Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs, New York Knicks - prediction, team news, lineups for NBA Finals Game 5

With their backs against the wall, the San Antonio Spurs host the New York Knicks on Sunday at Frost Bank Center in a potentially deciding Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals.

The Knicks lead the series 3-1 after four clashes and need just one more victory to end a 53-year title wait since their 1973 triumph.

Match preview

Few postseason defeats have been more painful to recover from. The Spurs led 76-49 at half-time of Game Four at Madison Square Garden, dominating the first two quarters in a manner that should have made the outcome a formality.

Instead, they were outscored 58-30 in the second half, including 32-16 in the fourth quarter, and lost 107-106 in what stands as one of the most astonishing collapses in Finals history.

Much of the credit belongs to OG Anunoby, who produced undoubtedly the performance of the series so far and one of the best in NBA Finals history.

The Knicks forward contributed 33 points on a staggering 7-for-9 shooting from three-point range, constantly punishing a Spurs defence that had looked so commanding before the interval.

Jalen Brunson added 36 points and seven assists, continuing his remarkable run of clutch performances that has defined New York's postseason campaign.

For the Spurs, the first-half numbers tell a story of what might have been. Victor Wembanyama finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds but shot just 36% from the field and an uncharacteristic 57% from the free-throw line, missing valuable opportunities when points were most needed in the closing stages.

Dylan Harper, again the standout performer off the bench, delivered 21 points on 67% shooting, showing there is still plenty of firepower available to Mitch Johnson if the starters can hold their nerve across four quarters rather than two.

The historical precedent is daunting. Only one team in NBA history, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, have overturned a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. The Spurs must do what no team has done against the Knicks all postseason: beat them three times in a row.

Sunday's hosts can take encouragement from their home record. San Antonio have not lost three straight home games all season, and their form at Frost Bank Center during this playoff run leading up to the start of the Finals has been exceptional.

San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoffs form:

New York Knicks NBA Playoffs form:

Team News

David Jones Garcia remains the Spurs' only confirmed absentee, although the 24-year-old is close to fully recovering from an ankle problem and is expected to return next season.

Wembanyama has been a force all postseason, but his shooting inefficiency from Game Four must be addressed if San Antonio are to secure a crucial Game Five victory.

Brunson appears to have fully recovered from the issues he had in Game One, and his ability to deliver decisive points at critical moments, a trait that has defined his postseason, makes him the most dangerous player on either roster in the fourth quarter.

Mitchell Robinson, managing a broken right finger, is expected to play through the injury once again, as he has throughout the series.

San Antonio Spurs possible starting lineup:

Fox, Castle; Vassell, Champagnie; Wembanyama

New York Knicks possible starting lineup:

Brunson, Hart; Bridges, Anunoby; Towns

We say: Spurs to win by 7+ points

Momentum is with the Knicks, and history heavily favours them, but the Spurs are at home, playing for survival, and have every incentive to produce their most complete performance of the series.

We expect the Western Conference champions to live to fight another day with a huge win in front of their fans.