The New York Knicks had no business winning Game 2 of the finals. They had already stolen home-court advantage from the Spurs with a road win in Game 1, so they would have been forgiven a letdown two nights later. What happened was quite the contrary.
Game 2: Knicks 105 - Spurs 104
What Happened?
This game was crazy on all ends. This game started with the Spurs desperation and hunger becoming clear but the Knicks held on through hot shooting early. This led to the Spurs to cling to a 3-5 point lead throughout the first quarter. In the second quarter the Spurs began to pull away but the Knicks continued to stay in it through quick bursts when the Spurs began to extend their lead. Then, late in the 2nd quarter the Knicks went on a run led by KAT and Mikal Bridges to steal the lead at the half. From there it was all New York in the second half, dominating through their bench and hot shooting to extend their lead to 97-83 with only 6:04 to go in the 4th quarter. Then a San Antonio miracle occurred as they went on a 14-0 run led by their back-court duo of Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox and was sealed through a Wemby and-1 to give them a 102-104 lead with 57.3 seconds to go. Then, Jalen Brunson made another point for the clutchest player in the NBA with a fadeaway middy to tie the game with 39.3 seconds. The Spurs had a chance to take the lead but couldn’t capitalize giving the Knicks a chance to win it but was also couldn't capitalize. Victor Wembanyama grabbed the rebound from a missed Brunson middy and attempted to pass it to his guard, Stephon Castle. The issue was Stephon Castle did not realize Wemby was passing it. This simple miscommunication led to a turnover and Brunson picked the ball up and was subsequently fouled by Wemby. He hit a free throw to give the Knicks the 105-104 lead. The Spurs had the chance to win it with 7.5 seconds left and Wemby had a good look in the midrange over Mitchell Robinson at the buzzer. He missed and the Knicks won Game 2 by one point.
Biggest takeaways from the Spurs performance:
For just the second time in these playoffs, San Antonio lost the battle on the glass 44-42 to a Knicks squad that played with more desperation despite already stealing home-court advantage. The last time an opponent outrebounded the Spurs in the playoffs, they suffered a 15-point loss to Oklahoma City in the conference finals. Of the 37 teams to go up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, 32 have gone on to lift the trophy, making for long odds for San Antonio as the series shifts to New York.
Biggest takeaways from the Knicks performance:
KAT continued his career-best work, with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges seemed to hit everything in sight. The Knicks forced turnovers, got lucky ones and didn't beat themselves, an impressive showing in a situation where teams often fold after stealing a road Game 1. Perhaps the scariest part for the Spurs is that Jalen Brunson’s efficiency has been below par in the series so far shooting only 33% from the field. Additionally, we haven’t yet seen the inevitable Josh Hart hot hand yet with him shooting 0/5 in the series despite being given all the space in the world. This series is in New York’s hands with games 3 and 4 set to be in a ballistic Maddison Square Garden Arena. Game 3 might break decibel records.
Game 2’s biggest overreaction: The series is over.
The Knicks, somehow, have not lost in more than six weeks. San Antonio is the third team in NBA history to lose the first two games of the NBA Finals at home, joining the 1993 Suns and the 1995 Magic. The road teams in those two series, the Bulls and Rockets, went on to win titles. History alone shows that the Knicks should win even before accounting for the apparent injuries to Castle and Fox late in Game 2.
Yet despite all this, the Spurs shouldn’t give up just yet. Both games were super close and they showed that they can win huge games on the road from the OKC series. If Wemby can start turning up more and more and Castle and Fox make a return who says the Spurs can’t steal a game or two at the garden.
What to watch in Game 3:
After a disappointing offensive performance from the Spurs’ in games one and two, expect Mitch Johnson to shake things up. Dylan Harper has been the Spurs best player in this series even though he’s coming off the bench, so I expect more minutes for him and if Fox is injured he will have an incredibly heavy offensive workload to carry, even if Castle is available.
The Knicks just need to keep doing what they’re doing. The efficiency from Brunson will come and they will definitely be bolstered by the Knick fans at MSG. If they hold down the fort at home we could see a parade through the Canyon of Heroes next week.
