A star-studded crowd at Madison Square Garden witnessed the New York Knicks pull off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history on Wednesday night, beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 after trailing by 29 points. The final margin came down to the last 1.2 seconds, when OG Anunoby rescued a failed three-point attempt and tapped the ball into the basket, prompting chants of 'O-G! O-G!' from famous and not-so-famous fans alike.
It was game four of the best-of-seven series, the first finals the Knicks have hosted in 27 years. The win gives New York a 3-1 lead, meaning they're one victory away from a championship they haven't seen since 1973. Taylor Swift (wearing a shirt that said 'Stevie Knicks', a pun on the team and Fleetwood Mac), Timothée Chalamet, and director Spike Lee watched from the stands. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X in all caps: 'SPEECHLESS.' Swift jumped for joy as she left the court, pausing to be twirled by a Knicks City Dancer.
Knicks coach Mike Brown called Anunoby's shot 'the most iconic in the history of New York basketball,' adding, 'It was just unbelievable.' The city has gone full Knicks, from the Empire State Building's lights to the marble lions outside the New York Public Library wearing Knicks-themed decor. Resident Sol, 31, told the BBC: 'I can't say I've ever seen anything like this before because in 1999 I was 4 years old. I'm just trying to soak it all in.'
The Knicks get their first shot at clinching on Saturday night in San Antonio. But comebacks work both ways: the Spurs could still win if they take the next three games, because the universe has a sense of humor.