The New York Knicks are just one win away from their first NBA championship in more than 50 years.
Two days ago, New York pulled off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, erasing a 29-point deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson again showed up in the clutch, ending with a game-high 36 points, but it was OG Anunoby who stole the show, finishing with both a playoff career-high 33 points and one of the most iconic shots in NBA history.
Anunoby inbounded the ball to Brunson with just seconds remaining in the game, who shot up a 30-foot 3-pointer for the win. But as the shot bounced off the front of the rim, Anunoby skied in for the game-winning tip-in with just 1.2 seconds left on the clock.
Now, as all eyes turn to a potential series-clinching Game 5, Knicks coach Mike Brown delivered a pointed message to his team.
“The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present, ” Brown said, “You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process. The next play. The next play. The next play. Sometimes you can think about the process and it not work out, but when you’re playing against other great teams, especially, that’s how you have to take it because anybody’s mind can start wandering when you think about the outcome.”
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Brown knows a thing or two about winning. His career coaching record sits at 507-333 across nearly 30 years in the NBA, including head coaching stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings.
He won Coach of the Year in 2009 with Cleveland, leading the Cavs to a 66-16 record, the best in the NBA, and again in 2023 with Sacramento, guiding the Kings to a 48-34 record and back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
He led Cleveland to the 2007 NBA Finals before getting swept by the Spurs, and won rings as an assistant with San Antonio in 2003 and with the Golden State Warriors in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
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The Knicks are chasing the franchise’s first title in over half a century, and having an experienced voice like Brown in the room could be the difference between closing it out in San Antonio or heading back to New York with momentum in the Spurs’ favor.
Tip-off for Game 5 is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.