Knicks vs. Spurs finals predictions
The finals are expected to be close, with both teams choosing to play a seven-game battle between the Knicks and Spurs.
If Game 1 was any indication of how this series would ultimately turn out, the 2026 NBA Finals will definitely be fascinating.
On Wednesday, June 3, the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in a thrilling 105-95 back-and-forth victory, taking an early lead in the best-of-seven series.
With 1:50 left in the game, Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson hit a huge 3-pointer to give New York a lead they would never relinquish, ending the game on an 11-0 run.
Brunson scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Knicks, who have won 12 straight postseason games.
With this, New York is now three wins away from winning its first NBA title in 53 seasons.
Here are live takeaways from Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 12 rebounds, but his biggest contribution was on defense.
Tasked with being the primary defender against Victor Wembaneyama, Towns not only defended his defense, but defended him with a physical and disciplined approach.
Wenbanyama finished with 26 points, but made only 6 of 21 shots, including 2 of 9 3-pointers.
Wembangyama never looked comfortable, taking just four shots in the paint. Towns placed his hands and body on top of Wembaneyama to make him feel his presence. Because of this, Wenbanyama often retreated from the paint and settled for jumpers.
Jalen Brunson’s 30-point performance may get a lot of attention, but Towns had a much better game.
In the first half, the Knicks committed eight turnovers and scored 12 points for the Spurs from those giveaways. New York played fast and tried to match San Antonio’s speed, which was a losing proposition.
New York committed just one turnover in the second half. This allowed us to do a few things.
One led to better, higher quality shots. The other thing is that it has limited the transfer opportunities Spurs have. To be fair, the Knicks did a much better job of getting back on defense in the second half, but New York did a much better job coming out of intermissions in terms of getting to the paint, making extra passes, taking care of the ball, and playing more like they should.
A team may decide to focus its defensive attention on the team’s star player. Considering San Antonio has Wembane Yama, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox, you might want to trick them into sending help.
But New York came under fire for that tactic, leaving San Antonio’s top 3-point shooter Julien Champagnie open. To make matters worse, the Knicks left him open at corner, where Champagnie excels.
He made 5 of 6 shots and sparked 15 points in the first half, all from beyond the arc, sparking San Antonio’s run. The Knicks can’t continue to treat him like an afterthought.
It’s obvious to say, but Brunson’s adjusted knee changes everything for the Knicks. Brunson returned to the game after a brief stay in the locker room and appears to be back to his normal self. Brunson made four of his first seven attempts in the second quarter after returning to the floor, and was a big reason New York’s offense was consistent during that period.
The injury occurred when Spurs forward Harrison Barnes collided with Brunson’s right knee, which was planted on the court.
Still, if Brunson ends up being affected by this issue, there will be a lot of pressure on Karl-Anthony Towns to be New York’s primary offensive starter, especially if this becomes a clutch game where Brunson can’t play. New York’s offense was a bit of a mess while Brunson was in the locker room.
The Spurs are just four days removed from a very physical seven-game series against the defending champions. They are a very young team and this is the first time they are playing for such high stakes.
It all showed up early in Game 1, with the Spurs playing in such a hurry throughout the set that it looked as if they had gained momentum by that moment. As the first quarter progressed, San Antonio settled in very well and used their defense to create turnovers and make the offense easy.
It became clear very early in Game 1 that Wembaneyama was going to set the tone for San Antonio. Whether it was handling the ball and bringing it up the floor or setting screens in his offensive actions, Wenbanyama was proactive and clearly tried to lead by example.
He made two of his first four shots and finished the first quarter with five points, but San Antonio tends to take advantage of Wembangyama’s energy. It was a decent start for the 22-year-old.
However, the Knicks did a decent job of keeping Wembaneyama in check, not allowing him to take too many easy shots, and limiting him to 13 points on 2-of-11 shooting through three quarters.
