NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his first NBA Finals win, carrying the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 victory on Monday night that cut the New York Knicks’ series lead to 2-1.
Read more Winn wastes Webb’s brilliant start as SF Giants fall to Nationals
The Spurs handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days and potentially salvaged their season in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that included President Donald Trump.
The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history behind the Warriors’ run in 2017, snapped and missed a chance to move to the brink of their first championship since 1973.
Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox hit big shots late as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole, which no NBA team has escaped. Now they can tie the series Wednesday night and are guaranteed another home game, with Game 5 scheduled for Saturday.
Castle finished with 23 points as the Spurs got started in their quest to become the first team to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two at home.
With the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama and his array of skills, anything looks possible.
“I’m sure Victor has numerous sources of motivation,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I don’t think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance.”
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, and OG Anunoby had 28 for the Knicks, who lost for the first time since April 23 in Game 3 of their first-round series against Atlanta.
The run stirred New York into a frenzy, with raucous watch parties, fans paying outrageous sums of money for tickets, and “Knicks In Four” becoming a daily greeting on streets, subway cars, and in workplaces.
But Wembanyama and the Spurs ended the streak and ruined the Knicks’ first home NBA Finals game since 1999.
“At home, it really feels like playing six against five. Here, it feels like five against six,” Wembanyama said. “It really shows what teams are made of.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown complained about the Spurs’ 24-8 advantage in free throw attempts in the second half.
“I tell the guys, it’s a seven-game series for a reason,” Brown said. “They are a great team. They are well-coached. They have an iconic player. It’s not going to be easy.”
Read more Santa Rita Jail inmate dies after experiencing medical emergency
Fans who endured long lines to get in with the extra security measures in place — and some who paid five-figure sums for the chance to do so — were treated to a back-and-forth game in the NBA Finals’ first trip to Madison Square Garden since 1999.
Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman whose turnover late in Game 2 ended the Spurs’ hopes, didn’t make many mistakes Monday. He had 10 points in the final quarter, helping the Spurs build just enough of a cushion to withstand Brunson’s latest comeback attempt.
Minutes after Trump was loudly booed while shown during the national anthem, the Spurs got off to an ideal start. Wembanyama dunked for their first two baskets, and they had a double-digit lead 4 1/2 minutes into the game. San Antonio made nine of its first 11 shots, with the Knicks and their fans frustrated by the referees and the home team’s sloppy play, and led 33-22 after one.
The Garden crowd didn’t really start to rock until Anunoby’s 3-pointer capped an 11-2 surge that cut it to 40-38. The Knicks got their first lead of the night on Brunson’s 26-footer as part of a big burst to finish the half. New York led 64-57 at the break.
But the Spurs went back ahead in the third quarter and led 111-104 on Castle’s 3-pointer with 1:53 to play. Castle then closed the scoring with two free throws with 6.8 seconds left after Anunoby’s 3-pointer cut it to two.
A star-studded crowd that included Derek Jeter and Eli Manning, champions of New York teams in other sports, was hoping to see the Knicks move closer to a third NBA title. But with Karl-Anthony Towns limited to 11 points and Mikal Bridges saddled with foul trouble, a team that had been so potent in the postseason struggled for long stretches.
The Knicks’ loss prevented them from having a chance to match the Warriors’ record of 15-straight postseason victories, set in 2017.
The Knicks, before Monday, had won 13 straight playoff games, rallying to beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games after being down two games to one in the first round before sweeping both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the Finals. New York then earned close victories over the Spurs in San Antonio in games 1 and 2 before Monday’s game at the Garden.
The Warriors in 2017 swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and the Gregg Popovich-led Spurs in the first three rounds. Then, in what was their third straight Finals appearance, the Warriors beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first three games before losing Game 4 by 21 points. Golden State then returned to Oakland and captured its second straight world championship with a 129-120 win in Game 5 at what was then Oracle Arena.
Brown was an assistant on the Warriors’ coaching staff nine years ago. He watched NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant average 35.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in the five games against the Cavs.
“You’ve got to have good players,” Brown said last week of the winning streaks. “I’m not that smart. You’ve got to have good players that carry you.”
About the Author
