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The Greatest NBA Finals Comebacks of All Time: The Knicks’ 29-Point Triumph in Game 4 Sets a New Standard

The New York Knicks made history on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the NBA Finals with a 29-point comeback win to take a 3-1 lead against the San Antonio Spurs. It is the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, and this is the 80th year for it.

There must be something in the air this week. Just this past Saturday in the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes were down 4-0 before they scored three even-strength goals in a span of 39 seconds in the third period and eventually tied the game to go to overtime where they lost 5-4 in double overtime to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3.

Despite the fact the Hurricanes still lost the game, you could argue we saw the greatest comebacks to tie or take the lead in both the Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals in the same week. Again, these histories go back 80+ years.

Even baseball had an all-time comeback on Wednesday after the San Francisco Giants were down 9-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning, scored 5 runs, then scored 5 more runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 11-10 against Washington after 21-year-old Bryce Eldridge became the youngest player ever to hit a walk-off grand slam. Per ESPN, MLB teams were 1-3,090 in the last 20 years when trailing by 8+ runs after the 7th inning. Make that 2-3,090.

Historic comebacks like this are incredible drama and a big reason why we love and reminisce about sports. But for every comeback story, there’s usually a collapse to tell from the other team’s viewpoint. The Spurs went from looking like they’d easily tie the series 2-2 with two home games left to now being down 3-1 and facing improbable odds to win the first championship of the Victor Wembanyama era.

But for a game that looked like a blowout brewing from early in the first quarter to deep into the third quarter, this was absolutely on the level of a “28-3” collapse if you know what I mean, Falcons fans.

So, we thought we’d rank the 10 greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history. This is all single-game outcomes. The greatest series comeback is still the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers coming back from 3-1 to beat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, the type of comeback the Spurs will need to make now. Teams are 37-1 when leading 3-1 in the NBA Finals, so good luck with that.

We have a good inkling that the Knicks should be No. 1 without it even being recency bias, but let’s see what pops up from history.

The 10 Greatest Comebacks in NBA Finals History

We’re going to count down the 10 best comebacks in NBA Finals history. These are all single-game outcomes, and our criteria is a mixture of things, including importance to the series’ outcome, the level of comeback (the deficit and time remaining), and its lasting legacy on the league.

Greatest Comebacks in the NBA Finals

Honorable Mentions

Before we get into our list, here are a few honorable mentions that missed the cut:

  • 1975 NBA Finals Games 1, 3, and 4 – Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Bullets: The underdog Warriors behind Rick Barry swept the 60-win Bullets despite a +16 scoring differential for the series. The Bullets had early double-digit leads in Games 1, 3, and 4, and also led 90-82 in the fourth quarter of Game 4, but the Warriors came back every time to win.
  • 1982 NBA Finals Game 1 – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers: The Lakers were down 83-68 midway through the third quarter but went on a 40-9 run to steal home-court advantage. They’d win the series in six games.
  • 1984 NBA Finals Game 4 – Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers:  Trailing 68-58 at halftime, Boston evened the series at 2-2 in a physical contest that saw the Lakers commit costly mistakes late in blowing a 5-point lead and losing in overtime, sparking “Tragic Magic” nicknames for Magic Johnson. Boston went on to win the series in Game 7.
  • 1997 NBA Finals Game 5 – Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz: In a 2-2 series, Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” in Utah saw the Bulls trail by 16 early and down 77-69 in the fourth quarter before clawing back. After Jordan missed a go-ahead free throw with 46 seconds left, the Bulls got the rebound, and Jordan hit a 3 that put the Bulls ahead for good. They won the series in Game 6.
  • 2009 NBA Finals Game 4 – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Orlando Magic: Orlando could have tied the series 2-2 after leading 87-82 with under 40 seconds to go, but the Lakers got a Pau Gasol dunk, Dwight Howard missed two free throws, and Derek Fisher hit a clutch 3 to force overtime where the Lakers won 99-91 and took a 3-1 lead. They won the series in Game 5.
  • 2022 NBA Finals Game 1 – Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors: Boston upset the Warriors on the road by coming back from a 12-point deficit to start the fourth quarter, winning 120-108 after outscoring the Warriors 40-16 in the quarter. But Golden State won the series in six games.
  • 2025 NBA Finals Game 1 – Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: The Pacers were clutch all year, and they proved it again on the road to start the Finals with a 13-point comeback in the fourth quarter that led to another game-winning basket in the closing seconds from Tyrese Haliburton in a 111-110 upset. Unfortunately, his series ended in Game 7 with a torn Achilles in the first quarter as the Thunder won the championship.

