Spurs Return Home Facing 3-1 NBA Finals Deficit After Knicks' 29-Point Comeback

Q: Is this Finals the crucible for Victor Wembanyama's legacy or the coronation of superstar Jalen Brunson?

Right now, it looks more like Jalen Brunson’s coronation, while still serving as an early crucible for Victor Wembanyama. The scoreboard drives that answer. New York leads the Finals 3-1 and is one win from its first championship since 1973 after delivering the largest comeback in Finals history in Game 4. Brunson is the face of a Knicks team on an “all-time run,” and he has been central to a roster built to amplify his strengths. If the Knicks finish this, Brunson’s status shifts from star to title-winning franchise centerpiece, especially in a market and moment this large. The broader Knicks context matters too. This is their first Finals since 1999, they swept Cleveland in the East finals, and they are being described as their deepest team in decades. Brunson is not doing it alone—OG Anunoby has a real Finals MVP case after his Game 4 block and winning putback—but Brunson remains the defining figure of the run. A title would make this a coronation even if the MVP vote is close. For Wembanyama, this is undeniably a pressure test, but not yet a legacy verdict. At 22, he has already carried San Antonio to the Finals and is being pushed into the harshest lessons of championship basketball: blown leads, late-game execution, and massive minutes. If he sparks a comeback, it becomes a signature chapter. If not, it still reads more as formative adversity than failure. His legacy is being shaped here; Brunson’s may be getting sealed.

3 articles · Updated · KSAT San Antonio · Jun 11

San Antonio returned to a loud home welcome Thursday, but the Spurs are one loss from elimination after New York erased a 29-point deficit to win Game 4.
That collapse put the Knicks ahead 3-1 in the NBA Finals, leaving the Spurs needing three straight wins to claim the title.
Game 5 is set for Saturday night at Frost Bank Center, with a potential Game 6 back in New York and a Game 7 in San Antonio on June 19.
One piece of history favors the Spurs: Cleveland overcame a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit against Golden State in 2016, the model for San Antonio's comeback bid.