For six straight quarters, the Knicks' defense had been a hot mess.

Throughout Game 3, the Spurs were getting deep in the paint at will — 40 of their 84 shots came at, or within five feet, of the rim, including some spectacular Victor Wembanyama alley-oops. After posting a 104.1 offensive rating in a Game 2 loss, the Spurs picked apart the Knicks' defense to the tune of a 119.1 offensive rating in Game 3.

That turned out just to be the appetizer. The Knicks' defense was even worse in the first half against a Spurs team that could not seem to miss, allowing a 161.4 offensive rating to a San Antonio squad up 27 at halftime. Knicks' rotations were late, if they happened at all, and their transition defense felt non-existent.

Then, in the third quarter of Game 4, the Knicks completely flipped the script.

The entire historic 29-point comeback — including the iconic tip-in game-winner by OG Anunoby — does not happen without New York first stringing together stops. New York put together good defensive possession after good possession, following six quarters of failing to do exactly that.

New York held the Spurs to just 30 second-half points on 8-of-39 shooting, 3-of-17 from 3-point range and forced nine turnovers.

"Really, we didn't change much. We basically kept the same game plan," Knicks coach Mike Brown said. "But defensively, we just did it harder for longer stretches, and we were really in tune to what we were supposed to be doing. Our level of physicality increased without sending them to the free-throw line, as well, which is huge."
"Probably just our contests were better. Just like 1% better," Anunoby said. "Just a little bit better. Getting out faster and making sure every shot is contested and then finish possessions with rebounds and then running out, moving the ball, taking good shots, shooting open shots, not hesitating."

The Spurs more than helped contribute to their own demise. A team that had spent six quarters making a point of getting downhill met some resistance and just stopped, falling in love with the 3-pointer and pull-up jumpers — San Antonio scored just four points in the paint in the second half.

"The biggest thing was, I told the guys, we can play better," Brown said. "Right now we are letting the ball get to the paint and we've got to do a better job of keeping the ball out of the paint."

The Spurs shot 0-of-5 in the paint in the third, and while they tried to turn that around after the momentum shifted, they still shot just 2-of-9 in the paint in the fourth quarter.

One of the biggest changes Brown made in the clutch was to put his best perimeter defender, Anunoby, on De'Aaron Fox.

Fox is the veteran leader of the Spurs and the floor general, the guy supposed to settle the Spurs down and make smart plays when things are starting to go wrong. The steady hand. The coach on the court.

Instead, when the game got tight, for reasons nobody can explain, the Spurs kept running Fox isolations against Anunoby or pick-and-rolls where Anunoby would fight through the screen, which were consistently a disaster. I got a text from a scout watching at home during this stretch that was literally "STOP PLAYING THROUGH FOX WHEN OG IS GUARDING HIM!" Everyone saw the problem, but Fox and Spurs coach Mitch Johnson just kept going back to it.
There were multiple examples of Fox and Wembanyama miscommunicating on multiple pick-and-rolls under Anunoby's pressure. At one point, with 2:00 left in the game, it led to a Josh Hart breakaway and a blown layup that felt like it could be the Knicks' story of the night. With 37 seconds left, Fox just isolated on Anunoby and missed a midrange jumper, but got bailed out because Stephon Castle made a great play to get the offensive rebound and was fouled on the putback attempt.

Then came the defensive play nobody will forget.

Jalen Brunson missed a jumper with 16 seconds left that led to a scramble for the rebound, where the ball was tipped out into the backcourt. Fox chased it down and then, inexplicably, decided he could beat Anunoby to the basket and went for the layup rather than dribbling it out and forcing the Knicks to foul him (Fox is a 90% free throw shooter for the series). Anunoby won the battle at the rim with an epic block, keeping it a one-point game, and giving the Knicks a chance.

Anunoby is not likely to win Finals MVP, and nobody should have an issue if it goes to Jalen Brunson, but Anunoby's defensive contributions, on top of scoring 33 in Game 4, should have him in the conversation.

His key role in turning around the Knicks defense in the second half is why New York is one win away from its first title since 1973.