Knicks Edge Spurs Late to Take 2-0 Lead in NBA Finals
Game 2 in San Antonio slipped away from the hosts after a Wembanyama turnover in the final possession, and Brunson sealed it from the line in the closing seconds.
- The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-104 to take a 2-0 lead in the Finals series.
- Victor Wembanyama lost the ball on a poor pass during the final possession with the game tied at 104-104.
- Jalen Brunson hit the decisive free throw in the closing seconds after a foul.
- The Knicks are only the third team in history to win the first two Finals games on the road.
On the final possession the ball was in the hands of the man the whole building rose to watch. Tied at 104-104, with just over ten seconds on the clock, Victor Wembanyama went looking to win the game and tried to feed Stephon Castle. The pass never arrived. Thrown badly, it slipped away, and with it went San Antonio’s best chance to level the series.
The Frost Bank Center fell silent for a moment. A second later it roared again, but for the visitors. The New York Knicks cashed in the gift, drew a foul on Wembanyama as the hosts scrambled, and Jalen Brunson stepped calmly to the line. He made what he had to make, pushed the scoreboard to 105-104 and moved his team one step from the title.
How the Knicks survived the comeback
The Spurs chased all through the second half and had the momentum behind them. Wembanyama carried the offence with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, dominated the paint and looked like a player who could swing the series on his own. But the Knicks answered with what has defined them all season, shared workload and composure in the key possessions.
Their most productive man was Karl-Anthony Towns with 21 points and 13 rebounds plus 4 assists, solid at both ends. Mikal Bridges added 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and was the most present in the decisive minutes. Brunson had a rough night from the floor, 7-of-25, yet he buried the free throw everyone will remember.
- Towns: 21 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists
- Bridges: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
- Wembanyama: 29 points, 11-of-21 from the floor
- Brunson: decisive free throw, 7-of-25 from the floor
The Knicks won the opener more comfortably, 105-95, then had to squeeze the second one out to the last second. The scoreline holds, and the series lead grows.
What a 2-0 lead means before the return to New York
The numbers favour the visitors. The Knicks are only the third team in history to win the first two Finals games on the road. The Bulls did it in 1993 and the Rockets in 1995, and both teams went on to finish the series with the trophy in hand. Experience and composure are what New York leans on now.
I have been on the other side, when you are a young team. We lean on experience and execution. (Karl-Anthony Towns)
Coach Mike Brown did not hide his satisfaction after the game and pointed to the heart of the series, his team’s toughness in the moments when the result is decided.
It is an incredible feeling to know how mentally tough your team is. (Mike Brown)
The series now shifts to New York, where the Knicks have a chance to put three steps between themselves and the title in front of their own crowd. The Spurs, with a Wembanyama growing from game to game, must find a way to win at least one on the road if they want to stay alive. After the opener and the 1-0 lead, this second win puts New York in serious control.
Do the Spurs and the league’s youngest star have it in them to turn the series around, or is New York already too strong for them?