Finally, we’ll note that it appears the 1948 Baltimore Bullets may have came back from a 21-point deficit at halftime in Game 2 of the 1948 BAA Finals against the Philadelphia Warriors. This was before it was called the NBA and before the 24-second shot clock. So, maybe that’s the first 20-point comeback in Finals history, though we’re going to really focus on known results from the last 55 years.

10. 1978 NBA Finals Games 1 and 4: Washington Bullets vs. Seattle SuperSonics

One good comeback deserves another. These teams would actually meet two years in a row in the Finals to end the 1970s. But in the 1978 series, Game 1 was quite the spectacle in Seattle, the first NBA Finals game held there.

It should be noted that play-by-play data doesn’t exist in full before 1997, so any accounts from before that can be hazy. But many sources believe this game featured a 19-point comeback by Seattle, though it’s unclear if they were down 19 in the third quarter or the fourth quarter. That means it was the biggest known NBA Finals comeback until 1995.

But the SuperSonics were down 11 points to start the fourth quarter, and that’s when reliable bench scorer Fred Brown scored 16 points in the final nine minutes as part of a 30-point night. The SuperSonics won 106-102 to take a 1-0 lead.

But in Game 4 with Seattle up 2-1 in the series, the Bullets were reportedly down 15 late in the third quarter before rallying to win 120-116 in overtime. Washington ended up winning Game 7 on the road to win the championship, then the Sonics got their payback a year later by winning the 1979 Finals.

9. 1992 NBA Finals Game 6: Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers

There wasn’t a ton of sweating for the Chicago Bulls on the way to six rings in the 1990s. But to repeat in 1992 for their second ring, they did have to rally from a 15-point deficit in Game 6 to start the fourth quarter, or they would have played their only Game 7 during this run in the Finals.

Chicago trailed 79-64 to start the fourth quarter. With Michael Jordan, held scoreless in the game’s first 11 minutes, getting his usual rest, head coach Phil Jackson went with a five-man lineup of Scottie Pippen and four reserves. They quickly cut that 15-point deficit to just 3 in three minutes.

Jordan entered the game and forced a couple of steals with baskets that put the Bulls ahead for good. His last free throws gave him 12 points in the quarter, the Bulls held Portland to 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Chicago won 97-93 to claim their second-straight championship.

So, if you want to know why we never got to see Jordan play a Game 7 in the NBA Finals, blame Portland for blowing a 15-point lead to a lot of backups in a couple of minutes.

8. 2010 NBA Finals Game 7: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

This was a hard-fought, low-scoring game on a Friday night 16 years ago that ended up being the fifth and final championship of Kobe Bryant’s career. Also the 11th and final ring for head coach Phil Jackson.

A rematch from two years earlier won by the Celtics, the Lakers were struggling at home and trailed 49-36 with just over 8:00 left in the third quarter. Yes, that was really the third-quarter score. But that’s when the comeback started in front of a nervous LA crowd (Jack Nicholson and all), and the Lakers were only down 57-53 to start the fourth quarter.

They’d take the lead for good with 5:56 left on a Kobe free throw. It was not a good shooting night for Bryant, who was 6-of-24 from the field. But he had 15 rebounds and made his free throws. He also had a big assist on a Metta World Peace 3-point shot with a minute left that put the Lakers up 6 points.

