Wenbanyama’s mistake costs the Knicks a come-from-behind survival.
A late turnover by Victor Wembaneyama sank the Spurs, and the Knicks took control of the series and moved within two wins of the championship.
Editor’s note: Click here for a summary and highlights of Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
It’s a bad night to be a broom in New York City.
On Friday, June 5th, the New York Knicks once again defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, taking a commanding 2-0 lead and moving the series to New York.
New York withstood a late charge from San Antonio, but with Jalen Brunson’s free throw with 9.5 seconds remaining, New York dominated the Spurs on their home court for the second straight game, winning 105-104.
Brunson got to the line after a bad pass from Victor Wembaneyama in the closing minutes of the game, but Spurs were trying to get back on their feet after receiving a defensive rebound. Wenbanyama threw a pass forward, but Stephon Castle wasn’t looking, so the ball bounced off his back, allowing Brunson to scoop it up. Then Wembangyama fouled out, putting Brunson in danger.
The Spurs then had a chance to win the game, but Wenbanyama hit the winning jump shot and missed the mark.
Now, the next two games will be held at Madison Square Garden, and the Knicks are just two wins away from a sweep victory and their first NBA championship in 53 years.
New York has won 13 straight games in the playoffs, including eight straight on the road.
Here are the highlights and analysis from Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
| team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| knicks | twenty five | 31 | 28 | twenty one | 105 |
| spurs | 34 | 18 | twenty three | 29 | 104 |
Just like in Game 1, Karl-Anthony Towns lifted the Knicks on both ends of the floor. And now, with New York holding a decisive 2-0 lead and his dominance over Wembang Yama throughout the duration of the Finals, the Knicks are closer to ending their 53-year title drought.
Towns’ offense was great. He led the Knicks with 21 points (17 of which came in the first half) on 8-of-12 shooting, and added 13 rebounds and four assists. He also spread the floor and created more space for his teammates to attack.
But as long as New York keeps this up, it’s his defense that will bring the Knicks their first title since 1973.
Towns has been a dominant force in Wembaneyama, using his size and strength to embody the Spurs’ genius. In the first half, Wenbanyama played timidly, unsure of how to break through Towns’ physicality. Frankly, that determines the outcome of the series.
In the first half, Wenbanyama had only 7 points on just 4 shot attempts. Wembangyama dropped 22 points in the second half, but early struggles put San Antonio in a hole.
Mitchell Robinson also had a lot of defensive possession against Wembangyama late in the game, but it was Towns’ fault that Wembangyama looked defeated early in the game.
As you can see, it was a tough 30 minutes for one of the best players in the world. Wenbanyama made a jumper with 33.1 seconds left to tie the score. He hemmed it short.
He then contested Jalen Brunson’s shot with the score tied before retrieving a defensive board and taking the court with 13.7 seconds left. Stephon Castle drifted in front and Wenbanyama threw the ball to him, but Castle looked away. The ball dipped gently off Castle’s back, and Branson ran over to scoop it up. Wenbanyama ran up to Brunson in an attempt to correct his mistake, but only made the turnover worse by fouling Brunson and forcing him to stand on the line.
That was the free throw that decided the game.
Wenbanyama also had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but his right elbow jumper backrimmed as time expired.
The disappointment on his face was clear, and this could be a debilitating moment for a player who has been open about his feelings and desire to win a title.
However, Wembaneyama is only 22 years old and playing for one of the most stable organizations in the NBA.
“I threw that away,” Wenbanyama said. “We made a mistake. We didn’t play well as a team. We needed to win that game. This game was ours. But it’s over at this point. Will we regret it? Yes, of course. Are we going to use that as fuel for the next game? Absolutely.”
Not only is he one of the toughest defenders in the NBA due to his length and movement, but Mikal Bridges has also garnered generational attention this postseason, at least after struggling early in the first round.
Bridges finished the game with 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and one steal on 8-of-8 shooting in the fourth quarter. He hit the first four 3-pointers of the game and hit a string of timely baskets.
In the second half, when the Knicks scored a few points, Wenbanyama made just four shots. Of course, New York deserves credit for showing his body whenever Wembaneyama touched the ball, but his response was primarily to drift around the perimeter.
He tried to drive and create chances for his teammates, which led to two turnovers. In one of them, late in the second quarter, Devin Vassell passed the ball to him on the right side. Immediately after seeing the Knicks defense approaching, Wembaneyama attempted to pass the ball back to Vassell, who began changing positions. The ball flew out of bounds.
In short, Wembangyama lost their rhythm and lacked aggressiveness in the early going, and San Antonio cannot afford to allow a first half like this.
“I think it’s all a little bit of everything. We’ve got to make sure we have an environment where the ball can find him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game. “I think he’s got to be able to not rely on that to take shots either. And I think there were times when he was getting open with his rolls around the paint, and his teammates had to get him the ball. It all comes together, but yeah, four shots a half is unacceptable at this stage.”
When an opponent is game-planning for one player, it is often difficult for that player to find a balance between steadily metering shots but not forcing them.
Still, Johnson will need to find a way to make the attack easier for Wenbanyama. Because if he was standing around watching other players’ movements, it would be difficult for the Spurs to win.
Wembangyama scored 22 points in the second half, but a slow start put San Antonio in a position where they needed to play from behind.
