Nobody believed it. Nobody could. Not when they were down by 29. Not when the Spurs were shooting the lights out. And not when MSG had fallen eerily silent.
But the Knicks believed. And on Wednesday night, they ended up producing a performance that will go down in folklore as ‘The Miracle of Madison Square Garden’.
In one of the most extraordinary performances in NBA Finals history, in front of the likes of Taylor Swift, Timothee Chalamet and Adam Sandler, New York came from behind to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106, and take a 3-1 series lead.
However, it all could’ve been so different. The Spurs were ferocious from the opening tip, outscoring New York 41-22 in a first quarter that left MSG stunned into silence.
Victor Wembanyama led the way, racking up 16 first half points with an authority that made the whole thing feel hopeless for those inside Madison Square Garden.
And a 35-27 Spurs second quarter extended the lead to 27 – the largest halftime lead by a road team in NBA Finals history. At the break, the scoreboard read Spurs 76, Knicks 49. It looked, for all intents and purposes, like it was over.
New York Knicks fans celebrate during a miraculous night at Madison Square Garden
Jalen Brunson celebrates as fans go wild during New York’s comeback from 29 points down
Victor Wembanyama couldn’t believe what he was witnessing as the Spurs collapsed
Taylor Swift was among the A-list celebrities witnessing the madness unfold at courtside
But the third quarter gave the crowd a glimmer. Brunson and Anunoby began to find their rhythm, the Knicks outscoring San Antonio 26-14 to cut the deficit to 15.
The fourth quarter was unlike anything this building has witnessed in a generation.
The Knicks came out with a desperation that transformed the complexion of the game and the crowd, sensing something extraordinary was unfolding, responded in kind.
Every basket was met with a roar that shook the rafters. Every defensive stop sent 19,812 people into delirium. Slowly, agonizingly, the deficit began to close.
Jalen Brunson was the heartbeat of it all. Alongside him, OG Anunoby was magnificent, and when they finally regained the lead, the Garden simply lost its mind.
More to follow.
