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This is not all De’Aaron Fox’s fault.
Let’s start there.
The San Antonio Spurs collectively mounted a 29-point lead — 27 points at halftime — over the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, and they collectively squandered it to lose 107-106. After scoring 76 points in the first half, the Spurs could only muster 30 in the second half — the largest first to second half scoring decrease in any NBA playoff game in 70 years, per ESPN Insights.
But all anyone will remember, at least for the foreseeable future, is what Fox did, or didn’t do, when the Spurs led by one point with 15 seconds left.
Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson missed a floater, and Fox chased the rebound all the way to the Spurs’ side of the court. After he collected it, all he had to do was maintain possession, dribble out some clock, and force the Knicks to foul him. With OG Anunoby breathing down his neck, Fox opted to go for a layup. Anunoby blocked it, which allowed for Anunoby to tip in another Brunson miss with 1.2 seconds left and seal the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Fox tried to explain the inexplicable after the game.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 30: De’aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“I tried to get a layup, get up 3,” Fox said of his mindset during the play. “Force them to need a 3, and OG made a good block.”
When pressed about why he didn’t just dribble it out, Fox said, “I just thought I would be able to outrun him.”
Now, even if unfair, Fox will struggle to outrun the memory of the worst moment of his basketball life. The two-time All-Star point guard has had a rough Finals all around, and it continued in Game 4.
“Fox had 44 touches in the second half, the most of any Spur,” Caitlin Cooper wrote on X. “Only 5 touched the paint. San Antonio scored 0.387 points per chance out of his touches. He shot 2-of-6 with two turnovers when defended by OG. No one for the Spurs attempted more than six shots against any match-up.”
Fox and the Spurs will have to find some way to put this behind them. The Knicks now hold a 3-1 series lead and can capture their first championship since 1973 by winning Game 5 in San Antonio on Saturday night.
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Let’s start there.
The San Antonio Spurs collectively mounted a 29-point lead — 27 points at halftime — over the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, and they collectively squandered it to lose 107-106. After scoring 76 points in the first half, the Spurs could only muster 30 in the second half — the largest first to second half scoring decrease in any NBA playoff game in 70 years, per ESPN Insights.
But all anyone will remember, at least for the foreseeable future, is what Fox did, or didn’t do, when the Spurs led by one point with 15 seconds left.
Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson missed a floater, and Fox chased the rebound all the way to the Spurs’ side of the court. After he collected it, all he had to do was maintain possession, dribble out some clock, and force the Knicks to foul him. With OG Anunoby breathing down his neck, Fox opted to go for a layup. Anunoby blocked it, which allowed for Anunoby to tip in another Brunson miss with 1.2 seconds left and seal the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Fox tried to explain the inexplicable after the game.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 30: De’aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“I tried to get a layup, get up 3,” Fox said of his mindset during the play. “Force them to need a 3, and OG made a good block.”
When pressed about why he didn’t just dribble it out, Fox said, “I just thought I would be able to outrun him.”
Now, even if unfair, Fox will struggle to outrun the memory of the worst moment of his basketball life. The two-time All-Star point guard has had a rough Finals all around, and it continued in Game 4.
“Fox had 44 touches in the second half, the most of any Spur,” Caitlin Cooper wrote on X. “Only 5 touched the paint. San Antonio scored 0.387 points per chance out of his touches. He shot 2-of-6 with two turnovers when defended by OG. No one for the Spurs attempted more than six shots against any match-up.”
Fox and the Spurs will have to find some way to put this behind them. The Knicks now hold a 3-1 series lead and can capture their first championship since 1973 by winning Game 5 in San Antonio on Saturday night.
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