2026 NBA Finals: Knicks-Spurs Game 5 preview, X factors, MVP pickNBA InsidersMultiple AuthorsJun 12, 2026, 07:00 AM ET
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How will the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs follow up on one of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history? Can New York win its third game in San Antonio this month and take home its first championship since 1973?
It’s almost time for Game 5 of the NBA Finals (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app).
The Knicks are up 3-1 in the series after they overcame a 29-point deficit in Game 4 to stun the Spurs. New York trailed by 27 points at halftime and mounted the largest halftime comeback in NBA postseason history, thanks to 30-plus-point performances from Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. This is the third Finals in which the first four matchups were all one-possession games in the final two minutes of regulation, and the second Finals with multiple games decided by a point.
Only one team has won a Finals after facing a 3-1 series deficit — the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers — and teams are 37-1 when leading 3-1 in the Finals.
But none of those teams had Victor Wembanyama on their roster, and the Spurs have led all four Finals games by double digits at some point. Is anyone counting out Wembanyama and the Spurs after these close games?
ESPN NBA reporters Tim Bontemps, Ben Golliver, Vincent Goodwill and Michael C. Wright look ahead to Game 5. Can the Knicks close it out? Can the Spurs send the series back to New York? Let’s get into how both teams feel coming out of Game 4, and how both squads could win:
Quick links:
Game 4 deep dive | Takeaways
Offseason guides | Schedule, results
What’s the feeling around the Knicks after their Game 4 comeback?
Goodwill: Relief. The Knicks knew they put themselves in a situation that, against a more seasoned Finals opponent, would’ve spelled a different result. But they’ve shown a remarkable ability during the past two postseasons to come back from dire circumstances. They didn’t acknowledge that they’re one win from a title. They were in the moment while also saying the Spurs won’t go down easily in Game 5.
They knew a lot went their way as they erased a 29-point hole.
“You’ve got to have a little luck in sports,” Knicks coach Mike Brown stated. “But you can also make your luck, too. So, you’ve got to have some natural luck and some luck where you’re going to make your own, and that was probably the biggest message.”
Seems as though luck has been on the Knicks’ side this postseason.
What’s the feeling around the Spurs after their Game 4 collapse?
Wright: Frustration. They’re saying all the right things. Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson stated, “I wouldn’t want to be with any other guys,” adding that “we believe we can get it done.”
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Many expected that the young Spurs would stumble in a critical moment because of their inexperience. Perhaps Game 4 was that moment, but this isn’t the first time they have faced elimination this postseason. The Spurs fell behind 3-2 in the Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City and won two in a row to advance. This time, the deficit is larger, and the stakes are much higher.
“We have two days to put everything we have into [Game 5],” coach Mitch Johnson stated Wednesday night. “That’s the only game that matters. By no means am I not acknowledging the Knicks and what they’ve done. Give them credit for playing good basketball. But we feel like we’ve decided the outcome of all four games.”
Did the Knicks figure out something in the second half of Game 4?
Goodwill: Nothing more than what they already knew. Spreading the ball to shooters after penetration allows for potent offense. Some of this was the Spurs self-destructing. And the Knicks contributed to San Antonio’s collapse by not playing recklessly.
Though the Knicks didn’t play the smartest game in the first half, they almost always stay engaged mentally and emotionally. They know if they remain in striking distance in this series, the result usually bears in their favor.
It took a few games, but they figured out that OG Anunoby is unshakable, and the Spurs don’t really have an answer for him. And when things get tight, they give him the ball.
What can Spurs fans be optimistic about headed into Game 5?
Wright: San Antonio has stayed within reach in each game despite its inability to close.
The Spurs suffered from multiple correctable mistakes in Game 4. Wembanyama played 44 minutes. Maybe Mitch Johnson could’ve rested him more in the first half when the Spurs were up big. Surely, the franchise didn’t sign backup Luke Kornet, a former NBA champion, to a $41 million deal last summer for him to play four minutes in a pivotal Game 4.
There’s also De’Aaron Fox attempting a layup with 11.1 seconds left and the Spurs leading by one instead of him forcing the Knicks to foul. And Wembanyama’s two missed free throw attempts with 1:47 left. These are all correctable issues.
The most important player in Game 5 is ______.
Bontemps: Wembanyama. Yes, Game 4 was a gut punch, but each of these games has come down to the final possession.
So, if Wembanyama can summon his best, the Spurs can still dig themselves out of this hole.
The Knicks will win Game 5 if ______.
Golliver: … they avoid dwelling on their Game 4 miracle and fight the temptation to look ahead to a possible Game 6 at home.
The Knicks must guard against an emotional letdown after arguably the most thrilling win in franchise history, and they can’t get caught up in the hypothetical of clinching their first title since 1973 at Madison Square Garden.
Brunson had the right message Wednesday: “There’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.” As they head to Texas, the Knicks can find comfort in knowing that 37 out of 38 teams that have held a 3-1 lead in the Finals have won the championship.
The Spurs will win Game 5 if ______.
Golliver: … they start hot again and show better mental resolve while leading.
Stephon Castle stated Wednesday that Mitch Johnson told the Spurs they have “pretty much dictated the winner and loser of all these games.” The Spurs were their own worst enemy in Game 4, crumbling down the stretch by committing unforced turnovers, missing free throw attempts and playing not to lose.
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The Spurs, who were understandably demoralized after their 29-point collapse, must focus on what worked in the first half. Wembanyama & Co. have built double-digit leads in every game this series by creating high-quality looks thanks to unselfish ball movement and good pace, and they proved they can close out the veteran Knicks in a tight Game 3. If the Spurs can regroup mentally and play free in Game 5 at home, they can force this series back to New York.
Make the call now: How many games will the Finals go, and who will win MVP?
Bontemps: The series will end in five, and Anunoby will be the MVP.
Anunoby has been fantastic throughout the playoffs, easily playing the best basketball of his career — and that was before his epic performance in New York’s Game 4 comeback. After the Knicks’ comeback in Game 4, they will finish this in five Saturday in San Antonio.
But after the first four games of this series — two of which were decided by a point — who really knows what will happen next?