The Lakers made their clutch free throws, and the Celtics ran out of steam and time in an 83-79 loss in the most recent meeting in the Finals in the NBA’s greatest rivalry.

7. 1987 NBA Finals Game 4: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

Speaking of that Lakers-Celtics rivalry, it’s going to show up three times on this list. The next one was in the 1987 Finals, the last time Larry Bird and Magic Johnson met in the NBA Finals. LA was favored that year, but Game 4 was a crucial one with the Celtics trying to tie it 2-2. Another Game 4 like that.

This game has stood out as one of the best in the 1980s Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry. Maybe the last great one they played. The Celtics were up 16 points in the third quarter with Bird going strong, but the Lakers made it a 85-78 game going into the fourth in Boston.

The Lakers tied it at 95 on a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sky hook, then the Celtics went on an 8-0 run. You’d think that’d be enough to put it away at home, but the Celtics made more mistakes, the Lakers capitalized, and it was soon a 104-103 lead for Los Angeles.

Bird hit a clutch 3-point shot with 12 seconds left to take a 106-104 lead. But after some free throws and getting the ball back, Magic made his baby sky hook, learning from the best in Kareem, and that proved to be the game winner in the final seconds. The Celtics had one more shot, but Bird missed it and the Lakers won 107-106.

The Lakers took a 3-1 lead and won the series in six games.

6. 1995 NBA Finals Game 1: Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic

Can’t help but notice how this series keeps coming up as a comparison to 2026 Spurs vs. Knicks. The young, inexperienced team with the massive phenom (Shaq’s Magic, Wemby’s Spurs) taking on the experienced, clutch team (Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets, Jalen Brunson’s Knicks).

The Magic were favored but Game 1 ended up being so disastrous it led to a 4-0 sweep by Houston, which repeated as champs after a tumultuous path back. In Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals, Orlando led 30-19 after a quarter and apparently had a 20-point lead in the first half.

That would make this officially the first 20-point comeback in the NBA Finals’ record books. But Houston didn’t wait quite as long as the Knicks did to make their move as the Rockets outscored Orlando 37-19 in the third quarter.

But the Magic took a 110-107 lead with 10.5 seconds left and could have easily put the game away at the free throw line. Nick Anderson missed both free throws but got a rebound and fouled after the second miss, so he got two more attempts. A 70% free throw shooter that year, the 27-year-old Anderson missed both again totaling four misses in a row in clutch time. Unbelievable.

Then Kenny “The Jet” Smith – yes, the one on Inside the NBA – made his 7th 3-point shot of the game (set the Finals record at the time) to tie it with 1.6 seconds left and force overtime.

The Rockets were no strangers to crazy clutch endings in 1994-95 during those title runs. In overtime, Clyde Drexler missed, but Olajuwon made the game-winning tip in with 0.3 seconds left to win 120-118. The Magic never recovered and were swept despite having home-court advantage.

That ending gave Anderson such the yips that he only made 60.5% of his free throws the rest of his NBA career. He was 69.6% through the 1995 season. Sports can be just as much a mental game as a physical one.

5. 2008 NBA Finals Game 4: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Before Wednesday night, this game was the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history as the Lakers led by 24 points over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 in 2008. The Lakers were down 2-1 in the series and looking to tie it up with the Big 3 Celtics, who had struggled on the road all postseason.

The Celtics were down 35-14 after one quarter, then they were down 45-21 more than halfway through the second quarter before going on a 12-0 run with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all scoring points. 

But the Lakers still pushed it back to 20 points (70-50) halfway through the third quarter. That’s when the Celtics made their push and they closed the quarter on a 21-3 run to make it a 73-71 deficit with a quarter left.

The Lakers’ offense went really cold and they’d score just 33 points in the second half, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were both a minus-24 in plus-minus in the second half.

Boston’s Big 3 all scored double digits in the second half, and the Lakers ended up trailing for the entire last 4:07 after an Eddie House basket put Boston ahead for good. Allen had a big layup with 16 seconds left to put the Celtics up 96-91, and the Lakers couldn’t answer from there in a 97-91 loss.

