Spurs Halve Series Lead
San Antonio Spurs Defeat New York Knicks in Game 3, Cutting Series Lead to 2-1
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Victor Wembanyama scored 32 points and made the big plays when it mattered most, lifting the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 win over the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night CBS Sports. The victory, played at Madison Square Garden, cuts New York's series lead to 2-1 and ends the Knicks' stunning 13-game postseason winning streak — their first loss in 46 days SNY.
The win keeps San Antonio's championship hopes alive. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in any playoff round, so falling further behind would have been a death sentence for the young Spurs Olympics.com. Game 4 is Wednesday, June 10, back at Madison Square Garden.
Wembanyama and Castle Deliver in Clutch Fourth Quarter
Wembanyama finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks Sports Illustrated. The 22-year-old sealed the game with a 28-foot three-pointer and made key defensive stops in the final minutes. "They don't know how much I love them... everyone stepped up tonight," he said after the game Olympics.com.
Rookie guard Stephon Castle added 23 points, including a critical three-pointer with under two minutes left that put the game out of reach Sports Illustrated. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson matched Wembanyama with 32 points, but New York couldn't hold its halftime lead NBC Sports. The Knicks actually set a franchise Finals record with 42 points in the second quarter, taking a 64-57 lead at the break.
Karl-Anthony Towns' Foul Trouble Swings the Series
Karl-Anthony Towns had been the dominant player of the first two games. ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted that Towns had been "kicking Wembanyama's a**" as the key reason the Knicks took a 2-0 lead Heavy Sports. In Game 3, foul trouble limited his impact and the Spurs made them pay.
Before Monday, the Spurs faced a brutal reality. No team in NBA Finals history had ever won after losing the first two games at home Olympics.com. Head coach Mitch Johnson credited what he called a "new level of maturity" from his young squad after two painful home losses NBC Sports.
President Trump Attends, Gets Booed Louder Than the Visiting Team
President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game, sitting in the owner's box as a guest of Knicks owner James Dolan TIME. His arrival required a multi-block security perimeter around Madison Square Garden. The NYPD and Secret Service forced 20,000 fans through "airport-style" screening and canceled outdoor watch parties PBS NewsHour.
When Trump appeared on the jumbotron during the national anthem, he was met with loud, sustained boos — louder than the boos aimed at the visiting Spurs, according to The Guardian. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the visit a "vibe killer" for the city, while Rep. Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of "injecting the MAGA circus" into the Finals TIME. After the game, viral clips appeared to show the President dozing off in the fourth quarter.
Series Momentum Shifts Heading Into Pivotal Game 4
The Spurs now have a chance to tie the series at 2-2 on Wednesday before it shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5. Analysts say the Knicks' "aura of invincibility" has been cracked for the first time in six weeks NBC Sports. Minimum resale tickets for Game 3 reached $9,000 on StubHub, reflecting how much was at stake Al Jazeera.
This series is a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, which San Antonio won 4-1. The Knicks are still chasing their first championship since 1973 Star Tribune. A win on Wednesday would put New York one game away from ending that 53-year wait. A Spurs win would set up a winner-take-all feel heading into the second half of the series.
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