Charles Barkley did not hold back after the San Antonio Spurs threw away one of the most comfortable-looking leads in NBA Finals history.
The Spurs were up by 29 points in Game 4, having scored 76 in the first half, and looked set to level the series at 2-2.
But New York came back to win 107-106, taking a 3-1 lead and leaving Barkley fuming over San Antonio’s decision-making.
Charles Barkley tears into the San Antonio Spurs’ collapse
Speaking on Inside the NBA’s postgame coverage, Barkley called the Spurs the “dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization.”
“That was some of the most mismanaged, stupid basketball. When you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help you. The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game by doing some of the stupid(est) stuff I’ve seen on a basketball court.”
It was harsh, but the game gave him plenty of material. San Antonio went from hitting 14 first-half threes to scoring only 30 points after halftime.
San Antonio Spurs suffered a Finals collapse for the ages
The numbers were brutal. The Spurs led by 29 twice, including with 9:40 left in the third quarter, before the Knicks chipped away possession by possession.
Victor Wembanyama missed two free throws with 1:47 left and San Antonio up one. Jalen Brunson answered with a floater to give New York its first lead of the game.
After the Spurs briefly went back in front, De’Aaron Fox attacked early instead of bleeding the clock, and OG Anunoby blocked him at the rim. Moments later, Anunoby tipped in Brunson’s missed three with 1.2 seconds left.
That sequence turned the largest lead ever blown in an NBA Finals game into the Knicks’ biggest win since the 1970s.
San Antonio Spurs need a home response now
The series is not over, but history is against San Antonio. Only the 2016 Cavaliers have ever overcome a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.
The Spurs can still believe. Their three losses have all been winnable, with Games 2 and 4 decided by one point, and they host Games 5 and a potential Game 7.
If they beat the Knicks in San Antonio on June 13, Game 6 shifts back to Madison Square Garden with the pressure suddenly louder.
But first, the Spurs have to prove Barkley wrong. After Game 4, that starts with smarter basketball.
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