The Celtics took a 3-1 lead and eventually blew the Lakers out 131-92 in Game 6 to win the series 4-2 in Boston. But this comeback was similar to what happened in Game 2 in Boston when the Lakers were down 96-73 with 7:27 left in the fourth quarter. They staged an unbelievable comeback and got it to 104-102 with 38 seconds left after Kobe made a pair of free throws.

But after Pierce made a pair of free throws to make it 106-102, he blocked a 3-point shot by Sasha Vujacic with 14.8 seconds left, and that effectively ended the rally. That really became the story of the series, besides Paul Pierce’s wheelchair antics in Game 1. The Lakers didn’t complete their 23-point comeback in Game 2 while the Celtics made their 24-point comeback in Game 4. Series effectively over.

4. 2013 NBA Finals Game 6: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs

This is probably the greatest NBA game on this whole list. The rare Game 6 that overshadows the Game 7 that came after it, which was still great too. It’s such an important game in NBA history given what it does for the legacies of the numerous Hall of Famers involved.

But as far as a comeback effort, it’s not exactly the greatest we’ve ever seen as the Heat trailed by 12 points (75-63) in the closing seconds of the third quarter. Granted, they were down 3-2, so their season was hanging in the balance, which amps up the pressure.

LeBron James made two free throws to cut it to 10 points for the Heat, and off we were to an all-time great fourth quarter in Miami. James would go on to score 16 points in the quarter, tying the game halfway through the quarter.

But he had a few turnovers in the final minutes, and the Spurs took a 93-89 lead with 37 seconds left. After another LeBron turnover, Manu Ginobili missed a free throw but made the second to make it 94-89 with 28.2 seconds left. This is where it becomes an all-time great comeback as you rarely see a team blow a 5-point lead this late with the title on the line.

After James missed a 3, the Heat got the rebound and he delivered a 3-point strike to make it 94-92 with 20.1 seconds left. A young Kawhi Leonard could have put the lead back up to 4 points and multiple possessions, but like Ginobili before him, he missed the first free throw and made the second, making it 95-92.

James again was off on the game-tying 3, but Chris Bosh delivered maybe the greatest offensive rebound ever (with respect to OG Anunoby last night), and Ray Allen showed why he’s an all-time great 3-point shooter with the “Bang!” that forced overtime and saved Miami’s repeat hopes.

The Heat prevailed in overtime 103-100, then lived to fight another day in Game 7, which they won and James won his second straight Finals MVP award. But it’s quite the finish with five different HOFers playing crucial parts with both mistakes and incredible plays from James, Ginobili, Kawhi, Bosh, and Allen.

One of those games you just had to experience live but should also hold up well on replay for years to come.

3. 2011 NBA Finals Game 2: Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

This game was actually payback from Dallas for the next game on our list. But in the 2011 NBA Finals, everything seemed fine at the start. LeBron James had a team-high 24 points in the Game 1 win, his first win in the NBA Finals in his first game with the Heat’s Big 3 in this round.

Then in Game 2, Miami was well on its way to a 2-0 lead with an 88-73 lead coming up on the midpoint of the fourth quarter. But that’s when Dallas staged an all-time 15-point comeback. Jason Terry scored 6 quick points, Shawn Marion made a layup, the veteran Jason Kidd hit a big 3, then Dirk Nowitzki brought the Mavericks to within 90-88 with 2:44 left.

Nowitzki then tied the game at 90. Dwyane Wade missed a 3-point shot, which Dirk responded to with a make to give the Mavericks a 93-90 lead with 26.7 seconds left. A wide-open Mario Chalmers hit the game-tying 3 on an assist from LeBron, and Dallas bled the clock before Nowitzki nailed his shot with 3.6 seconds left to lead 95-93. Wade’s miracle shot attempt failed and the Mavericks evened the series at 1-1.

Payback for 2006. The Mavericks then went on to win the series in six games.

