Magic Johnson Slams De'Aaron Fox After Costly Game 4 Blunder in NBA Finals
The San Antonio Spurs built a 29-point lead over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs were up 76-49 heading into halftime, and at that point, many fans had already tuned out. Then the Knicks pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history.
New York went on a 20-4 fourth-quarter run, led by Jalen Brunson, who finished with 36 points, and OG Anunoby, who ended with 33 points and the game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds left on the clock.
However, attention immediately shifted to Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox after the game, who delivered a brutal mistake that ultimately cost San Antonio the game.
The Spurs were hanging on to a one-point lead with just over 16 seconds left on the clock, and Brunson missed a short driving layup that would’ve given the Knicks the lead. Fox grabbed the loose ball, and instead of dribbling the ball out to take time off the clock, or call a timeout, he went in for the layup. Anunoby blocked it, New York regained possession, and the rest is history.
The final score was 107-106, and the Knicks had pulled off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Speaking with “First Take” on Friday, NBA legend Magic Johnson didn’t hold back, delivering a blunt critique of Fox’s mistake.
“He should have pulled the ball back out. You know the situation. Before the play happened, you already knew you were up one; the clock is your favorite friend, your partner. And so you have to do is say, ‘Hey, we’re up one. Let me just pull the ball back out, make them foul me, take more time off the clock.’ And I think that play really hurt the Spurs,” Johnson said. “De’Aaron as the point guard, you have to know every situation. And I think he should have pulled that ball back out.”
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The Knicks lead the series 3-1 and are just one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973. The issue for the Spurs is that only one team has ever come back from 3-1 in an NBA Finals.
Nobody is necessarily writing the Spurs off. They’re back at home with their backs against the wall, and they’ve got the greatest player on the planet in Victor Wembanyama. But the pressure is on now.
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Game 5 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The Spurs are 5.5-point home favorites with their season on the line.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 9:36 AM.