The San Antonio Spurs, for the fifth game in a row, held a double-digit lead, although for the fourth time in the series, they fell to the New York Knicks.
The season is over. The San Antonio Spurs fell to the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night, 94-90, ending the series. It was the Spurs' first Finals appearance since 2014, and marks the first Knicks' championship since 1973.
After blowing a 27-point halftime lead in Game 4, the Spurs slinked back to the Frost Bank Center with the wind out of their sails. Victor Wembanyama guaranteed that the Spurs wouldn't just win Game 5, but that they would take the series. Most fans and experts didn't see that happening.
Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. Despite his best efforts on both ends of the floor, his first title ring still eludes him.
However, the future is bright, and the Spurs will have to make one major adjustment in the offseason.
Spurs Need to Trust Dylan Harper
While Wembanyama was an excellent two-way force in Game 5, the Spurs were actually led by rookie Dylan Harper, who finished with 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Harper shot a spectacular 10-of-19 from the floor and two-of-four from deep, getting to the rim and past Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns with ease.
De'Aaron Fox, meanwhile, offered a horribly inefficient seven points, coming out flat for the second game in a row. During the halftime show, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal both called for Fox to be benched.
Most Spurs fans agreed then, and after the loss, they certinaly agree now.
New York was able to topple the Spurs' 16-point lead in the second half, led by 45 points from Jalen Brunson, leading the team. However, Towns got in foul trouble, playing only 22 minutes and scoring only two points before fouling out with 1:53 left.
To kick off the series, Towns looked like the best player on the Knicks, although the Spurs have been able to limit his impact in recent games. Still, the Knicks' depth and Brunson's stardom were too much for San Antonio to handle.
In every game of the series, the Spurs held a double-digit first-half lead. Only in Game 3 were they able to hold onto it, marking collapse after collapse on the league's biggest stage.
With their season over and the offseason ahead of them, the Spurs have a major lineup change to consider. After Game 4, Mitch Johnson said that he still wants the ball in Fox's hands in the final minutes.
Maybe his tune has changed as Harper continues to ascend, and next season, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the younger player will be given the keys to the offense.
