The New York Knicks are just one win away from clinching their first championship in 53 years, following an unbelievable comeback in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
While much of the attention has focused on OG Anunoby’s game-winner and Jalen Brunson’s second-half brilliance, veteran pundit Skip Bayless believes one of the game’s defining moments came from the sidelines, a savvy second-half adjustment from Knicks coach Mike Brown.
Skip Bayless Hails Mike Brown’s Jose Alvarado Gamble in Knicks’ Game 4 Comeback
Speaking on “Gil’s Arena” on Thursday, Bayless couldn’t stop praising Brown’s decision to pair Jose Alvarado with Brunson during New York’s historic comeback at Madison Square Garden.
“The gutsiest, shrewdest coaching move I’ve ever seen in a Finals game was with Jose Alvarado,” Bayless said.
With the Knicks trailing by 29 points early in the third quarter and searching for answers, Brown made a bold call. He sat an ineffective Mikal Bridges midway through the frame and inserted Alvarado alongside Brunson, forming an undersized backcourt combination New York had barely used all season.
“They’d never played together one minute of their NBA lives, and you throw him out there for 10 minutes in the fourth quarter?” Bayless continued. “And guess what? Did he ever make you look genius ’cause he makes all three of his shots, and he makes two 3s, and they’re huge.”
The move was particularly surprising given how rarely Brown had utilized the pairing before. Brunson and Alvarado played just 114 minutes together during the regular season and had not shared the floor at all during the Knicks’ playoff run entering Game 4.
Alvarado ended up playing 12 of the game’s final 17 minutes. It was the most significant role he had been given all postseason, and he immediately repaid Brown’s faith.
The 6-foot guard finished with 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 3-for-4 from the field, including draining 2 crucial 3-pointers during New York’s fourth-quarter rally.
“That was the catalyst to the fourth quarter, was little Jose Alvarado playing with little Jalen Brunson,” Bayless added.
Skip bayless says Mike brown playing Jose Alvarado and Jalen Brunson together in the 4th quarter is the most shrewdest and most gutsyest his seen from a head coach in nba playoff history pic.twitter.com/RTLAPBv6JA
— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Thechat101) June 11, 2026
Brown himself echoed a similar sentiment after the contest, openly praising Alvarado’s impact on both ends of the floor.
“Jose was unbelievable tonight. He changed the game,” Brown told reporters.
With New York now holding a commanding 3-1 series lead and sitting one victory away from ending its long-standing championship drought, Brown’s gamble may ultimately be remembered as one of the most pivotal moments of this year’s Finals.
