Game 4 of NBA Finals Is As Must Win As It Gets For NY Knicks

For the first time in six weeks, the New York Knicks lost a game on Monday as they fell to the San Antonio Spurs 115-111 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

The Knicks still have homecourt advantage and have a 2-1 series lead, but they can ill afford to lose Game 4 on Wednesday night. After winning Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio, New York had firm command of the series, and it seemed they were on the brink of winning their first NBA Championship in 53 years.

After all, no team in NBA history has won the first two games on the road in the NBA Finals and lost the series. But the Spurs are one win away from taking homecourt advantage back in the series and causing anxiety amongst Knicks fans.

A loss in Game 4 would be crushing for a franchise and a fanbase that has been craving a championship for over half a century. Although the series would be tied 2-2, all of the momentum would be with the Spurs, and two of the final three games would take place at Frost Bank Center instead of Madison Square Garden.

Game 4 isn’t a must-win game for the Knicks, but it’s as close to a must-win game as it gets.

Knicks fans should feel confident that their team will get back to its winning ways on Wednesday night. For one, it’s doubtful Mikal Bridges gets two early fouls, which rendered him ineffective for the entire game as he scored just two points on 1-5 shooting from the field.

In addition, after head coach Mike Brown voiced his frustration that San Antonio shot 24 free throws in the second half, compared to just 8 for his team, this might have made the refs mindful of this fact in Game 4.

Then you have to feel confident the defense will find a way to limit Stephon Castle’s effectiveness and prevent him from scoring 23 points on 8 for 14 shooting as he did in Game 3. But more than anything, after winning 13 games in a row, New York was due for a subpar game.

During their 13-game winning streak, the team averaged 27 assists a game and 111 turnovers. But on Monday, they had 18 assists and 13 turnovers.

In Game 4, look for Jalen Brunson to get his teammates involved early, especially Karl-Anthony Towns, as the Knicks will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead before they fly back to San Antonio.