The San Antonio Spurs made NBA Finals history for the wrong reasons on Wednesday night when they squandered a 29-point advantage to lose Game 4 against the New York Knicks, and Victor Wembanyama cut a despondent figure after the 107-106 defeat.
During his postgame presser, Wembanyama questioned the Spurs’ desire and killer instinct. The Frenchman believes they veered away from what made them successful in the first half, so he sent a clear message to the team ahead of their do-or-die Game 5 at their home court on Friday.
“I think it began before that, but I can’t really explain it right now, I don’t know,” Wembanyama stated. “I think it’s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”
“What’s going through my mind right now is that I think it’s going to go one of two ways. One of two ways. A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, being more together, and I know this is what we’re going to do,” he continued.
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Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots against New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) in the fourth quarter during game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots against New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) in the fourth quarter during game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama had a tale of two halves against the Knicks
The San Antonio Spurs were off to a brisk start in the first two quarters, outscoring the New York Knicks 66-49. And at one point, their lead ballooned to 29 points in the second period. However, the Knicks battled back, and OG Anunoby converted the game-winning putback with 1.2 seconds remaining.
After recording 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field in the opening half, Wembanyama only had eight points on 3-for-14 shooting the rest of the way, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks on 9-for-25 shooting from the field in 44 minutes. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year also missed two clutch free throws down the stretch.
San Antonio now trails 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, and their backs are against the wall. History offers slim hope, as LeBron James’ 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team to have overturned a 3-1 Finals deficit.