded out. It’s simple as that.”
On the court and in news conferences, Brunson is steady. He often deflects questions about his individual performance to stress the importance of the team, of trusting one another, learning on off days and treating each game like it’s a 0-0 series.
“Like all things, things take time,” Brunson said. “I think most importantly, though, we knew that we just had to get better every single day. In the world we live in now, everyone wants things instantly. From our perspective, it’s all about just getting better every single day, keep chipping away, keep chipping away, being 1% better.
“When you take steps back, how can you improve? It’s always about how can you improve. Having that mentality and focus and approach, I think, allows us to still be students of the game and still find ways to learn, even through wins, and we need to continue to do that.”
Brunson entered Game 4 averaging 27.3 points the hard way – 37% shooting from the field and 31.8% on 3-pointers. The Spurs play physical defense with big, athletic perimeter players. They made it tough for Oklahoma City guard and Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the West Finals and have done the same to Brunson.
That’s also the way it should be at this time of the season. It shouldn’t be easy in the Finals. Efficiency and production for stars take a backseat as long as that player’s team is the first to 16 playoff victories.
At 15 victories, the Knicks are one win from their first championship since 1973.
‘He does what an MVP is supposed to’
Brunson was in the center of it as that deficit crumbled. He assisted on an Anunoby 3-pointer that cut San Antonio’s lead to 97-86, and Brunson’s two free throws at 6:09 made it 99-90. A Brunson bucket at 5:20 made it 99-92, and his 3-pointer with 2:21 remaining made it a one-possession game – Spurs 104, Knicks 103. His final bucket gave the Knicks a 105-104 lead – their first of the game.
“Jalen, he’s an MVP candidate,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I say the same thing about Jalen every game. He does what an MVP is supposed to, and he did it again tonight.”
In a twist, one of his biggest shots was a missed shot.
With the Spurs leading 106-105 and 5.7 seconds left, Brunson caught an inbound pass from Anunoby at halfcourt. Brunson received a double-team from De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama and launched a 31-foot 3-point attempt. The Wembanyama double took him away from the rim, and Anunoby crashed the boards from his inbound position and made an incredible tip-in for the winning basket.
“Had two guys contesting, so was able to get some pressure off the rim,” Brunson said. “Got a good bounce off the rim, and OG being OG, just made a play.”
Fans at Madison Square Garden were reluctant to leave, trying to process what they just witnessed, absorbing the atmosphere, relishing the victory and thinking about a possible championship.
Brunson was not caught up in any of that.
“Just happy that we found a way to come away with a win,” he said. “Got a lot to learn these next couple days, but our mentality has to be 0-0, the way it’s been. It has to be that way, and I feel like us moving forward with that mindset can really benefit us. But there’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.”
* * *
Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
