De’Aaron Fox made a mistake, but he’s not to blame for the Spurs’ collapse

In a split second, De’Aaron Fox became the basketball world’s object of consternation. The foil. The antihero.

It happened with less than 15 seconds left and the Spurs up 106-105. Victor Wembanyama got a defensive stop against Jalen Brunson, and Fox tipped the rebound to himself.

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What he did next will surely haunt him.

After chasing the ball downcourt, Fox had a decision to make. Use the clock. Or go for a layup.

He’s fast. He believed in himself. He decided to go for what he thought would be a sure-fire way to give the Spurs a three-point lead. A layup is easier to make than two free throws, after all.

Except he miscalculated things.

OG Anunoby met him in the paint. As Fox elevated with 11 seconds left, Anunoby made the block of his life.

That mistake kicked open the door for the Knicks to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, storming back from a 29-point deficit to win Game 4 on Wednesday, 107-106.

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The Knicks found themselves with possession of the ball. They had a relative eternity on the clock. They had a chance to clinch the game.

OG Anunoby blocks De’Aaron Fox’s shot in the closing seconds of the Knicks’ historic
107-106 win over the Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA on June 10, 2026 at the Garden. Jason Szenes for the New York Post

Brunson attempted a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left that rimmed out. Fox, who had left Anunoby to double-team the Knicks star, then watched his man cut through the lane, elevate and tip in the ball with 1.2 seconds remaining.

So many things went wrong for the Spurs in a hellish fourth quarter. This wasn’t Fox’s fault. It takes all five guys on the court to blow a 29-point lead, as well as the guy at the helm. But in a collapse so big, on this stage, the world needs to blame someone.

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If Fox had made the layup, he would’ve been the hero.

But the gamble didn’t go his way.

So instead, that play has landed him in the eye of the storm. He’s now the face of a collapse so large that it will be talked about for generations. It’s not fair. But it’s basketball. Just ask JR Smith.

The 28-year-old Fox is a veteran point guard….

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/aaron-fox-made-mistake-not-041730027.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-12 04:17:00

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