A few mere inches paved the way for OG Anunoby’s heroics.
Backup guard Jose Alvarado managed to avoid a backcourt violation by the slightest of margins in the final 10 seconds, which allowed the Knicks to retain possession for Anunoby’s eventual game-winning tip-in during the historic 107-106 Game 4 win in the NBA Finals on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
After Anunoby blocked De’Aaron Fox’s layup with the Knicks trailing 106-105, Alvarado dribbled up the court before being met by two Spurs defenders.
They forced him backwards toward the halfcourt line and the ball actually went back onto the other side, but he kept both feet from hitting the floor while the Spurs fouled him with 5.7 seconds remaining.
Had both feed touched, the Knicks would have turned over the ball.
The Knicks instead had one final possession, and Anunoby tipped in a long miss by Jalen Brunson with 1.2 seconds left to give the Knicks the lead and ultimately a 3-1 series lead.
Alvarado played an important role off the bench Wednesday, scoring eight points in 16 minutes and hitting two important 3’s to help the comeback.
He posted a plus-11 in his limited action.
The midseason trade acquisition hit a 3-pointer with 9:16 in the fourth quarter after the Knicks fell behind by 20, nailed a jumper to cut the deficit to five with less than four minutes remaining and then buried a 3 with 3:07 remaining to cut the Spurs’ lead to 104-100 as Madison Square Garden roared.
The eight points marked his second-highest total of this postseason and his most of the Finals.
“That’s called Knicks basketball,” Alvarado said on the court after the game. “Stay together, be together and look at this f–king energy (in the crowd), this is what we do it for, man.”
