San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox became the focus of NBA fan anger after a late Game 4 decision helped the New York Knicks complete a stunning Finals comeback.
The sequence came at the exact stage when San Antonio needed control, patience, and clock management more than another shot attempt.
Fox had a chance to make New York chase the game from behind, but his choice near the rim gave the Knicks the opening they still needed.
De’Aaron Fox’s mistake gives New York Knicks another chance against San Antonio Spurs
In a clip shared by BrickCenter on X, De’Aaron Fox was singled out after the San Antonio Spurs lost control of a crucial late possession against the New York Knicks.
San Antonio led 106-105 with less than 15 seconds left when Fox pushed toward the rim for a layup instead of pulling the ball out and forcing the Knicks to foul.
OG Anunoby recovered to block the attempt, turning what could have been a clock-killing possession into the opening New York needed before winning 107-106.
The better play was clear because the Spurs had the lead, the ball, and the chance to drain valuable seconds.
Fox could have protected possession, forced contact, or made New York decide between fouling quickly and watching the clock disappear. In a one-point Finals loss, one rushed decision carried more weight than the rest of his box score.
NBA fans compare De’Aaron Fox’s mistake to JR Smith and Golden State Warriors’ moment
The reaction online became especially fierce because fans viewed the play as a failure of situation, clock, and score awareness rather than a normal missed layup.
One fan wrote, “Worse than JR Smith against the Warriors. Must have been born without a brain.” Another added, “Most brain-dead decision I’ve ever seen.”
The criticism quickly moved beyond the possession itself, with one comment reading, “Trade him now, don’t even wait for the end of the finals.” Another reaction focused on Fox’s role and experience: “He’s supposed to be the veteran.”
The harshest responses placed the play directly into Finals infamy, including one fan who called it “One of the dumbest plays in finals history.”
JR Smith’s 2018 mistake against the Golden State Warriors remains the reference point for late-game confusion on the NBA Finals stage.
Fox’s decision was different in detail, but fans treated it with similar disbelief because San Antonio had the lead, the ball and a straightforward path to run out the clock.
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