NBA icon Charles Barkley labeled the San Antonio Spurs the least intelligent basketball side in the history of the sport after the New York Knicks completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

The Spurs held a 29-point advantage while attempting to even the best-of-seven series in New York ahead of game five, but the Knicks rallied for a 107-106 victory.

London-born OG Anunoby delivered a tip-in basket with 1.2 seconds remaining to seal the win, thrilling a celebrity-filled crowd at Madison Square Garden that featured Taylor Swift and Timothee Chalamet.

The result gave the Knicks a 3-1 series lead and placed them one victory away from their first title since 1973.

The prior largest comeback in the NBA Finals stood at 24 points, achieved by the Boston Celtics versus the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.

San Antonio built a 29-point cushion in the second quarter and carried a 27-point halftime edge of 76-49, the biggest for a visiting team in Finals history, yet they managed just 30 points after the break.

"That was some of the most mismanaged, poor basketball," remarked ESPN analyst and former NBA most valuable player Barkley.

"When you lose a 29-point lead, the opposing team must contribute, and the San Antonio Spurs assisted the New York Knicks in securing this win."

Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 24 points and added 13 rebounds.

"I cannot fully account for it at this moment," stated the NBA defensive player of the year.

"I am unsure. It comes down to execution and a degree of selfishness. We were clearly not the hungriest side in the second half."

The Knicks still trailed 90-75 entering the fourth quarter, but Jalen Brunson gave them their first lead at 105-104 with 82 seconds left.

Anunoby recorded a block with 11.1 seconds remaining to prevent the Spurs from going ahead 108-105, then tipped in the decisive basket after Brunson's three-point shot hit the rim.

"One word that sums it up is 'belief'," Brunson told ESPN. "We chipped away one possession at a time. It was never going to come down to a single play."

Game five takes place in San Antonio on Saturday (01:30 BST, Sunday).