New York seemed to have the game in hand, but faltered at the end: the Spurs win with 32 points from Victor Wembanyama, finally getting on the board in these NBA Finals. Is this enough to completely shift the momentum?
This was clearly not the expected scenario: the New York Knicks had won the first two games of the NBA Finals on the road, and had two home games to potentially close out the series against the San Antonio Spurs! In a packed Madison Square Garden, Victor Wembanyama and his team - could they turn things around?
The French center scored the first four points of the game, dominating near the basket, while the Knicks kept turning the ball over. The Spurs quickly found their shooting touch, their execution was much smoother, and the lead soon grew to 10 points with an impeccable Stephon Castle.
The Knicks’ depth
It was Josh Hart who set the tone to get the New York machine going. But overall, the Knicks’ first quarter was a flop: not enough team play, too many turnovers, and San Antonio took full advantage to maintain the gap. Things were tough for New York, who had no rhythm and saw Castle dissecting their defense far too easily. But a burst of energy from the bench, especially from José Alvarado, was enough to get the home team back in it.
And as if by magic, the game flipped. Sure, San Antonio - and especially Wembanyama - kept up to stay in the game, but when the Knicks got rolling, there was nothing the Spurs could do: New York was dominant, with their leaders doing an incredible job, especially OG Anunoby. With a closing 8-0 run, the Knicks took the quarter 42-24 and could head to the locker room with a 64-57 lead.
Yet, that momentum vanished after halftime. New York started to fumble their offense again and quickly gave up a 6-0 run. That set the stage for a scrappy stretch as the game entered a new phase. But you could sense the Knicks had more firepower and could decide the outcome at any moment.
The Spurs’ determination
The bench continued to contribute, especially a Jordan Clarkson who had been quiet so far in these Finals. But the Spurs were far from giving up, managing to hold their own, especially thanks to suddenly much better team play. And a still-present Victor Wembanyama, who hit some shots and started to build momentum.
After a tense finish to the third quarter, the Spurs held a slim lead with 12 minutes to go. As usual, they started the fourth quarter strong, pulling ahead on the scoreboard while the Knicks struggled again. But a successful challenge on a foul by Mitchell Robinson - when the lead could have grown to 10 - seemed to change the dynamic.
But not enough: the Knicks seemed a bit out of gas and made several poor decisions. Their shots stopped falling, so Jalen Brunson went back to attacking the basket. But the end of the game seemed to slip into the Spurs’ hands: a big shot from Castle, and above all a basket from De'Aaron Fox that looked like a real dagger.
New York did not give up, though: Anunoby hit yet another big shot, but Castle capped off his great game with the game-winning free throws 115-111. The Knicks could have ended the suspense in this game, but clearly got tangled up. Now we will see if this win, earned with great team spirit and 32 points from Wembanyama, will be enough to turn the tide of the Finals.
