Game 2 stays at Frost Bank Center on Friday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Knicks lead the NBA Finals 1-0 after winning the opener, 105-95. The Spurs led by 14 points during the third quarter and by one with 2:16 remaining, but the Knicks closed the game on an 11-0 run. The Knicks also outscored the Spurs 57-40 after halftime.
Jalen Brunson finished Game 1 with 30 points, but needed 31 shots and had only two assists. Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. Josh Hart scored only three points, but produced 15 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The Knicks won despite getting only nine points from Mikal Bridges.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, but shot 6-of-21 from the field, went 2-of-9 from three, and committed six turnovers. Stephon Castle had 17 points and eight rebounds. Dylan Harper added 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell combined for only 16 points on 7-of-24 shooting.
Injury Report
Spurs
No players listed.
Knicks
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Why The Spurs Have The Advantage
The Spurs played poorly in several important areas and still led late. Wembanyama had his least efficient shooting game of the playoffs. Fox scored seven points on 3-of-13 shooting. Vassell scored nine points and made only one of six threes. The Spurs still controlled most of the first three quarters and built a 14-point lead. A normal shooting response from their three main scorers changes the game immediately.
The first adjustment has to be Wembanyama’s shot profile. He took nine threes and made two. Towns defended him physically, and the Knicks were comfortable when Wembanyama caught the ball far from the rim. The Spurs need more early seals, high-post touches, rolls, and actions where he catches the ball while moving. He cannot spend another game trying to create most of his offense from outside.
Paint defense is another major number. The Knicks scored 50 points in the paint in Game 1. Before the Finals, the Spurs led all playoff defenses by allowing only 40.9 paint points per 100 possessions. They are now 9-1 in the playoffs when holding opponents below 40 paint points, but only 3-6 when allowing at least 40. The Knicks reached 50 despite Wembanyama playing 38 minutes.
The Spurs also need better ball movement. They finished Game 1 with only 16 assists and 13 turnovers. The Knicks had 20 assists and only eight turnovers. Wembanyama committed six turnovers by himself. The Spurs cannot allow the Knicks to set their half-court defense after loose passes and slow possessions.
The three-point shooting should improve. Julian Champagnie made five threes in the first half, but did not make another after halftime. The rest of the Spurs combined to shoot 6-of-33 from three, only 18.2%. Fox went 0-of-4, while Vassell went 1-of-6. Those are open shots the Spurs need to make in Game 2.
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks won Game 1 without an efficient Brunson performance. He shot 12-of-31 from the field and was 7-of-22 through three quarters. He still scored 13 points in the fourth quarter and outscored the Spurs 13-9 by himself over the final 7:30. The Knicks can survive difficult offensive stretches because Brunson controls the final possessions.
The second-half execution was the biggest difference. The Knicks committed only one turnover after halftime and had zero in the fourth quarter. The Spurs had five fourth-quarter turnovers and shot only 28.6% from the field in the final period. That gave the Knicks enough possessions to erase the lead and control the finish.
The Knicks also won the physical areas. They scored 50 points in the paint and produced 23 second-chance points. Towns had 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Hart collected 15 rebounds despite being one of the smaller players on the floor. The Spurs had more total rebounds, but the Knicks got the important rebounds late.
Towns created the main tactical problem. He pulled Wembanyama away from the rim, attacked before Wembanyama could recover, and defended him with enough strength to force difficult shots. Towns also forced four of Wembanyama’s six turnovers. If that matchup stays even, the Knicks have an advantage because Brunson is the more stable late-game creator.
The Knicks have now won 12 straight playoff games, including seven straight on the road. Their Game 1 win was not based on elite shooting. It was based on defense, second chances, low turnovers, and late execution. Those areas are more repeatable than a hot three-point night.
X-Factors
Dylan Harper was the Spurs’ best secondary scorer in Game 1. He had 16 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes, but played only 3:33 in the fourth quarter. Fox played almost 11 fourth-quarter minutes without scoring. The Spurs need Harper’s size, rebounding, and downhill pressure on the floor during the important possessions.
Devin Vassell has to improve after scoring nine points and shooting 1-of-6 from three. The Knicks will continue sending attention toward Wembanyama. Vassell will get open shots and closeout opportunities. The Spurs need at least 15-18 points from him to give the offense enough balance.
Josh Hart is the Knicks’ main effort X-factor. His Game 1 line was only three points, but he had 15 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. He grabbed six rebounds in the fourth quarter and matched the entire Spurs roster with four steals. If Hart keeps winning extra possessions, the Spurs will struggle to control the game even when Brunson is inefficient.
Landry Shamet gives the Knicks another spacing piece. He had 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and made three of six threes in Game 1. He has now scored in double figures in three straight games, after making 11 of 12 threes during the Eastern Conference Finals. The Spurs cannot help away from him when Brunson attacks.
Prediction
The Knicks have the best late-game structure, and their defense already showed it can make Wembanyama and Fox inefficient. But the Spurs had a 14-point lead despite shooting 26.0% from three and getting only 16 combined points from Fox and Vassell. That poor offensive production should not fully repeat.
The Spurs need more Harper minutes, fewer Wembanyama turnovers, and stronger paint defense. I expect all three adjustments in Game 2. The Knicks keep it close, but the Spurs respond before the series moves away from Frost Bank Center.
Prediction: Spurs 107, Knicks 102
