Spurs Hold On, Knicks lead Series 2-1

By Daniel Feuerstein | New York, NY | June 8th, 2026

In Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals, as the series moved to Madison Square Garden, the Knicks took their turn to host the Spurs. The entire building erupted before the game started as they were ready to see their team take a commanding three-game lead and extend their playoff winning streak. On this night, it was the Spurs who finally grabbed a lead and held it while the Knicks started slowly in both halves as this one went toward the Spurs as they defeated the Knicks by a final score of 115-111.

Poor passing and careless ball handling at times, along with early foul trouble, took the Knicks out of their game, and when they tried to get back into it, they still fell behind. While they mounted a comeback toward the end of the first half, the Spurs played better defense and stopped the Knicks from continuing their 13-game playoff winning streak. Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama both led all scorers with 32 points. Wembanyama is the 2nd youngest player with 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an NBA Finals Game. The youngest was Magic Johnson. Stephon Castle was second on the Spurs with 23 points. O.G. Anunoby was second on the Knicks with 28 points.

First Half: Spurs take the lead in a nervy start, but the Knicks come back before the halftime buzzer

The first two possessions for the Spurs and the Knicks were a bit nervy as both sides missed, but as usual, the Spurs took the lead to start the first quarter. They started on a 7-0 Run and had their lead as much as 12 points. Wembanyama finally entered the paint and hit the first three baskets with layups. Vassell hit the three; the Knicks did get on the board, but trailed in the opening quarter. As the second quarter continued, the Spurs looked like the dominant team; once again, the Knicks battled back in the middle of the second quarter and started hitting buckets.

Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado contributed nine points off the bench, and then the Knicks started to work the Spurs. Anunoby with a hug three-pointer and a jam to beat Wembanyama. Towns in the paint was forced into a jump shot and magically hits it. But the Knicks permanently took the lead when Josh Hart hit a three-pointer at 59-57, and Burnson hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to five, as the Knicks ended the half on a 10-1 run. Wembanyama once again wasn’t served with a technical foul when he put his hands on the face of Brunson and threw him down on the court.

“No, we didn’t play well. San Antonio played great. We could have played better. There were a lot of things that we didn’t do that we did in game one and game two. But to go 24 free throw attempts. In the second half. It’s tough to overcome when you’re playing against a great team. Having said that, again, San Antonio won the game. I’m giving their head coach and their players a lot of credit. When we played, great. Steven Castle played great. I’d go down the line. Fox hit a big shot late. But as a team, if you take away the fouls and the free throws that… Should have, in my opinion, been a little bit more even. Again, maybe we fouled that many times, but they fouled too. And it’s not shown at the end of the day on this box score.

Besides that, that’s separate. Besides that, I thought San Antonio hit first at the beginning of the game. And they hit first at halftime. They hit first at the beginning of the game, and they hit first at halftime. Their level of physicality was great tonight for them. Our attention to detail was great. Attention to detail on both ends of 4-1 was great. We allowed them to live in our pain. Castle got to the paint at will. Almost every pick-and-roll he played. Not only that, but we also talked about taking away the vertical threat of Wendy. He had probably seven lob dunks because… we didn’t follow. Attention to detail. and trying to take that away. If you give them vertical dunks like that, and you allow them to get to the paint like Harper and Castle.

Dead. It’s going to be a long night. And then offensively, we were about as stagnant as I’ve seen us all year. This helped with the 13 turnovers. If you’re in an NBA finals game and you have 13 turnovers to their eight. And on those 13 turnovers, they generated 21 points. And on their eight turnovers, we generated seven. It’s going to be tough. The turnover situation. The free-throw situation. And our attention to detail about keeping them out to paint and taking away the vertical threat— not good tonight,“ said Mike Brown

Second Half: Spurs got back into the lead and kept it for the rest of the game.

The Spurs were ready for the start of the third quarter, as they marched back into the lead when Champagnie hit the bucket and the foul. A review of the foul to Brunson became a flagrant. One of two was hit and kept possession. The Knicks did fight back with a wild circus shot from Brunson as it was floated in, and the foul. When the Knicks tied the game, the Spurs got it right back and continued to take a lead. It looked like the Knicks were going to get it back, but they cut the deficit to one towards the end of the third.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs put the clamp on the lead and held it all the way to the bitter end as they prevented the Knicks from coming back. Along with poor passing to start the second half, the shots were there for the Knicks, but they couldn’t convert. While a big challenge came to erase a three-pointer for Wembanyama and the foul. Robinson was shoved from behind into Wemby, and as the referees reviewed the play erased it and gave an offensive foul to the Spurs. Towards the end of the game, Anunoby hits a big three to cut it to a two-point game, but Castle hits both free throws, and the Knicks lose by four.

KEY STATS:
SAN ANTONIO: 39 FOR 84 FG’S, 12 FOR 34 3PTS, 25 FOR 32 FT’S
NEW YORK: 40 FOR 88 FG’S, 13 FOR 37 3PTS, 18 FOR 22 FT’S
MOST POINTS KNICKS WITH 42 IN THE SECOND QUARTER
LARGEST LEAD: SPURS 12-POINT LEAD IN THE SECOND QUARTER

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