Ranking Greatest NBA Finals comebacks amid Knicks thriller over Spurs

On Wednesday night, NBA fans were treated to the largest comeback in Finals history. The New York Knicks erased a 29-point deficit in front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd to defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 107-106.

It was a wild scene in the city that never sleeps. A city that certainly will live up to that name on Wednesday. They now take a 3-1 series lead on the road, while the Spurs lick their wounds and attempt to force a Game 6 back in New York.

With the comeback in the rearview, it got us thinking: What are the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history?

4. 1995 Houston Rockets defeat Orlando Magic

Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals saw one of the largest comebacks in NBA Finals history.

It was supposed to be the true coming-out party for Shaquille O’Neal. He, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson, and the Magic were ascending. They came out white-hot and built a 20-point lead in the first half. But one thing after another went wrong, as the Rockets ultimately won 120-118 in overtime.

Anderson missed four consecutive free throws late in the fourth quarter, with the Magic holding onto a three-point lead. That opened the door for Inside the NBA’s Kenny “The Jet” Smith to knock down the game-tying triple with one second left. That forced overtime.

In OT, “The Dream,” Hakeem Olajuwon took over and hit the game-winning tip-in with seconds left.

Orlando would never recover from the blown lead. Houston would win the series in a sweep.

3. 2008 Boston Celtics shatter Los Angeles Lakers’ hearts

The 2008 NBA Finals are remembered as mostly one-sided. The Boston Celtics defeated their arch-rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, in six games. They won Game 6 in front of a rabid Boston Garden crowd by 39 points. That is still the largest NBA Finals-clinching win in league history.

But earlier in the series saw an even wilder moment.

With the Celtics leading the series 2-1, the Lakers faced a must-win Game 4 at home. They played like it early, jumping out to a 35-14 first-quarter lead. The Lakers would ultimately build a 24-point lead, only to watch it whittle away.

Boston got key contributions from James Posey and Eddie House off the bench. The big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen chipped in, although inefficiently. But it was Boston’s defense that made the difference.

Kobe Bryant was held to 17 points on 6-for-19 shooting, as Boston completed the comeback in a 97-91 victory.

Los Angeles won Game 5, sending it back to Boston. But it was probably better that they didn’t after that Game 6 performance.

2. 2016 LeBron James leads Cavaliers past Warriors

You could argue that this does not belong on this list. This was not a singular-game comeback. But it was so unfathomable, and never-before-seen that I feel it is warranted.

Let’s not forget who LeBron James and the Cavaliers defeated. This was the season the Golden State Warriors broke Michael Jordan and the 1996 Chicago Bulls record, going 73-9. The ‘Dubs’ were already being crowned as the best team in NBA history. They had defeated the Cavs the year before in the NBA Finals and steamrolled the Western Conference.

Golden State won three of the first four games. To that point, no team had ever overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals. But that was exactly what James and the Cavaliers accomplished. They won Game 7 on the road in a true slugfest.

It may not be a single-game comeback, but it was one of the greatest NBA Finals comebacks.

1. Knicks defeat Spurs in largest NBA Finals comeback ever

But nothing can surpass what we all witnessed on Wednesday night.

It wasn’t just the fact that it was statistically the largest NBA Finals comeback ever. But it was how it happened. It was who it was against. It was where the comeback happened.

New York City is one of the country’s best sports cities. But outside of the New York Yankees, the city has not had much to cheer about for a very long time. The New York Jets and Giants are in the tank seemingly every year. The Islanders and Rangers are just as bad. The Mets are, well, the Mets.

But New York has always been a basketball city. Rucker Park is synonymous with the sport.

For this comeback to happen at MSG is perfect. Fans are still dancing in the streets, although they haven’t even won the NBA title yet.

They came from 29 points down in the third quarter. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby were stars, with the latter hitting a putback with one second left for the win. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama was the butt of jokes online after missing crucial free throws late.

All told, this is a night New York basketball fans will never forget. They just better not let what LeBron did in 2016 happen to them in 2026.

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