Stephon Castle Explains Spurs' Major Issue After Losing NBA Finals Game 4
The San Antonio Spurs went into Madison Square Garden seeming full of confidence for NBA Finals Game 4, building a strong 29-point lead and looking like they would even the series 2-2 with the New York Knicks.
Instead, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and the Knicks decided otherwise, as they fought back in the second half to embarrass the young Spurs, with an epic comeback featuring a late tip-in shot to win the game, 107-106.
The Knicks’ win will go down in history as one of the biggest comebacks ever in the NBA Finals, which also makes it the biggest meltdown in NBA Finals history for the Spurs.
That painful loss has the power to demoralize a team that was on the verge of making this a much more compelling series, with the potential for seven games. That potential still exists, but will become much tougher now for the Spurs.
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Stephon Castle regressed from his previous Game 3 performance, scoring just 13 points on 2 of 7 shooting for the Spurs in their Game 4 loss. Castle remained steady at the free-throw line, knocking down all eight of his attempts.
He spoke with reporters from the locker room after the game, revealing what is plaguing San Antonio throughout this series.
“It's a tough loss, obviously. It's going to take us a minute to get over it,” Castle said. “But obviously, we still have belief in each other and confidence that we're going to win the next game. It's still first to four. Coach Mitch said it best, We've pretty much dictated the winner or loser of all of these games. I think us finishing games and trying to maintain our leads has been tough for us.”
Ahead of Game 4, Castle showed his confidence when he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews he believed his team could win the next three games. They can still win the next three, but the Knicks have been particularly impressive in remaining poised, fighting back, and closing teams out late, something San Antonio can definitely learn from.
A late-game mistake arrived from Spurs veteran guard De’Aaron Fox, who had a fast break steal with under 15 seconds remaining. Rather than run time off the clock and take a foul from the Knicks, he attempted a layup, later admitting he thought he could outrun Anunoby and put his team up three.
That is the sort of mistake that a veteran player shouldn’t make late in a game with so much on the line. One has to believe that some of the Spurs’ younger players, including Castle, wouldn’t have done the same as Fox, but anything’s possible in high-stakes games.
The Spurs’ only win of the series remains Game 3, which was also close down the stretch. They escaped Madison Square Garden with a four-point win, but in Game 2 and Game 3, they suffered the same fates, as their opponents were much more equipped to make the right plays when it came to winning late.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 9:44 AM.