3 Takeaways as Wembanyama, Spurs take Game 3 from Knicks in New York
NEW YORK - Victor Wembanyama walked into Madison Square Garden on Monday night aware of the challenge that lied before him and his team.
Down 0-2 in the NBA Finals, on the road, against a surging Knicks team and an entire city salivating for its first championship in nearly half a century.
"It really shows what teams are made of," Wembanyama said.
The Spurs are not done yet.
With Wembanyama supplying 32 points and Stephon Castle supplying the backbone, the Spurs gritted out a 115-111 victory over the Knicks that kept the Spurs' hopes Finals alive and pressed pause on New York's title celebration.
With the win, the Spurs ended the Knicks' run of 13 consecutive victories, the second-longest streak in NBA history and assured themselves of at least one more game in San Antonio.
It was New York's first defeat since dropping Game 3 of a first-round series against Atlanta on April 23. It was the Spurs' first triumph at Madison Square Garden since November 2019.
The Spurs got there thanks to Wembanyama's first 30-point game of the Finals, which included eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks.
Castle added 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, as every member of the Spurs' rotation who logged at least 17 minutes reached double figures.
"We had to come out with the right approach and the right energy," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points to lead the Knicks, but for the third time in three Finals games shot worse than 45% from the field. He got help from O.G. Anunoby, who notched his best game of the series with 28 points.
It wasn't quite enough, as the Spurs outplayed the Knicks in the fourth quarter.
No team in NBA history has lost the first two games of an NBA Finals series at home and gone on to win the championship. The Spurs still have work to do to make history a reality.
Monday's victory was a good first step.
"I feel like we still haven't really done anything," Castle said. "Obviously, we're still down 2-1. We're looking forward to the next 48 minutes."
Here are three takeaways from Game 3, as the Spurs look to even the series in Game 4 on Wednesday at MSG:
1. Wemby got going by getting to the rim
Heading into Monday, most of Wembanyama's Finals series involved him playing along the perimeter, often with the ball in his hands.
Before Game 3, Johnson re-emphasized the need to get the 7-foot-4 Frenchman paint touches early and often to get him going.
"We wanted to put pressure on the paint and the rim," Johnson said. "It can show itself in a lot of ways."
The Spurs - and Wembanyama - responded.
His first four baskets came on dunks or layups within five feet of the rim. By halftime, Wembanyama had 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting, carrying over his aggressive finish in Game 2. The early easy buckets at the rim allowed the Spurs to play inside out, using Wembanyama as a hub.
It all added up to the All-Star center's best game of the NBA Finals.
2. Spurs finally win at crunch time
For the third time in three Finals games, the Spurs led in the fourth quarter Monday.
For the first time, the Spurs won the final 12 minutes fourth quarter, outscoring the Knicks 23-20 to hold off their last charge.
Defense told the tale, with the Spurs holding the Knicks to 7 of 27 in the final frame, including a 2 of 14 mark from 3-point range.
Brunson was his usual crunch-time self, scoring 12 points in the fourth to keep the heat on the Spurs. In the end, the Spurs got enough clutch shot making, including a huge 3-pointer and game-sealing free throws from Castle and a paint jumper from Fox, to hold on.
Wembanyama said the difference for the Spurs in the fourth quarter of Game 3 was communication.
"Knowing our coverages, knowing our plays on defense, knowing our plays on offense," Wembanyama said. "Being there early and letting our teammates know what to do if we see things."
3. Hats off to Fox's perseverance
The Spurs' highest-paid player, Fox has not had a great shooting series so far. Monday was no exception
He was 3 of 13 from the field as he lined up a 12-footer with 12.2 seconds to play and the Spurs ahead by three. Moments earlier, Brunson swished a top-of-the-arc 3-pointer to bring New York within 111-108.
"It's a make-or-miss league a lot of times," said Fox, who ended with 12 points. "A lot of times it's 'Get to your spot.' "If you miss that shot, it is what it is."
Had Fox missed the ensuring mid-range jumper, it would have given the Knicks a chance to tie.
Indeed, New York's next possession resulted in a corner 3-pointer that would have tied the game had Fox's shot been true.
Instead, Fox gave the Spurs just enough breathing room to close out the win and keep the series alive. A 4 -of-14 finish turned out to be enough.
"It feels good to hit a big shot down the stretch," Fox said.
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