The NBA has issued its official ruling on the controversial late-game sequence involving a De’Aaron Fox layup attempt that many San Antonio Spurs fans believed played a decisive role in the team’s 107-106 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals Wednesday.
With the Knicks now holding a commanding 3-1 series lead, the league’s Last 2 Minute Report provided long-awaited clarity on one of the game’s most debated moments and whether officials got the critical call right.
The report, released June 11, reviewed all plays in the final two minutes and found exactly two incorrect calls — but the Fox sequence was not among them.
OG Anunoby’s block on Fox’s fast-break layup attempt with roughly 12 seconds remaining was ruled a legal play. The ball came free before any incidental contact occurred, the league determined, as cited by Geoff Magliocchetti on social media. No foul was called, a determination consistent with the on-court ruling.
Fox had recovered a loose ball with the Spurs ahead 105-104 and chose to attack the rim rather than run out the clock.
“I just thought I’d be able to outrun him,” he told reporters, according to Bleacher Report‘s Adam Wells. His reasoning was to push the lead from one point to three and force the Knicks to put up a 3-point shot.
Anunoby sprinted back and blocked the Fox layup cleanly. The Knicks recovered, Jalen Brunson missed a 3-pointer, and Anunoby tipped in the rebound with 1.2 seconds remaining, completing the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, according to ESPN.
Calls the NBA Flagged in Game 4 Last 2 Minute Report
The Last 2 Minute Report did identify two errors — one that benefited the Knicks and one that benefited the Spurs.
First, with 1:26 remaining and the Spurs up 104-103, Victor Wembanyama should have been cited for a defensive three-second violation. New York scored on that possession, according to ClutchPoints analyst Brett Siegel’s breakdown.
Second, at roughly 1:02 remaining, Stephon Castle was whistled for stepping out of bounds on a drive. The Spurs were in the bonus. The report ruled the call incorrect — Josh Hart had impeded Castle’s path. Siegel noted the league’s exact language: “Hart (NYK) impedes Castle (SAS) on his drive as Castle is incorrectly called for committing an out-of-bounds violation.”
The net effect of the two calls: San Antonio lost a bonus possession on the Castle play and surrendered a Knicks basket on the Wembanyama violation. Two calls, two Spurs possessions, a one-point final margin.
De’Aaron Fox Decision Capped Spurs Game 4 Collapse
Even with the league clearing Anunoby, debate about the play continued online. Slow-motion angles drew scrutiny, with some observers pointing to what appeared to be arm contact, though the NBA’s review concluded otherwise.
The deeper question involves Fox’s decision itself. A one-point lead with 12 seconds left calls for clock management, not a layup attempt against a 6-foot-7 wing. Fox drove anyway, and Anunoby was ready.
The Knicks won 107-106 and now stand one win from their first championship since 1973. Game 5 is Saturday in San Antonio. Only the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.
NBA Last 2 Minute Report Rules on De’Aaron Fox Play That Cost Spurs the Game