This epic Spurs collapse could sting for long time

Victor Wembanyama sat at the podium with a hood over his head. The pain was streaked on his face. He was asked to put into words what he was feeling.

It’s the kind of question that’s hard to ask athletes in moments like this.

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Wembanyama had led his team to a 29-point lead over the Knicks. He was so confident after sprinting to a 21-point advantage in the first quarter that he taunted Mitchell Robinson, telling him, “I’m in your head.” The Spurs were about to tie the series at 2-2. The Larry O’Brien Trophy was within their grasp once again.

Then everything fell apart.

The Knicks refused to die. They gritted their teeth. They stormed back, completing the largest comeback in NBA Finals history with a 107-106 win.

It was wild. It was stunning. It was jaw-dropping.

The cheers in the hallway at Madison Square Garden were so loud that it was hard to hear Spurs coach Mitch Johnson address the media even though he was using a microphone.

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As for Wembanyama, he knew what was coming.

It’s no secret what people are going to be saying about him on national sports shows. Newspaper headlines are going to be brutal. But nothing will compare to the demons in his own head.

This is the type of thing that can break teams.

Or it can be their villain origin story.

“What’s going through my mind right now?” Wembanyama asked. “I think it’s going to go one of two ways. One of two ways. A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.”

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So much went wrong for the Spurs in the fourth quarter.

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama looks on during the Knicks’ historic 107-106 comeback win over the Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at the Garden. NBAE via Getty Images

They were outscored 32-16. They were outshot from the field 60 percent-21.1 percent. They were bested from beyond the arc, 60 percent-20 percent.

As the Knicks chipped away at the third-largest halftime lead in NBA Finals history (27 points), a comeback seemed impossible. Improbable. But…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/epic-spurs-collapse-could-sting-071307698.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-11 07:13:00

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