The Knicks are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, so the Finals MVP race is already moving heavily toward their side. The Spurs still have Victor Wembanyama, and his numbers are strong to stay in the top three, but the award almost always follows the team that wins the title.
Right now, Karl-Anthony Towns has the best case. Jalen Brunson still has the star-closing case. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have smaller but very useful two-way cases. Wembanyama has the best raw talent case, but the Spurs are down two games and he had late-game mistakes in both losses.
Here are the top five Finals MVP candidates after Game 2.
1. Karl-Anthony Towns
Game 1: 18 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 7-15 FG, 0-2 3PT, 4-4 FT
Game 2: 21 PTS, 13 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 8-12 FG, 3-5 3PT, 2-2 FT
Finals Stats: 19.5 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 55.6% FG, 42.9% 3PT
Karl-Anthony Towns is the Finals MVP leader after two games. The reason is not only the scoring. It is the full picture.
Towns has been the Knicks’ most stable player in both games. He had 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in Game 1, then followed with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists in Game 2. That is strong by itself, but the efficiency makes it bigger. He is shooting 55.6% from the field and 42.9% from three in the series.
That is very good against a Spurs team built around Wembanyama’s length and rim protection.
The bigger point is the defensive work. Towns isn’t shutting Wembanyama down because nobody is doing that. Wembanyama still has 27.5 points per game in the series. But Towns is making him work. He is pushing him off spots, using his body early and forcing more difficult catches.
In Game 1, Wembanyama shot 6-of-21. In Game 2, he was much better, but the final minute still went wrong for him. Towns is not the only reason, but his physical defense is part of the story.
The Knicks also need Towns’ scoring because Brunson hasn’t been efficient. Towns has 39 points on only 27 shots. Brunson has 50 points on 56 shots. That difference is huge.
If the series ended today, Towns would win the award. He has the best balance of production, efficiency, rebounding, and matchup impact.
2. Jalen Brunson
Game 1: 30 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 12-31 FG, 2-9 3PT, 4-4 FT
Game 2: 20 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 5 STL, 0 BLK, 7-25 FG, 2-8 3PT, 4-5 FT
Finals Stats: 25.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG, 33.9% FG, 23.5% 3PT
Jalen Brunson is second because his clutch case is still the deciding factor, even if the efficiency is ugly.
Brunson has 25.0 points per game in the Finals, which leads the Knicks. He scored 30 in Game 1 and hit the biggest shots during the 11-0 closing run. That is the part everyone remembers. The Knicks were down late, the Spurs looked ready to win, and Brunson took over.
Game 2 was different. Brunson shot only 7-of-25 from the field and 2-of-8 from three. That was a bad shooting night. No need to dress it up. His shot quality wasn’t always good, and the Spurs made him work with size and pressure.
But he still won the game.
He had 20 points, six assists, five rebounds, and five steals. The steal number is the part that keeps him high in the race. Brunson’s late steal on Wembanyama helped create the final free throw that gave the Knicks the 105-104 win. He also made the tying basket before that.
So the case is strange. Brunson is shooting only 33.9% from the field and 23.5% from three in the Finals. Normally, that kills an MVP argument. But he has owned the biggest offensive moments in Game 1 and the biggest pressure sequence in Game 2.
If Brunson has one efficient scoring game at home, he can jump back to No. 1 fast. The award voters love closers, and Brunson is still the Knicks’ closer.
For now, Towns has been better over the full 96 minutes. Brunson has been more dramatic.
3. Victor Wembanyama
Game 1: 26 PTS, 12 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 6-21 FG, 2-9 3PT, 12-13 FT
Game 2: 29 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 4 BLK, 11-21 FG, 2-6 3PT, 5-8 FT
Finals Stats: 27.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 3.5 BPG, 40.5% FG, 26.7% 3PT
Victor Wembanyama has the best individual numbers in the series, but the Spurs are down 0-2. That is why he can’t be higher than third.
