DeAaron Foxs egregious play on biggest stage might ultimately sink Spurs in NBA Finals
In a split second, De’Aaron Fox became the basketball world’s object of consternation.The foil.
The antihero. It happened with less than 15 seconds left and the Spurs up 106-105.Victor Wembanyama got a defensive stop against Jalen Brunson, and Fox tipped the rebound to himself. What he did next will surely haunt him. After chasing the ball downcourt, Fox had a decision to make.
Use the clock.Or go for a layup. He’s fast.
He believed in himself.He decided to go for what he thought would be a sure way to give the Spurs a three-point lead.
A layup is easier to make than two free throws, after all. Except he miscalculated things. OG Anunoby met him in the paint.As Fox elevated with 11 seconds left, Anunoby made the block of his life. That mistake kicked open the door for the Knicks to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, storming back from a 29-point deficit to win Game 4 on Wednesday, 107-106. The Knicks found themselves with possession of the ball.
They had a relative eternity on the clock.They had a chance to clinch the game. Brunson attempted a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left that rimmed out.
Fox, who had left Anunoby to double-team the Knicks star, then watched his man cut through the lane, elevate and tip in the ball with 1.2 seconds remaining. So many things went wrong for the Spurs in a hellish fourth quarter, but Fox’s stunning decision to take that layup was instantly identified as the ultimate failure. It was the nadir.It was the eye of the storm.
He’s now the face of a collapse so large that it will be talked about for generations.It’s not fair.
But it’s basketball.Just ask JR Smith. The 28-year-old Fox is a veteran point guard.
The Spurs traded for him in February 2025 because they trusted him to shepherd the team in clutch moments.He signed a four-year, $229 million extension with the team in August. Fox had a fraction of a second to make a decision.
In this case, with the world watching, he happened ...