The San Antonio Spurs appeared to have one hand on the NBA championship while attempting to level the series after building a record 29-point lead in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Instead, they suffered the largest collapse in Finals history as the New York Knicks stormed back for a dramatic 107-106 victory, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Following the shocking defeat, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe did not hold back while discussing what went wrong for Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Why Shannon Sharpe Blames Victor Wembanyama for the Spurs’ Game 4 Collapse
Reacting to the game on the “Nightcap” podcast, Sharpe took issue with San Antonio’s decision-making after halftime, particularly Wembanyama’s shot selection as the Knicks mounted their comeback.
“When asked what happened, he said execution, greediness,” Sharpe said. “No, greediness is what it was because you took ill-advised shots.”
The criticism came after a second half in which the Spurs completely lost control of a game they had dominated for much of the opening two quarters. After scoring 76 points in the first half and leading by as many as 29 points in the second quarter, San Antonio managed just 30 points after halftime.
Sharpe argued that the Spurs and Wembanyama became too reliant on low-percentage perimeter shooting in the second half, failing to capitalize on the massive advantage.
“You got three offensive rebounds and you stood outside the three-point line and you jacked up three after three after three,” he said. “You didn’t even attempt to put the ball on the floor and try to get to the rim.”
The Spurs superstar finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks, but his impact faded significantly after halftime.
After scoring 16 points during San Antonio’s explosive 76-point first half, Wembanyama managed just eight points on 3-for-14 shooting in the second half. He also struggled from deep, finishing 2-for-8 from beyond the arc as New York chipped away at the deficit and completed its historic comeback.
The 7-foot-4 phenom also missed a pair of crucial free throws with 1:47 remaining and the Spurs leading 104-103, a sequence that would have extended San Antonio’s lead.
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The NFL legend admitted he was stunned by the magnitude of the collapse, despite having no rooting interest in either team.
“Can you imagine how I’ve been? Had this been the Lakers, y’all would’ve had to do this show by yourself. I wasn’t coming,” Sharpe joked. “This is not even my team. It hurt.”
The spotlight on San Antonio’s spectacular collapse has been on Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, who opted to go for a layup that was blocked by OG Anunoby with the clock running down, rather than holding on to the ball and forcing the Knicks to foul him.
“I’m looking for De’Aaron Fox. He got to do eight days in the county for that performance,” Sharpe quipped.
The loss leaves San Antonio facing an uphill battle in the series. While Wembanyama and the Spurs still have a chance to respond in Game 5 on home court, history is not on their side: only one team, LeBron James’ 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, has ever recovered after falling behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
