After getting back into the series with a road win over the Knicks in Game 3, the Spurs looked to even the series in Game 4 on Wednesday night. Building on their momentum, the Spurs looked poised to do just that, surging to a 29-point lead in the third quarter and maintaining a 95-75 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Then, the Knicks staged the greatest rally in NBA Finals history. Following a series of poor decisions, San Antonio has faced significant scrutiny.
Why Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson Is Defending De’Aaron Fox
After the Knicks grabbed a 105-104 lead with five consecutive points from Jalen Brunson, the Spurs answered by forcing a defensive stop. Stephon Castle was fouled and made both free throws, putting the Spurs up by one point.
They forced another stop, and Fox sprinted downcourt. He went up for a layup, but OG Anunoby blocked the shot.
After the Spurs committed their final foul to give, Brunson launched a deep 3-pointer that missed, and Anunoby, who had inbounded the ball, sprinted to the hoop and tipped it in with 1.2 seconds left.
San Antonio failed to attempt a legitimate final shot, and the Knicks secured Game 4, 107-106, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.
While blowing a 29-point lead is a team issue, much of the criticism has focused on Fox.
Despite this, Johnson remained supportive of Fox.
“I don’t really get into social media,” Johnson said. “I’ve probably been fired 212 times, and we’ve probably traded [De’Aaron] Fox 72 times. … People have their opinions. I don’t care. De’Aaron Fox will have the ball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow.”
With fans having so much access to players through social media, criticism is nearly unavoidable, but in this situation, avoidance seems necessary.
Like Johnson, Fox avoids social media, and fans cannot reach him unless he chooses to look.
“It’s not like people have my phone number and can call me,” Fox said. “I don’t watch those shows. It doesn’t matter. It is what it is. You can’t change it now. … We’re trying to move on from that.”
Fox finished the game with 18 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, but shot 6-for-16 and had 4 turnovers. If the Spurs want any hope of returning to the series, they must quickly shake off this loss, which is no easy task.
Game 5 takes place on Saturday night in San Antonio, with New York one win away from claiming its first title since 1973.
