The San Antonio Spurs are on the brink of elimination after falling into a 3-1 series deficit against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Game 5 is set for Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio lost Game 4 by a score of 107-106 after surrendering a 29-point lead. That collapse ranks among the largest in NBA postseason history.
The Knicks now stand one victory away from their first championship since 1973.
Spurs Remain Confident Despite Deficit
Despite the historic defeat, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama expressed absolute confidence that his team can execute a series comeback.
"Everybody thinks — everybody knows — we're gonna do it," he said during practice on Friday.
The 22-year-old French star emphasized narrowing the team's focus entirely onto the upcoming game.
"I think it would be a mistake to waste our energy on multiple games," Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama noted that physical exhaustion is an obstacle shared equally across both rosters. "It's the playoffs.
Everybody's just as tired. It shouldn't even be a factor in the game," he added.
He also brushed off an incident where New York fans threw eggs at him outside the team hotel and tossed a water bottle at the team bus.
"I didn't really think much of it," Wembanyama said.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson acknowledged his role in managing the heavy physical toll on Wembanyama, who logged 44 minutes in Game 4.
"I have to make sure I help him have the energy required to finish the game as strong as he needs to finish the game," Johnson said.
Johnson stood firmly behind his roster's internal accountability. "There's no avoiding what's happened," he said.
He dismissed outside media criticism and trade rumors, affirming full trust in his starting point guard for the final possessions of Game 5.
"De'Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow, and I have the utmost confidence he's going to deliver like he's done countless times for us," Johnson said.
Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox, who faced scrutiny for a late-game layup attempt blocked by OG Anunoby, maintained that the competitive nature of the series proves San Antonio remains viable.
"These games have showed us we have a chance. It's not like we're going out there and getting steamrolled.
We still have that belief we have a chance to win," Fox said.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle reiterated that maintaining defensive aggression and composure during large leads remains the definitive adjustment.
"Just trying to stay poised throughout that and try to keep our foot on the gas, really.
I feel like once we get those leads, we start to play a little bit different, take our foot off the gas defensively.
I just feel like we have to stay aggressive, but be smart through it," Castle said.
Spurs guard Devin Vassell minimized the pressure of the elimination scenario. "One game at a time.
Just one game at a time," he said.
Knicks Focus on Execution
Knicks head coach Mike Brown stated that his roster must ignore the potential of a championship coronation and remain entirely focused on immediate execution.
"The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present," Brown said.
