The New York Knicks are one win from an NBA championship after making Finals history, but the early Game 5 outlook still comes with a warning.
ESPN’s listed odds for Saturday’s matchup in San Antonio have the Spurs favored by 5.5 points, according to the schedule screenshot. That means the Knicks, despite holding a 3-1 series lead and coming off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, are still being treated as clear road underdogs.
That does not erase what New York just did. The Knicks stunned the Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 after trailing by 29 points, with AP reporting that the comeback broke the previous NBA Finals record of 24 points. Jalen Brunson scored 36 points, OG Anunoby added 33 and delivered the late tip-in, and New York moved within one victory of its first championship since 1973.
But the line is a reminder that the series is not being viewed as over.
Knicks’ Historic Comeback Did Not Fully Flip the Game 5 Outlook
The Knicks’ Game 4 rally was the kind of win that can define a franchise’s postseason. New York trailed by 27 at halftime, fell behind by 29 in the third quarter and still found a way to take a 3-1 lead. AP noted that the Knicks surpassed the old Finals comeback mark, which had stood at 24 points.
That would normally create the feeling of a series-ending blow.
Instead, the Game 5 line points to a more complicated reality. San Antonio is back home. The Spurs have already beaten the Knicks once in this series, winning Game 3 at Madison Square Garden behind Victor Wembanyama’s performance.
The Spurs also led Game 4 by nearly 30 points before collapsing. That is exactly why the number is concerning for New York. The Knicks made history, but the market appears to be weighing San Antonio’s ability to control long stretches of the series just as heavily as New York’s late-game resilience.
San Antonio Still Has the Matchup That Can Extend the Series
The Spurs’ case starts with Wembanyama.
Even in a brutal Game 4 loss, San Antonio showed why it can still push the series back to New York. The Spurs scored 76 points in the first half and built a massive lead before the Knicks’ pressure, shot-making and late-game execution flipped the night. San Antonio led 81-52 in the third quarter before New York’s comeback began.
That kind of lead does not happen by accident.
For the Knicks, the concern is not just that they are underdogs. It is that they needed an all-time rally to survive a game in which San Antonio’s size, pace and shot creation overwhelmed them for long stretches. Brunson and Anunoby delivered enough offense to win, but New York cannot count on another historic comeback if the Spurs again dictate the first three quarters.
Game 5 also comes with championship pressure. The Knicks have a chance to close the series on the road, but they are trying to finish a drought that dates back to 1973. The Spurs, meanwhile, are playing with a simpler assignment: win at home and force Game 6.
Game 5 is Saturday, June 13, with a potential Game 6 set for Tuesday, June 16.
Knicks Can Still End It, but Game 5 Is Not a Coronation
The Knicks remain in control of the Finals. A 3-1 lead is a commanding position, and New York has already won twice in San Antonio during this series if Game 1 and Game 2 are included in the broader Finals picture.
That matters. The Knicks have repeatedly answered on the road, and Brunson has been the closer New York needed.
Still, the Game 5 odds are a useful check on the emotion of Game 4. The Knicks made history, but they did not make the Spurs disappear. San Antonio has the home floor, the best matchup problem in the series and the desperation of a team trying to avoid elimination.
For New York, the path is clear: avoid another slow start, keep Wembanyama from controlling the game early and make San Antonio play from behind emotionally as well as on the scoreboard.
The Knicks are one win away from history. ESPN’s listed Game 5 line suggests they may have to earn that last win the hard way.
Knicks Get Concerning Game 5 News After Making NBA Finals History