Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Spurs suffered the worst meltdown in Finals history in Game 4

Josh Hart was so close to becoming public enemy number one in New York after blowing an open layup on the break to the horror of home fans, but De’Aaron Fox bailed him out with one of the sorriest plays in NBA Finals history: rushing for a layup when OG Anunoby, of all people, was on his back hip, and all he needed to do was hold onto the ball. Then Anunoby tipped-in the dagger on the next possession.

For goodness sake, the Spurs were up a point. The basketball gods recoiled in disgust.

It was easily so much worse than J.R. Smith forgetting time and score at the end of Game 1 of the 2018 Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers still had overtime to play. The Spurs had a pistol in New York’s mouth and then fired on themselves with Fox pulling the trigger.

How will Fox sleep at night? He’s so lucky there’s a players’ union that ensures he’ll get on the jet. On top of that, coaches across the world will educate their players with that nightmarish tape in the film room. 

They had been up 29 points, and now the Knicks’ win surpasses the Boston Celtics’ epic comeback over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the 2008 Finals as the greatest in the NBA’s championship round.

The Spurs are going back to San Antonio down 3-1. The only team that’s come back from such depths in the Finals were the 2016 Cavaliers, but they had all-timer in LeBron James. Maybe Victor Wembanyama will finish with a special career, but he is not prime James, so good luck, San Antonio.

Wemby choked at the line worse than Manu Ginóbili and Kawhi Leonard in Game 6 at the Miami Heat’s house 13 years ago. He also shot 22.2 percent in the fourth quarter in the biggest game of his life, scoring eight of his team’s 30 second-half points.

Mitch Johnson got out-coached, and was unable to direct any solid instruction in the second half when his players were settling for jumpers. He stood there like the witnesses to Jesus’ whipping while the Spurs folded, and he subbed out Dylan Harper when he should have played all of the fourth quarter.

Four games have been decided by an average of four points. The reason they aren’t holding the 3-1 lead is because the Knicks are mentally stronger.