2. 2006 NBA Finals Game 3: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

It’s hard to split which Heat-Mavericks’ comeback is more impressive, but it feels like 2011 doesn’t happen if 2006 didn’t happen first. Back then, the roles were reversed with Dallas favored, and the Mavericks were up 2-0 with a good look at the insurmountable 3-0 lead in Game 3 in Miami.

Dallas took a 77-68 lead into the fourth quarter, then extended it to 89-76 with 6:34 left. That close to 3-0, a lead no NBA team has ever come back from. But Dwyane Wade took over with 12 points the rest of the way, and his 20-foot jumper cut it to 93-92 with 1:16 left.

Jason Terry turned the ball over on a steal by Udonis Haslem, who made two free throws to put the Heat up 94-93. With 3.4 seconds left, Dirk Nowitzki drew a foul in a 97-95 game, but after making the first free throw, he missed the game-tying one that would have probably forced overtime. The Mavs had to foul, and Wade made a free throw before a miss. Dallas tried to make a miracle shot but ended the game with a turnover and Wade steal.

Wade literally stole the series from there on his way to Finals MVP as the Heat never lost again, turning a likely 3-0 hole into a 4-2 series win that the Mavericks would have to stew on for five more years.

But Nowitzki’s missed free throw is still a shocker.

1. 2026 NBA Finals Game 4: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs

Where do you even begin? The seeds were there for such an ending given the way these teams made holding onto double-digit leads look so hard in the first three games. The Knicks have made numerous 20-point comebacks the last two playoffs, so we know this wasn’t any fluke. Just ask Cleveland about Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, leading by 22 points with 7:00 left and losing the game.

Then you throw in the inexperience of the Spurs, a bad night from Victor Wembanyama (24 points on 25 shots with two missed free throws late), and some very poor decisions from De’Aaron Fox late in the game, and you end up with the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

For that matter, it ties the second-biggest comeback in NBA playoff history. Only the Clippers (31 points vs. 2019 Warriors) had a larger comeback in any playoff game.

But this was just crazy to watch as you can tell early the Spurs were the better team, the Knicks were not playing well, and the officiating was not doing them any favors early either. Wemby looked like he was in the head of some Knicks players.

But the Spurs were shooting lights out from 3, Karl-Anthony Towns got into instant foul trouble to change the look of the game, and a lot of very rich and famous people in the New York crowd were watching their team put up the first stinker of the playoffs.

Seriously, how much money in the bank accounts are we talking with the likes of Taylor Swift, Sydney Sweeney, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Spike Lee, Timothee Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Mariska Hargitay, Carmelo Anthony, Alex Rodriguez, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Michael J. Fox, etc. in the building?

Even the Wu-Tang Clan performed at halftime, which saw the Spurs up 76-49. The kind of game you take a power nap at the half for, and if you don’t happen to wake up during the third quarter, you’re probably not missing much. But I’m glad I woke up to see history.

Like how the Spurs became the first team in any NBA game to score 76 by halftime and no more than 30 in the second half. That kind of dubious history.

There’s no denying the Spurs were playing into the hands of the Knicks a bit by rushing things offensively while the 3-point shooting went ice cold. They were 2-of-12 from deep in the third quarter and 1-of-5 in the fourth quarter. I’m not sure if they ever reached the point where it’d become the right strategy, but sometimes you’d be better off just holding the ball for 24 seconds and taking the violation than jacking up a quick 3 and giving the opponent more possessions.

The low point of the night for the Knicks was with 9:40 left in the third quarter when the Spurs led 81-52, a 29-point lead. Even when the Knicks started chipping away at it, it felt like they were missing too many key shots that could make this interesting. They were still down 90-72 with 1:46 left in the third. But they got it to 15 points with a quarter to go, and that’s about the best you could have asked for on a night like this.

In the fourth quarter, it’s hard to fathom but the Knicks actually went scoreless for a few minutes while the Spurs ran it back up to a 20-point lead with 9:33 left on a Wemby putback. But the spark was a 3-point shot by Alvarado to get the Knicks on the board, then the floodgates finally started to open. KAT had some inspired baskets. Anunoby played great again. Brunson was much more efficient on this night (36 points on 12-of-25 shooting).

