Victor Wembanyama's Game 4 Vanishing Act Means a 3-1 Finals Comeback Is Tremendously Difficult

Holy cow, Seattle, did you SEE Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night? The New York Knicks, man, they just pulled off the biggest comeback victory in Finals history! The San Antonio Spurs were up a ridiculous 29 points, cruising along, and it looked like they were about to waltz into Madison Square Garden and tie this series at two games apiece. But nope. Not against THIS Knicks squad. They came back, again, and now the Spurs are staring down a 3-1 deficit that feels absolutely brutal.

The Knicks' "Never Say Die" Mentality Is For Real

This wasn't some fluke, either, folks. These Knicks have made a legitimate habit out of this comeback stuff. We're talking five comebacks of 20 points or more during the last two NBA postseasons! That's insane. Think back to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They found themselves down 22 points in the second half and still found a way to win. That victory completely reshaped the series against Cleveland, and the Cavaliers were left demoralized. You have to wonder if this young Spurs team can even recover from such a crushing loss like Game 4. Because here's the cold, hard truth: teams are 37-1 in the NBA Finals when they gain a 3-1 lead. The only exception? LeBron James and the Cavs defeating the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. That’s it. One time in history. So yeah, for San Antonio, life just became tremendously difficult.

Wemby Vanishes, Knicks Capitalize: A Championship Formula

While the Knicks are a perfect mix of youthfulness and experience, with Jalen Brunson being a stone-cold killer fueling many of these late-game comebacks, and guys like OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns understanding and accepting their roles, the Spurs have a major problem. That kind of team unity makes a championship contender truly dangerous. Victor Wembanyama, who's only 22 years old and expected to become the face of the NBA, completely vanished during the second half of Game 4. And you know the Knicks capitalized, right? That's a huge learning lesson for a player of his caliber. You absolutely cannot waste opportunities like what happened in Game 4, because when you do, the other team will snatch that momentum and steal the entire series.

What's Next for the Spurs and the Larry O'Brien?

The series now swings back to San Antonio for Game 5. The Knicks will have their first of three attempts to win their first championship since 1973. It just feels like this New York team is absolutely inevitable. Will the Spurs defy history and pull off the comeback of a lifetime, or will New York finish what they've started, maybe even with one more mindblowing comeback before lifting that Larry O’Brien trophy after five decades? We'll be watching every single second to see if the Spurs can somehow make this less than tremendously difficult on themselves.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.