The New York Knicks are looking to build on their recent momentum and open up a commanding lead in the NBA Finals, while the San Antonio Spurs are determined to prevent that and knot the series at two games apiece.
After dropping the first two games on the road, the Knicks stormed back with a convincing victory in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. The win snapped a brief slide and gave New York a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven championship series.
"We know what's at stake," said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. "We can't get complacent. We have to come out with the same intensity and focus that we had in Game 3."
The Knicks' resurgence has been fueled by the stellar play of Jalen Brunson, who poured in 35 points and dished out eight assists in the Game 3 win. Julius Randle added a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds.
On the other side, the Spurs are hoping to rediscover the form that carried them to a 2-0 series lead. San Antonio's offense sputtered in Game 3, shooting just 41% from the field, and they were outrebounded 48-36.
"We just didn't execute on either end of the floor," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "We know what we need to do to win here. It starts with defense and rebounding."
The Spurs will look to their veteran core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili to lead the way. Ginobili acknowledged the challenge ahead: "They're a tough team at home, but we've been through this before. We just have to play our game."
Game 4 tips off tonight at 9:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden.