The New York Knicks ' historic comeback against the San Antonio Spurs did not just shake the NBA Finals, it delivered the biggest Game 4 television audience since 1998.
New York erased a 29-point deficit at Madison Square Garden to beat San Antonio 107-106 and move within one win of the franchise's first championship since 1973.
That kind of finish would have been remembered either way. The ratings showed just how many people were watching it unfold live.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
As Adam Schefter reported, ABC averaged 20.9 million viewers for Game 4, making it the largest NBA Finals Game 4 audience since 1998.
Through four games, the Knicks-Spurs series is averaging 19.6 million viewers, which Schefter noted makes it ABC and ESPN's most-watched NBA Finals ever and the most-watched Finals overall since Michael Jordan's final Bulls run.
The number fits the moment. The Knicks are in their first Finals since 1999, the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama , and the series has already produced two one-point games.
Game 4 gave the audience everything. San Antonio looked in complete control, but New York outscored the Spurs 58-30 in the second half and turned a blowout into the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points, seven assists, and three steals. OG Anunoby added 33 points, shooting 10-of-15 from the floor and 7-of-9 from three.
The final play explained why the game became national appointment viewing.
With 1.2 seconds left and New York down one, Brunson missed a deep three. Anunoby, who had inbounded the ball, crashed in and tipped home the winner.
That basket gave the Knicks a 3-1 series lead and left the Spurs facing a brutal collapse instead of a tied Finals.
Madison Square Garden also had a celebrity-row feel that matched the moment. Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet, A$AP Rocky, Spike Lee, Jerry Seinfeld, Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Whoopi Goldberg were among the stars linked with the night.
Game 5 is now set for June 13 in San Antonio, where the Spurs must win to keep the series alive.
The Knicks gained a historic comeback, a ratings milestone, and a title chance. The Spurs lost control of a game that could haunt them for years.
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