Game 3 is at Madison Square Garden on Monday, June 8, at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Knicks lead the Spurs 2-0 in the NBA Finals after taking both games on the road.
They won Game 1, 105-95, then survived Game 2, 105-104, after Victor Wembanyama missed the final shot at the buzzer. The series now moves to the Knicks’ floor, where they can take a 3-0 lead and put the Finals almost out of reach.
Game 2 was there for the Spurs. They started 13-of-20 from the field in the first quarter, led by nine after one, and later came back from 14 down in the fourth. De’Aaron Fox scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, Dylan Harper had 15 points, and Wembanyama finished with 29 points and nine rebounds. The Knicks still won because Jalen Brunson had 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, and five steals, while Mikal Bridges scored 20 points and hit four threes.
Brunson is leading the Knicks with 25.0 points per game in the Finals. Karl-Anthony Towns is leading them on the glass at 12.5 rebounds per game. Wembanyama leads the Spurs with 27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game in the series, but the Knicks have forced him into tougher volume. He is shooting 40.5% in the Finals after shooting 51.0% over his first 17 playoff games.
Injury Report
Knicks
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Spurs
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Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks have the series control, the home floor, and the better late-game structure. That is the first point. They did not play perfect basketball in Game 2. Brunson needed 18 shots to get 20 points. The Spurs shot 65.0% in the first quarter. Wembanyama had 21 second-half points. The Knicks still won.
The biggest stat is the win streak. The Knicks have won 13 straight playoff games, which is tied for the second-longest single-postseason winning streak in NBA history. If they win Games 3 and 4, they tie the 2017 Warriors’ 15-game playoff win streak. That is not only momentum. It shows consistency over different matchups and game scripts.
Towns is the main tactical piece. He is not only spacing. He is rebounding, passing, and defending Wembanyama with enough physical strength to make every catch harder. Through his first 16 playoff games, Towns joined Nikola Jokic as the only players with at least 275 points, 170 rebounds, 90 assists, and 25 made threes in that span. That is elite frontcourt creation.
The Knicks also have the Brunson clutch edge. In Game 2, Brunson tied the game at 104 with 39 seconds left, then made one of two free throws after Wembanyama’s late turnover. It was not a clean scoring night, but the final possessions still ran through him. That matters in Game 3 because the Spurs have not shown the same late-game control.
The Knicks’ shot distribution is also stronger. They got 20 points from Bridges on 8-of-9 shooting through three quarters in Game 2, Hart is giving rebounds and defense, and OG Anunoby is leading them in blocks in the Finals at 1.5 per game. That gives them more two-way balance than the Spurs right now.
Why The Spurs Have The Advantage
The Spurs still have Wembanyama, and that is enough to keep Game 3 dangerous. He is averaging 27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks in the Finals. Even with the lower efficiency, he has been the best raw producer in the series. The Knicks have made him work, but they have not removed him from the matchup.
The first Game 3 adjustment is simple. Wembanyama needs more early touches near the paint. In Game 2, he had only four shots in the first half. Mitch Johnson said that was “not acceptable,” and he was right. The Spurs cannot wait until the second half to involve their best player. They need rolls, seals, elbow touches, and quick entries before the Knicks set their help.
Fox was much better in Game 2. After a poor Game 1, he scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting and gave the Spurs early rim pressure. That is the version they need again. If Fox gets downhill, the Knicks have to pull help from Wembanyama, Champagnie, or Vassell. If Fox is passive, the Knicks can stay attached and load more bodies toward Wembanyama.
The Spurs also showed their four-guard look can create problems. Fox, Harper, Castle, Vassell, and Wembanyama helped fuel the Game 2 comeback. That lineup gave them more ball-handling, more transition speed, and more pressure against the Knicks’ guards. It is risky defensively and on the glass, but the Spurs may need it again because the standard lineups have not produced enough late-game offense.
The problem is history. No team has won the Finals after losing the first two games at home. The Spurs are also only the third team ever to lose Games 1 and 2 of the Finals at home. That does not decide Game 3, but it shows the size of the hole.
X-Factors
Mikal Bridges is a major Knicks X-factor. He had 20 points in Game 2, made four threes, and was 8-of-9 from the field through three quarters. The Spurs will keep sending size at Brunson. Bridges has to keep punishing those rotations with quick threes and cuts. If he gives the Knicks another 18-22 points, the Spurs cannot overload on Brunson and Towns.
Josh Hart does not need scoring to swing the game. He is tied with Brunson for the Knicks’ Finals lead in steals at 2.5 per game, and he gives them rebounds, transition passing, and physical defense. If Hart wins the loose-ball possessions again, the Knicks can survive another average shooting night.
Dylan Harper is the Spurs’ best bench X-factor. He had 15 points in Game 2 and was important during the fourth-quarter push. The Spurs need him attacking the rim, not standing as a spacer. If Harper reaches 14-18 points again, the Spurs can keep enough guard pressure on the floor when Fox sits.
Devin Vassell has to give the Spurs more efficient scoring. He scored 11 points in the first half of Game 2 and opened the game with a three-pointer, but the Spurs need a full game from him. His job is clear: hit open threes, defend Knicks wings, and attack closeouts. If Vassell is under 12 points again, the Spurs lose too much perimeter balance.
Prediction
The Spurs can win Game 3 if Wembanyama gets more early paint touches and Fox repeats his Game 2 efficiency. Their best lineup may be smaller and faster, with more guards around Wembanyama. That gives them a real path.
Still, the Knicks have been the cleaner team. They have won two different types of games, they are home now, and their late-game offense is more reliable. Brunson does not need to dominate every quarter. He only needs the final possessions, and that has been enough.
Prediction: Knicks 108, Spurs 103
