Over the years, Charles Barkley has developed a reputation for making poor predictions. His iconic “guaranteed” stamp during episodes of “Inside the NBA” gained notoriety, as teams he supported routinely lost crucial matchups. In this regard, Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs was no different.
Despite having a 2-0 lead coming into their first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years, the Knicks came up short, suffering a 115-111 loss at the hands of the Spurs. Although this loss was undoubtedly a tough one for New York, it may have been even harder on Charles Barkley, whose bold halftime prediction on “Inside the NBA” backfired in tremendous fashion.
At the end of the first half, Barkley seemed quite certain of the state of the series, as he stated:
“Listen, man. I told you tonight. This series is a wrap… Oh hell, yeah. Down seven? I think it’s over. I’ll put my house against your little house. Guaranteed!”
The Knicks boasted a 64-57 lead going into the second half. Although San Antonio started strong in the first quarter, New York’s scoring outburst in the second quarter (42-24) seemingly tipped the scales in the game.
Given the influence of the crowd at MSG, along with the sheer individual brilliance of players like Jalen Brunson (32 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST) and OG Anunoby (28 PTS, 5 REB, 2 BLK, 9-13 FG), the Spurs looked overwhelmed. In every sense, Charles Barkley appeared on track to end his streak of poor predictions.
Unfortunately for the NBA legend, San Antonio had other plans.
Although they routinely struggled in the third quarter of every game in the series thus far, the Spurs came out firing. After Julian Champagnie (12 PTS, 3 AST, 3-7 3PT) got the ball rolling, the remaining players followed suit. With players like Dylan Harper (13 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST) and Devin Vassell (11 PTS, 4 REB, 3-4 3PT) stepping up on offense, San Antonio outscored the Knicks 35-27 in the third, helping them enter the fourth quarter with a one-point lead.
Even with the momentum on their side, Charles Barkley was still in a good position to be right. Given how effective the Knicks had been in the fourth throughout the season, they proved they were capable of coming through once again. Sadly, San Antonio showcased growth and resilience on Monday night.
With both teams duking it out in the fourth quarter, and despite some huge baskets by Brunson and Anunoby, San Antonio came out on top. With Victor Wembanyama (32 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK) putting the final touches on the win with 10 points in the final frame, the Spurs secured their first win of this year’s NBA Finals, ensuring that the series heads back home for Game 5.
As things stand, Barkley is still in a position to be right, as the Knicks enjoy a 2-1 lead going into Game 4. However, given how his predictions have typically played out, the Knicks are far from being in the clear.
