For more than five decades, New York basketball fans have waited for a championship celebration. Now, after one of the most dramatic nights in NBA Finals history, the New York Knicks sit just one victory away from ending that drought.

A stunning 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 has given New York a commanding 3-1 lead in the 2026 NBA Finals. The victory was remarkable not only because of its significance, but because of how it happened.

The Knicks erased a 29-point deficit, the largest comeback ever recorded in an NBA Finals game, sending Madison Square Garden into chaos and leaving former players, celebrities, and fans struggling to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

A Comeback For The Ages

With less than 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter, New York trailed by 29 points. The deficit still stood at 15 entering the fourth quarter, and the Knicks remained down by 20 with just over nine minutes left.

Yet somehow, the momentum shifted.

Former Knicks star Latrell Sprewell, a member of the franchise’s last Finals team in 1999, watched the improbable rally unfold from inside Madison Square Garden.

“I can’t even put it into words,” Sprewell told ESPN. “We were just thinking, ‘Get it close. Get it to 25, get it to 20, get it to 15, get it to 10. Put the pressure on them.'”

As the deficit shrank, belief slowly spread through the arena.

“I never thought they totally had it,” Sprewell conceded as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” played over the loudspeakers. “I mean, once we got even or we got within four, I said, ‘OK, we have a real shot.'”

Still, few believed a full comeback was possible after New York had spent most of the night chasing the game.

Madison Square Garden Erupts

Once the final buzzer sounded, the celebration began immediately.

Former Knicks players from multiple generations flooded the court. Friends, family members, and celebrities joined the festivities as thousands remained in their seats long after the game ended.

Security personnel quickly recognized the obvious reality.

Nobody wanted to leave.

As Frank Sinatra’s “Theme From New York, New York” echoed through the arena, Sprewell reflected on what remains ahead.

“We still got one more, though,” he said. “One more.”

That final step carries enormous weight for a franchise that has not captured an NBA title since 1973.

Carmelo Anthony’s Message Before The Winning Play

Among those celebrating was Carmelo Anthony, who spent seven seasons with the Knicks but never advanced beyond the conference semifinals.

During the game, Anthony remained vocal from his courtside seat, repeatedly urging the current roster to attack the offensive glass.

“You deserve this!” Metta Sandiford-Artest (who was Metta World Peace when they played together) said to Anthony as they found each other on the court after the game. “You started this.”

Anthony later revealed what he had been shouting moments before the decisive possession.

“I was yelling at them the whole time: ‘The offensive rebound is there! The offensive rebound is there!'” Anthony told ESPN. “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!'”

Someone did.

OG Anunoby Delivers The Defining Moment

With seconds remaining, OG Anunoby inbounded the ball to Jalen Brunson before charging toward the basket.

Brunson’s shot sailed over Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. As multiple San Antonio defenders failed to secure position, Anunoby surged into the paint and tipped the rebound into the basket with just 1.2 seconds remaining.

The sequence instantly became one of the most memorable plays in franchise history.

Josh Hart, who had made a costly mistake moments earlier, admitted the game-winning effort saved him from dwelling on his own error.

“Every game, every second, every practice of the season, it led us to this point,” Hart said. “Now we have to go into San Antonio on Saturday and get ready for another battle.

“Special shoutout for OG, man, because he saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret.”

Karl-Anthony Towns Reflects On The Moment

Karl-Anthony Towns contributed five crucial points in the fourth quarter and could barely contain his emotions afterward.

“You could see my reaction, the emotion, it kind of spilled out of that moment,” said Towns, who had five crucial fourth-quarter points. “It was tears of joy … all you can do is ask for a chance.

“And for me personally, I just wanted one break in life. And I got one. I got one at that last play with OG making the shot and us getting the stop.”

The victory carried personal meaning for the Towns family.

His father, Karl Towns Sr., once dreamed of playing for the Knicks himself before an injury ended that opportunity.

“It wasn’t meant for me,” Towns Sr. told ESPN after the game. “It was meant for my son. It was meant for him to do it.”

Patrick Ewing Sees A Different Knicks Team

Despite the euphoria, New York still needs one more win to finish the job.

The franchise’s history is filled with heartbreak, from near misses in the 1990s to decades of rebuilding and disappointment. However, Knicks legend Patrick Ewing believes this group has created a unique bond with those who came before them.

“They make us all feel a part of it,” Ewing told ESPN. “Like we’re a part of them.”

A victory in Game 5 would secure New York’s first championship in 53 years and complete the longest gap between NBA titles in league history.

Victor Wembanyama Met With Boos And Flying Egg After Loss

The nightmare evening did not end when Victor Wembanyama left Madison Square Garden.

Following San Antonio’s collapse, the Spurs star encountered hostile Knicks fans outside his hotel in Manhattan.

Video circulating online showed crowds gathering near the entrance, loudly booing and taunting the French superstar as he arrived under security escort.

At least one egg was thrown in his direction.

The footage showed the egg striking a nearby street sign before breaking apart. Moments later, Wembanyama appeared to turn and confront someone near the hotel entrance before heading inside.

It remains unclear whether the object made contact with the Spurs center.

The organization did not immediately comment on the incident.

The confrontation capped a difficult night for Wembanyama, who missed two critical free throws late in the game as San Antonio squandered its massive lead.

Now, with the series shifting back to Texas, the Spurs face elimination while the Knicks stand one win away from completing a championship journey generations of fans have waited to see.