Wembanyama is putting up 27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 3.5 blocks per game. That is a huge Finals line. The problem is that the efficiency and late-game execution haven’t matched the box score.
Game 1 was rough. He had 26 points and 12 rebounds, but he shot 6-of-21 from the field and had six turnovers. The Knicks made him look uncomfortable for long stretches. He still got to the line 13 times, but the half-court offense didn’t feel easy around him.
Game 2 was a much better response. Wembanyama scored 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, with nine rebounds, two steals, and four blocks. He looked stronger in the second half and gave the Spurs a real chance to win.
Then the last minute hurt his MVP case badly.
He threw the turnover that Brunson stole. He fouled Brunson. He missed the final jumper at the buzzer. That is brutal because those plays decided a one-point game.
The talent is still insane. The defensive gravity is huge. The Spurs can still come back if Wembanyama dominates at Madison Square Garden. But Finals MVP from the losing team almost never happens, and Wembanyama has two late-game scars already.
He is still in the race because he is that good. But the Spurs need wins now.
4. OG Anunoby
Game 1: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 5-12 FG, 3-6 3PT, 4-4 FT
Game 2: 17 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 5-10 FG, 2-5 3PT, 5-5 FT
Finals Stats: 17.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 45.5% FG, 45.5% 3PT
OG Anunoby is not the loudest name in this series, but he has a real top-five MVP case after two games.
Anunoby has scored exactly 17 points in both games. That is not crazy volume, but the shot profile is perfect for the Knicks. He is shooting 45.5% from three, making free throws, and giving the team scoring without needing long touches.
His Game 1 fourth quarter was huge. He scored 12 of his 17 points in that period and helped the Knicks close with the 11-0 run. That is the type of stretch that doesn’t always lead the highlight shows, but it changes the game.
Game 2 was even more complete. Anunoby had 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. That is four stocks, which is exactly why his Finals value is so high. He can guard wings, switch onto guards, help near the rim and still hit open threes.
The Knicks need that because Brunson and Towns have matchups that can be attacked. Anunoby cleans up a lot behind them. He makes the lineups safer.
The reason he is not higher is simple. He hasn’t had the same offensive load as Towns or Brunson. The MVP usually goes to the main scorer or the obvious matchup winner. Anunoby is more of a rotation stabilizer.
But he is not just a role player right now. He has 34 points, three steals, three blocks, and five made threes through two games. That is big-time Finals wing production.
If the Knicks win the title and Anunoby has one monster two-way game, he can become a serious dark horse.
5. Mikal Bridges
Game 1: 9 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 3-6 FG, 0-0 3PT, 3-4 FT
Game 2: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 8-13 FG, 4-6 3PT, 0-0 FT
Finals Stats: 14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG, 57.9% FG, 66.7% 3PT
Mikal Bridges gets the fifth spot because Game 2 gave his Finals case real life.
His Game 1 was quiet. He had only nine points and didn’t attempt a three. For a player with his shooting and spacing value, that was too passive. Still, he defended, got two steals, and was on the floor for the game-ending 11-0 run.
Game 2 was a different player.
Bridges finished with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He shot 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 from three. That was huge because Brunson couldn’t buy easy offense for most of the night. The Knicks needed another perimeter player to create shots, and Bridges gave them that.
His total series efficiency is excellent. He is shooting 57.9% from the field and 66.7% from three. That is obviously not sustainable at this level, but after two games it is enough to be in the MVP ladder.
Bridges also gives the Knicks another defender who can survive different matchups. He isn’t carrying the main Wembanyama assignment like Towns, and he isn’t closing like Brunson, but his two-way flexibility gives the Knicks more answers.
The case against him is Game 1 volume. Nine points is low for a Finals MVP candidate. He needs more scoring nights like Game 2 to climb higher.
For now, Bridges is behind Anunoby because Anunoby has been more steady across both games. But the difference is close. If Bridges has another 20-point, high-efficiency game in Game 3, he could jump into the top three.
The Knicks are deep enough that this race can still move. Bridges is proof of that.
