San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson pointed to his team’s offensive approach after a historic collapse in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, saying the Spurs abandoned the style that built a 27-point halftime lead in a 107-106 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The defeat put San Antonio in a 3-1 series hole despite leading by as many as 29 points and scoring 76 points in the first half. The Knicks completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, winning on OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining.
Asked what went wrong offensively after the break, Johnson said the answer was straightforward.
“We got away from what got us the 76 points in the first half just in terms of putting pressure on the rim, rolling after screens, running, continuing to find the paint whether it’s for ourselves or for a teammate,” Johnson said. “We got on our heels and missed some shots and then you don’t get as many free throws and high percentage looks when you play on your heels like that.”
The numbers reflected Johnson’s assessment. San Antonio scored 76 points before halftime but managed only 30 in the second half. The Spurs shot 17-for-43 from three-point range overall but went just 3-for-17 from beyond the arc after halftime as New York erased the deficit.
Johnson called the loss one of the biggest lessons his young team has faced.
“At the top of the list just in terms of obviously the circumstances and the stakes of what we’re playing for,” Johnson said. “To put as much good work into that first half as we did and get the lead that we had and not finish the job is disappointing to say the least.”
Despite the Knicks’ comeback, Johnson said he never felt the game had completely slipped away until the final buzzer.
“Honestly it’s tough. I didn’t feel that until the clock hit zeros,” he said. “We just needed a few more tough-minded plays to finish the job.”
The Spurs appeared in complete control early. Victor Wembanyama finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Dylan Harper added 21 points. De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell scored 18 points each.
Johnson repeatedly returned to the same theme when explaining the collapse.
“It was pace, it was finding the paint, it was passing the ball to your teammate, it was taking good shots and the second half was opposite of that,” Johnson said. “It’s 76 points, one half, and 30. That’s a stark difference.”
The coach also emphasized that missed shots alone were not the problem.
“We need to continue to put pressure on the rim and touch the paint and crash because you don’t always make even the best three-point looks,” Johnson said. “We missed some really good shots in the second half.”
Now facing elimination, the Spurs must regroup quickly before Game 5 in San Antonio on Saturday.
Johnson’s message to his players was clear.
“Told them to feel the emotion tonight cuz they’re competitive and that’s unhumanly possible to not,” he said. “And tomorrow take all the emotion out and they better be ready to play in two days and win.”
Johnson added that the Spurs still believe they control their fate despite trailing in the series.
“By no means am I not acknowledging the Knicks and what they’ve done and give them credit for playing good basketball, but we feel like we’ve decided the outcome of all four games and we need to be better in the next game.”
