Dylan Harper vows Spurs will bounce back after Game 4 collapse
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) slips past the screen set by forward Victor Wembanyama as New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) defend sduring first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Filipino American Dylan Harper didn’t hide from the magnitude of the San Antonio Spurs’ Game 4 collapse in the NBA Finals, but the rookie guard also made it clear the series is far from over.
After the San Antonio Spurs squandered a 29-point lead in a thrilling 107–106 loss to the New York Knicks, Harper struck a composed and forward-looking tone, framing the defeat as motivation rather than devastation.
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) drives as San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper defend during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Spurs guard Dylan Harper: “Shock, but there’s a whole lot more basketball to be played. After this is over, I’m going to take a shower, wash it off, and go get ready for Game 5.” pic.twitter.com/XTuBBM3MrC
— Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) June 11, 2026
“This is (more) fuel to the fire for us. We’re going to go into the next game with sense of fire and be ready for Game 5. We can’t do anything about (Game 4) now,” Harper said, emphasizing urgency as the Spurs look to respond in a pivotal matchup.
Mental reset
Despite the weight of the loss, Harper described an immediate mental reset after the final buzzer.
#Spurs rookie Dylan Harper on tonight’s loss: “This is (more) fuel to the fire for us. We’re going to go into the next game with sense of fire and be ready for Game 5. We can’t do anything about (Game 4) now.” #PorVida pic.twitter.com/AzVM4BUNQ9
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) June 11, 2026
“Shock, but there’s a whole lot more basketball to be played. After this is over, I’m going to take a shower, wash it off and go get ready for Game 5,” he said, underscoring the need to quickly move on from the collapse.
The rookie guard also stressed that San Antonio is not allowing the defeat to linger psychologically as the series shifts back toward preparation mode.
“As a group, we won’t read into the mental thing,” Harper explained. “For me, a whole new fire, I feel like, is ignited in me, in a sense of, we gave that game away. And if we’re going to lose, we’re not going out like that. We’re going to put up a fight. We’re going to keep swinging.”
Harper added that both he and the team are committed to a strong response, saying, “But for me personally, this loss, I’m gonna bounce back. We’re all gonna bounce back and show the world what we’re made of.”
The Knicks’ comeback, now the largest in NBA Finals history, shifted the series momentum dramatically, giving New York a commanding 3–1 lead.
