The New York Knicks suffered their first loss in over a month and now the San Antonio Spurs have chopped New York's series lead in half 2-1 after taking down the Knicks 115-111 in the first Finals game at Madison Square Garden in nearly 30 years. 

The Spurs were certain to come into Game 3 with intensity after being stunned at home in the first two games of the series on their home court and intensity is exactly what they brought.

Like the first two games of the series, San Antonio jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter going ahead by as much as 12, but also like the first two games of the series, New York was not to be deterred. 

The Knicks put together a 42 point second quarter to turn the tables on the Spurs and head into halftime with a lead, but the Knicks simply weren't able to keep up that intensity in the final two quarters as the Spurs battled back. 

Jalen Brunson continued to struggle against the physicality of the Spurs defense, but through sheer volume Brunson was able to score 32 points while shooting 11-25 from the field and OG Anunoby had his best game of the series with 28 points, powered by a triumphant performance from three point range.

Josh Hart similarly had a stellar game from beyond the arc, going 4-7 from three point range on his way to 16 points, but for all the good that the Knicks did scoring wise in the game, the Spurs were able to match them.

Victor Wembanyama responded after two below average games by his standards to start the series by scoring 32 points on 11-18 shooting in Game 3 while adding eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks. 

While the Knicks had a better shooting night as a team, going 45.5% from the field, they looked noticeably frantic and scattered throughout the night and that translated into costly mistakes again and again that kept them from keeping their momentum going and keeping the Spurs at bay.

They committed 13 turnovers as a team, with Brunson committing five of them, that ultimately turned into a staggering 21 points off of turnovers for the Spurs that made sure that New York couldn't truly break away in the game after the second quarter.

The game ultimately broke down into a back-and-fourth battle as the final minutes of the game wound down. That was until De'Aaron Fox, who'd had a quiet game overall with 12 points, hit a midrange dagger with 12.2 seconds left in the game to improve the Spurs to a five point lead. 

Anunoby kept the Knicks competitive with yet another three point shot soon after, but Stephon Castle drew a foul and sank both free throws with under seven seconds left to finally put the game out of reach. 

Game 3 has left the Knicks with a lot to think about and several mistakes to analyze before Game 4, but it also serves as a harsh reminder that no matter how long a wining streak is or how how well a team has been playing, no lead is safe in the NBA Finals.