Biggest comebacks in NBA Finals history: Knicks set new record with 29-point turnaround vs. Spurs

The Knicks and Spurs set a new NBA record on Wednesday night, but only one team will be proud of it.

The Spurs blew a 29-point lead in the second half of Game 4 in the NBA Finals, letting the Knicks gradually creep back into the game before a tip-in by OG Anunoby gave New York its second and final lead of the night with 1.2 seconds remaining.

Just as NBA Finals comebacks across a full series are measured against the Cavaliers' 3-1 comeback against the Warriors, all single-game NBA Finals comebacks for years to come are set to be measured against the Knicks' 29-point turnaround against the Spurs.

Here's a look at how the Knicks' comeback stacks up against the biggest in NBA Finals history.

MORE: Watch OG Anunoby's game-winner vs. Spurs

Biggest comebacks in NBA Finals history

The Knicks' comeback against the Spurs cleared the previous NBA Finals record by five points:

Only three teams have ever overcome a deficit of at least 20 points in the NBA Finals, and that number stood at just two before Wednesday night.

The Celtics rallied from down 24 to take a 3-1 series lead over the Lakers in 2008 after it looked as though the series would be tied at two through four games. Thirteen years earlier, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets put a major dent into the title hopes of Shaquille O'Neal and the Magic by overcoming a 20-point deficit in the opening game of the 1995 NBA Finals.

Neither of those comebacks reached the level of the Knicks' 29-point turnaround, which included a 15-point deficit as late as a few minutes into the fourth quarter.

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Biggest comebacks in NBA playoff history

The Knicks' comeback is tied for the second-biggest turnaround in NBA playoff history, and it's the largest comeback outside of the first round:

The Clippers' unbelievable 31-point rally against the Warriors in the 2019 first round still stands as the all-time playoff record, though L.A. went on to lose the series as massive underdogs against the reigning champions. 

The Knicks are joined by the 2025 Thunder, who overcame a 29-point deficit against the Grizzlies in the first round at the start of their championship run, along with the 1989 Lakers, who rallied from down 29 against the Sonics as part of a playoff run that saw L.A. go 11-0 against West opponents before being swept in the NBA Finals.

The Grizzlies were also on the wrong end of the fifth-largest comeback in playoff history, though their 27-point collapse against the Clippers in 2012 ranked second at the time.