Isiah Thomas Believes Knicks Are Lucky to Escape Victor Wembanyama's Temper After Being Victim of 'Dirty' Play

After four games of the 2026 NBA Finals, it's safe to say that the series has become more physical than anticipated. NBA legend Isiah Thomas took notice of this and praised the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama for keeping his head cool.

In Game 3, Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson got into a controversy after the Spurs star shoved the New York Knicks star in the head. This resulted in the Knicks getting back at Wemby in Game 4, allegedly trying to hurt him in-game. Then, throughout Game 4, the Knicks players arguably executed dirty plays on the Spurs' center. Jose Alvarado, at one point, grabbed Wemby's leg to knock him to the ground. Mitchell Robinson then elbowed the towering Frenchman on the throat after he provoked him with some trash talk.

"Wemby has been the victim of some of the dirtiest s**t ever," Thomas, a two-time NBA champion with the 'Bad Boys' Detroit Pistons team, said on Run It Back.

"People are grabbing and holding him. ... As a person, it ain't ever okay to hit me and foul me hard. I'm not taking that s**t. ... Now with Wemby, we're allowing people to grab him, hold him, knock him down. ... His demeanor, they're lucky he hasn't turned around and popped one of them in the face. ... Wemby ain't put his hands on nobody yet. ... I give Wemby a lot of credit for his temper."

To Thomas' point, Wemby didn't retaliate when the Knicks targeted him on the court. Instead, he chose to smile, taunt, and clap, knowing that he got under the skin of his opponents.

Unfortunately for the Spurs star, it appears that the Knicks used that rage as fuel in Game 4 as they completed the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. New York came back from a 29-point deficit, beating San Antonio 107-106.

Game 5 shifts back to Frost Bank Arena, which should provide the Spurs with a significant boost as they look to keep their season alive in front of a packed home crowd. If they fail, it will be the end of the road, and the New York Knicks will secure their first NBA championship in more than 50 years.

Victor Wembanyama Hopeful For a Comeback in Game 5

With the Spurs trailing 3-1 in the NBA Finals, many expect the Knicks to close out the series in Game 5. According to TickPick, nearly half of the tickets sold for the game were purchased from New York and New Jersey area codes, compared to just 12% from Texas, raising the possibility of a sizable Knicks presence at Frost Bank Center.

But despite the disadvantage, it seems that Victor Wembanyama isn't rattled by their situation and is looking forward to making a potential 3-1 comeback.

"Everybody knows we're gonna do it," Wemby said in a press conference interview. "We need to isolate that one game and take it one game at a time. I think it'd be a mistake to waste our energy on multiple games. It's one game at a time."

In a conversation with Chris Haynes, he also sent a message to his San Antonio Spurs teammates.

"The first thing that should always be the case is believing, belief. But also the fact that we need to take it one game at a time. We need to win the next 48 minutes," the Frenchman declared.

The only team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals remains the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, who stunned Stephen Curry and the 73-win Golden State Warriors. If Wembanyama and the Spurs can pull off the same feat, they will earn a place alongside one of the most remarkable comeback teams in NBA history.