Knicks' Historic Comeback Draws Biggest NBA Finals Audience Since Jordan Era
Wednesday night featured one of the wildest finishes in NBA Finals history, and apparently, the entire country was watching.
Down 29 points early in the third quarter, the New York Knicks did the impossible, outscoring the San Antonio Spurs 58-30 in the second half to steal Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, walking away with a 107-106 victory.
Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 36 points, along with seven assists and three steals, while OG Anunoby delivered a career playoff-high 33 points on 10 of 15 shooting from the floor, including 7 of 9 shooting from deep.
He also came up with the defining moment of the comeback win, and potentially, the series.
With 1.2 seconds left and the Knicks down one, Brunson launched a 3-point attempt from 30 feet out. It hit off the front of the rim, and Anunoby, who had just inbounded the ball to Brunson at halfcourt, came flying in to tip in the game-winner.
New York now leads the series 3-1 and is one win away from its first title since 1973, with Game 5 set for Saturday night in San Antonio.
But with just 24 hours before the highly anticipated matchup, the numbers have dropped from Game 4.
ABC’s Game 4 broadcast averaged 20.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel, the largest Game 4 audience since 1998, during Michael Jordan’s final run with the Chicago Bulls.
Through four games, the series is averaging 19.6 million viewers, making it ABC and ESPN’s most-watched NBA Finals ever and the most-watched NBA Finals overall since 1998. It’s also a 116% jump from last year’s championship series.
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This is the Knicks’ first Finals trip in 27 years. The Spurs have a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama. Half the games have been decided by a single point. And icons like Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet, and Taylor Swift are sitting in the front row.
There’s so much going on here, it’s easy to see why everybody’s been tuning in.
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The Knicks arrive in San Antonio on Saturday night to end the 53-year title drought and come back to NYC as champions of the basketball world.
For Wemby and the Spurs, it’s the last chance to save their season.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET, with San Antonio sitting as 5.5-point favorites.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 6:47 PM.