The NY Knicks Just Completed the Biggest Comeback in NBA Finals History
No team had ever won an NBA Finals game when trailing by 29 points.
Updated June 11 2026, 9:47 a.m. ET
The New York Knicks just played one of the most insane basketball games in the history of the NBA. They trailed by as much as 29, and were down 76-49 at the half to the San Antonio Spurs, only to come roaring back and win 107-106 in a game that will be remembered in the history of the team and the league for years to come.
After competing the historic comeback, many wanted to better understand what other historic comebacks have happened across the NBA over the years. Here's what we know.
The New York Knicks had the biggest comeback in Finals history.
No team had ever won an NBA Finals game when trailing by 29 points until the Knicks. That comeback was coupled with a collapse from the Spurs, who scored 76 points in the first half and 30 in the second half. It also came after a first half in which the Knicks were forced to play four different centers because Karl Anthony-Towns, one of the team's star players, got in early foul trouble and had to sit through much of the half.
The final seconds of the Knicks' comeback were rife with drama, thanks in large part to a blown layup off a steal from Josh Hart, followed by tense free throws from Spurs guard Stephon Castle. It all culminated with Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox attempting a layup off a long rebound, only to be met at the rim by Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
Then, with the Knicks down one and six seconds left in the game, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson shot a long three-pointer that fell short.
That could have been the end. The Knicks stormed back from down 29 to take a lead, only to lose in the heartbreaking final moments. Instead, Anunoby, who had just made a stalwart defensive play at the other end, flew in out of nowhere to tip the ball in, giving the Knicks the lead that they would ultimately walk out of the building with.
They are now up 3-1 in a series where the closing minutes have been decisive in every game.
What was the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history before the Knicks?
Before the Knicks pulled off the impossible, the biggest comeback in the NBA Finals happened in the 2008 Finals, when the Celtics came back from down 24 to the Lakers to win.
The Celtics were down that much in the second quarter, but stormed back to win that game and eventually the series as a whole. Only three teams in the history of the Finals have ever come back from more than 20, with the Houston Rockets being the third during their series against the Orlando Magic.
This was a stunning result, but one that has become a familiar sight for Knicks fans. Over the past two postseasons, the Knicks are 5-3 when trailing by 20 or more at some point in a game. The rest of the league is just 4-71. It's fair to say, then, that the Knicks like to play with fire, and for the most part, they haven't gotten burned.