Wembanyama brings Spurs back from the brink, but then one devastating sequence left Knicks firmly in control of the NBA Finals

There is a simple numerical reality: the Knicks won again in San Antonio, 105-104, and head back to New York with a 2-0 lead, the most valuable asset imaginable in an NBA Finals. History offers little encouragement for the Spurs. Only twice before has a road team opened the Finals with two wins away from home. Michael Jordan’s Bulls did it against Charles Barkley’s Suns in 1993 and went on to win the title in six games. Two years later, Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets escaped Orlando with a 2-0 lead and swept the Magic.

No team has ever climbed out of the hole San Antonio now faces. Overall, teams that have built a 2-0 Finals advantage have gone on to win the championship 32 times in 37 attempts. The odds become even steeper with the series now shifting to New York.

The Spurs need to accomplish something that has never been done. Worse still, they must do it against a team that seems to have forgotten how to lose. The Knicks have not been beaten since April 23 and have now won 13 straight playoff games, the second-longest postseason streak in NBA history behind only the 2017 Warriors. They have also tied the record for consecutive road playoff victories with eight, matching the 2001 Lakers. Over their last 15 playoff games, they own the best point differential ever recorded in a postseason run.

San Antonio now needs to win four of the next five games against a team that has beaten it four times in five meetings this season, including the NBA Cup final. At this point, New York is operating at the level of one of the most dominant teams in league history.

The challenge only grows tougher at Madison Square Garden, which has not hosted an NBA Finals game since 1999. By the end of Game 2, the cheapest ticket for Game 3 had climbed above $11,000. The Spurs are heading into an arena that promises to be deafening, a basketball madhouse fueled by a fan base that senses a championship is within reach.

The emotional damage may be even harder to overcome than the standings. In Game 1, San Antonio trailed 94-86 midway through the fourth quarter before storming ahead with a 9-0 run capped by a Victor Wembanyama free throw. Then came an 11-0 Knicks run to close the game.

Game 2 followed a similarly cruel script. The Knicks led 97-83 before the Spurs roared back with a 14-0 run and eventually a 21-5 surge that turned the game around. They grabbed a 104-102 lead and appeared on the verge of evening the series.

Instead, another nightmare unfolded.

Wembanyama, who struggled late in Game 1, endured a disastrous final minute. He missed two mid-range shots, both defended by Mitchell Robinson, including one at the buzzer that would have won the game. Between those attempts, he secured an offensive rebound after a Jalen Brunson miss, but with 10 seconds remaining and a timeout available, he threw an errant pass that struck Stephon Castle in the back as the rookie began to run in transition.

Brunson stole the ball. Wembanyama fouled him. Brunson made the decisive free throw. Wembanyama then missed again. The series stood at 2-0.

It was a harsh ending for a player who had spent the second half dragging his team back into the fight. After an almost invisible first half, the French star erupted after the break, scoring 22 of his 29 points. He also added nine rebounds, four blocks and two assists, though he committed four turnovers, including the most costly one of the night.

The Spurs are hanging by a thread

Wembanyama played more than 40 minutes and finished plus-six while on the floor. His influence grew as Karl-Anthony Towns, dominant early, found himself in foul trouble.

The Spurs became increasingly physical, first by design and later out of desperation. For long stretches they seemed more focused on winning through force than through basketball. During the middle quarters, New York outscored them 59-41 and looked firmly in control.

A favorable whistle, a few timely three-pointers and the emergence of the recognizable version of Wembanyama sparked the comeback. Yet none of it mattered once the game slipped away in the closing seconds.

If this series ends the way it now appears headed, attention will inevitably return to those late mistakes from a franchise player already among the three best players in the world at just 22 years old. He may hear the same criticism Magic Johnson faced after the 1984 Finals, when some cruelly nicknamed him “Tragic” following several late-game errors against the Celtics.

History, however, offers perspective. Magic recovered. LeBron James also reached the Finals at age 22 and was swept. Great careers survive painful beginnings.

The Spurs must now regroup after losing consecutive home games for the first time in 2026, and they have done so at the worst possible moment. Their furious rally from 14 points down was not enough.

The opening quarter had been brilliant. San Antonio pressured the ball aggressively, disrupted Brunson and attacked with energy, ball movement and relentless drives. The formula worked early.

But the Knicks never seem to die.

They survive games that appear lost, remain calm regardless of the scoreboard and play with a confidence that has only grown over the past six weeks. When they should be exhausted, they accelerate. They defend harder, score in every imaginable way and consistently win the small battles that determine games.

They look like a championship team.

Towns, Bridges and Robinson make the difference

Against a team like this, brief flashes are not enough. Wembanyama needed a complete masterpiece, not isolated stretches of brilliance.

De’Aaron Fox found the scoring touch that eluded him in Game 1 and finished with 20 points, but he disappeared at key moments. Julian Champagnie hit two early three-pointers and little else. Devin Vassell battled for his 14 points, while Stephon Castle brought tremendous energy but sometimes forced the issue. Outside of Dylan Harper’s 15 points in more than 32 minutes, the bench offered limited support.

Turnovers once again disrupted the offense, and poor three-point shooting magnified the pressure. During the third quarter, the Spurs looked overwhelmed by anxiety and fatigue before somehow rediscovering themselves. There was no reward for the effort.

The Knicks, meanwhile, began slowly but gradually took control. Until foul trouble interrupted his night, Towns played at an MVP level. He thoroughly outplayed Wembanyama during the first half, defending, passing and scoring from everywhere on the floor.

Then came Mikal Bridges. His 20 points, including an astonishing 8-for-9 stretch between the second and third quarters, transformed the game and dismantled San Antonio’s plans.

New York did not even need a vintage Brunson performance. The star guard finished with 20 points but shot just 7-for-25. OG Anunoby played fearlessly again. Landry Shamet delivered another barrage of timely threes. Mitchell Robinson provided outstanding minutes off the bench.

The Knicks survive when they are not at their best and overwhelm opponents when everything clicks. That is the formula that wins championships.

Mike Brown appears to have an answer for everything the Spurs attempt. New York exudes confidence and always seems to create more problems than it receives.

The numbers tell the story. The Knicks attempted 11 more shots, grabbed seven extra opportunities in the fourth quarter alone and dominated the offensive glass late. Their six offensive rebounds in the final period helped rescue them from defeat. They committed fewer damaging mistakes, moved the ball better and hit the shots that mattered most.

Most importantly, they adapted to every situation.

They won again.

Thirteen consecutive playoff victories. Fourteen wins overall this postseason. Two victories away from the franchise’s first championship since 1973.

And less than 72 hours after taking a 2-0 lead in San Antonio, they will walk onto the floor at Madison Square Garden with history within reach.

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