How Mike Brown saved the Knicks in epic NBA Finals Game 4 comeback

The New York Knicks are on the cusp of their first NBA championship in 53 years after the greatest comeback in the history of the NBA Finals. What was looking destined to be a tied series with the San Antonio Spurs through four games is now a commanding 3-1 Knicks lead, with the first of three title-clinching opportunities set for Saturday night in San Antonio.

Unlike the Spurs, whose core pieces have come through the draft, the Knicks are the polar opposite. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Game 4 hero OG Anunoby were all acquired via trade, while Jalen Brunson was the bargain of a free agent signing who got this era of Knicks basketball rolling. But there was another piece added at February’s trade deadline who had a massive role in New York’s epic 29-point rally.

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Jose Alvarado, a fan favorite with the New Orleans Pelicans, was dealt to his hometown team for Dalen Terry, cash, and a couple of second-round picks. Aside from his high effort and pesky defense, Alvarado gave the Knicks with another ball-handling guard who could initiate offense and create rim pressure with Jalen Brunson off the court. During the regular season, Brunson and Alvarado played all of 114 minutes together through 20 games. In the postseason, that number dropped all the way to zero.

That is, until Knicks head coach Mike Brown made maybe one of the most impactful coaching adjustments we’ll ever see in a Finals game.

As had been the theme all playoffs, Brunson and Alvarado’s minutes were separate in the disastrous first half of Game 4. Alvarado played a shade over three minutes, fouled twice (perhaps fortunate to avoid a flagrant foul while grabbing Victor Wembanyama’s leg), and his turnover was a “bad pass” that sure looked like an uncalled goaltend against Luke Kornet.

Down by 19 points at the 5:33 mark of the third quarter, Brown sat the largely ineffective Mikal Bridges and paired Brunson and Alvarado together. Brunson was in for all but two defensive possessions (10 total seconds) in the second half, while Alvarado was in for 12 of the game’s final 17 minutes. It was the most Alvarado had…

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Publish date : 2026-06-11 18:15:00

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