Halfway through the quarter, the Knicks were within single digits. Unlike Game 3, their 3-point shots started falling in succession in the fourth quarter while the Spurs continued to clank their attempts. After another clutch 3 from Brunson, the Knicks were down 104-103, but Josh Hart may have spoiled the momentum after blowing a wide-open basket when he wasn’t sure if he’d dunk or lay it in. He just missed.

What an awesome way that would have been to take your first lead, but he blew it, and then Wemby was fouled with 1:47 left. Not good. However, he missed them both. Brunson hit the floater, and that’s how the Knicks took their first lead after going down as many as 29 points on what felt like a hopeless night.

Stephon Castle had a turnover by stepping out of bounds, but he redeemed himself later with two free throws after a foul to take a 106-105 lead with 30 seconds left. After Brunson missed a floater, the ball squirted out to Fox in the backcourt very close to the basket. Instincts had to take over and he tried to lay it in, but the bigger Anunoby was there for the huge block.

Fox is understandably getting a lot of criticism for this one, but he was in such a tough spot. He gets the ball very close to the basket with about 12 seconds left. It’s not like he could run out the whole clock as they were going to foul him, if not trap him and possibly cause a turnover. He’s not a great free throw shooter either, so there’s a chance he doesn’t make both, and it’s still a lead of 1 or 2 points. His best chance at going up 3 probably was going for the basket, but Anunoby just made a great play on it. Tough spot.

After the Knicks called timeout, Brunson again missed the clutch go-ahead shot on what wasn’t really a great look at the 3, but Anunoby might be getting a statue in New York for an all-time offensive rebound and putback as he soared in and tipped it in for the go-ahead basket with just over a second left. Anunoby scored 33 points on the night but that’s the biggest make of his career and likely always will be.

Listen to that crowd pop. But with Wemby’s height, this one wasn’t over. They could have just lobbed it up to him for a tip-in or something good. They did use his height to design a good play but the pass wasn’t great, and Castle couldn’t do anything while the clock expired on the biggest and grandest comeback in NBA Finals history.

Given our list, I don’t think it’s crazy to put this as the No. 1 comeback in Finals history. The only way it could have been bigger was if it was Game 6 at Madison Square Garden and that’s how the Knicks won the title. But given the impact of a 3-1 lead instead of the series tied going back to San Antonio, I’d say it was likely one of the biggest championship odds shifting outcomes in playoff history.

Then with the way no one wanted to leave after the game as no one could believe what they just watched, it’s an all-timer. The best comeback.

Conclusion: Are the Spurs Cooked for the 2026 NBA Finals?

It felt like going into Game 4 that the winner of it wins the series. After what happened here, it’s even easier to believe that. But the Spurs have to be kicking themselves after blowing leads of 14, 12, and now 29 points in this series. This thing could have been 4-0 San Antonio already.

But given the way the Spurs have played outside of the final minutes, and with two more games scheduled in San Antonio, you have to give them a better than average chance to come back from 3-1, and that is what the oddsmakers are doing:

  • Historically, NBA teams down 3-1 come back just 4.4% of the time (13 times in 298 tries).
  • That number improves to 9.3% for the team with home court (9-of-87), though in the NBA Finals, teams up 3-1 are 37-1 with only the 2016 Warriors losing the series to Cleveland.
  • The Spurs are +400 to win the Finals now, which gives them roughly a 20% chance to make the comeback, almost 5x the historical rate of all attempts and more than twice as likely as the past home-court teams who trailed 3-1.

Is that fair? Maybe. The sportsbooks probably don’t want to get killed if they make the odds closer to 5-10% and people go all in on the Spurs coming back. But the Knicks did win 13 games in a row with a historic point differential, and now they’ve had this monumental comeback that has to hurt the psyche of the Spurs.

But I’m going to stick with my original prediction: Knicks in six.

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