The Spurs notched their first win of the NBA Finals 115-111 over the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. Have they found their winning formula?
It was a game of give-and-take inside Madison Square Garden, as the San Antonio Spurs looked to claw back into the NBA Finals while the New York Knicks aimed to truly put it in a stranglehold.
After a tense battle, it was ultimately the Spurs emerging with a 115-111 win to cut the series gap in half at 2-1.
San Antonio blazed out early and eventually peaked at a 12-point advantage in the first half. However, New York climbed back into things in front of a raucous home crowd, including President Donald Trump, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and a slew of other celebrities, before taking a lead of seven into halftime.
The third quarter brought a furious rally from the Spurs, which resulted in a narrow one-point contest heading into the final frame. New York never went away but a clutch three-pointer from Stephon Castle and dagger by De'Aaron Fox sealed up the first Finals victory for San Antonio in 12 years.
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Following a strong performance that was mired by a costly mistake late in Game 2, Victor Wembanyama showcased his extra-terrestrial skillset for all of the Big Apple to see. He went for a tied game-high 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting and added on eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks in a superstar effort.
Although Wemby was back in his element, he was not alone in the essentially must-win matchup. Castle went for 23 points, five rebounds and five assists alongside the aforementioned three late that kept the Spurs afloat.
"It's their first Finals game in 30 years. We expected it to be loud in here. I mean, we said coming into the game, they're going to have their runs, they're going to make shots and when that happens just stick together and stay poised," remarked Castle. "I feel like we did that for the majority of the 48 minutes and I feel that's why we came out on top."
No other Spurs went for eye-popping figures but it was a balanced showing throughout the box score. Six scorers ended with double-digits for San Antonio, with all five starters reaching the mark and rookie phenom Dylan Harper tossing in 13 off the bench.
In an NBA Finals series that has seen all of its matchups go down to the wire, San Antonio finally found a way to close out and it could not have come at a more pivotal time. With one game in the win column and a chance to tie things up, the Spurs have the chance to mount one more improbable comeback.
Head coach Mitch Johnson addressed the Spurs will to win and the spark it needs to create moving forward.
"I thought we finished the game, still with some things that need improvement, stronger than we did the first two games," said Johnson. "It's the NBA Finals, two teams that are well-prepared and well-coached imposing each other's will...I don't think they'll be a whole lot more new in the next 48 hours."
Johnson and the Spurs aim to repeat that first taste of Finals success, as San Antonio and New York will square off once again inside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
