THE HERD - Hour 1 - The Knicks did the impossible last night
The Knicks pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in NBA Finals history, overcoming a 27-point deficit to win Game 4 in New York—capping a series defined not by a dominant team, but by a historic run of resilience. Colin Cowherd argues that the real story isn’t the Knicks’ greatness, but the catastrophic coaching failure by San Antonio’s rookie head coach Mitch Johnson, who ignored basic in-game adjustments: leaving 7'4" Wemby in the game for 44 minutes, failing to rest him during a 27-point lead, and letting the Spurs miss critical shots in the paint while relentlessly firing threes. The collapse wasn’t just about talent—it was about inexperience, poor decision-making, and a lack of veteran leadership in the final minutes. Cowherd draws a stark contrast between young, untested teams like the Spurs and the seasoned, clutch-minded Knicks, whose depth and fourth-quarter execution made them a model of what an 'all-time run' looks like—without being an all-time team. He also uses the moment to critique the myth of 'greatness' in sports, emphasizing that narrative is often shaped by how a team handles adversity, not just their talent.
The Knicks didn’t win because they were great—they won because they were clutch, resilient, and executed under pressure in every game.
San Antonio’s coaching staff failed to rest Wemby during a 27-point lead, playing him 44 minutes and leaving him gassed in the final minutes.
The Spurs blew five double-digit playoff leads—tying the record for most blown leads in NBA history—highlighting systemic inexperience and poor in-game decision-making.
Rookie head coach Mitch Johnson made critical errors: ignoring the bonus, failing to feed Wemby in the paint, and letting De'Aaron Fox dominate despite a poor night.
The Knicks’ success is a product of a trade-and-acquire strategy, not draft-and-develop, with OG Anunoby being the most coveted player in the league.
…and 4 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Hand of God Wasn't Maradona—It Was Coaching Failure
“You can't get Wemby a three to four minute stretch off. You can't get Dylan Harper a shot. You're in the bonus with eight minutes left, eight minutes left. You take one shot in the paint and you got the best seven foot four player in the history of the sport.”
The Knicks’ Run: Not Great, But Legendary
“It's not an all-time team. It's an all-time run. They've trailed with two minutes left in every game, but it is a collection of players.”
The Game-Winning Tip-In: A Moment for the Ages
“This is probably the biggest single shot. I'm trying to think top of my head. When's the last time in the NBA we had a shot this memorable? We've all seen the MJ shots or the...”
Wemby’s Collapse: A Coaching Oversight
Cowherd criticizes the Spurs’ failure to manage Wemby’s minutes, calling it a staff failure. He compares it to how legends like Shaq were managed in the past.
The Real Reason Young Teams Fail in the Finals
Cowherd argues that older players and coaches have an edge in the postseason due to experience in manipulating referees, end-of-game scenarios, and managing pressure.
“You can't get Wemby a three to four minute stretch off. You can't get Dylan Harper a shot. You're in the bonus with eight minutes left, eight minutes left. You take one shot in the paint and you got the best seven foot four player in the history of the sport.”
“Billionaires are not equal. They just sound rich.”
“Officiating is situational. You know, it's like if you get to the 10th round of a fight, the 10th and final round, and you got two warriors have been going at it for an hour. And one guy's in trouble. And there's 15 seconds left. The referee's going to let it go.”
Host
spurs
other
knicks
other
wemby
person
colin cowherd
person
og anunoby
person
mitch johnson
person
bears
other
patrick mahomes
person
us men's national team
other
taylor swift
person
2026 Finals Lessons, Giannis’s Next Stop, Brunson’s Apex, and Mike Brown’s Magic Touch With Doc Rivers
1h 59m • 6/17/2026
THE HERD - Hour 1 - Spurs vs Knicks tonight, thoughts on a possible Aaron Donald return, Les Snead
42m • 6/3/2026
What’s Wright - Best Of - Knicks HISTORIC comeback, Wemby & Spurs MELTDOWN + World Cup Predictions
1h 9m • 6/14/2026
Colin Cowherd Podcast - Wemby Is The Best Player In The World, NBA Finals Predictions Preview & Predictions, Should OKC Trade For Giannis? Start Of Spurs Dynasty?
44m • 5/31/2026
Colin Cowherd Podcast - KAT Outplaying Wemby, Knicks Are A GREAT Story, Knicks Are A BAD Matchup For The Spurs, RIP Stacey King
40m • 6/7/2026
Hoops Tonight - THUNDER-SPURS REACTION: Wembanyama & Castle FORCE GAME 7 vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Chet Holmgren
52m • 5/30/2026
What's Wright - Nick Wright Mailbag: What's next for LeBron? Thunder dynasty? + Nick's BEST LESSONS from career
32m • 5/30/2026
FantasyPros - 11 Fantasy Football BUSTS To Avoid | Overvalued Players & Early-Round Draft Landmines (Ep. 2035)
58m • 5/30/2026
Best of the week on The Herd
53m • 5/30/2026
What's Wright - Best Of - Knicks HISTORIC Finals run, Wemby's MOMENT has arrived, LeBron's future in LA | Nick Wright
1h 8m • 5/31/2026
Start discovering podcast insights today
Start with a 7-day trial and explore a growing catalog of popular podcasts. No credit card required.
No credit card required • 7-day trial • Cancel anytime