Security outside Madison Square Garden before Game 3 of the NBA Finals
USAT’s Sam Cardona Norberg breaks down what he’s seeing outside MSG ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
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NEW YORK — The San Antonio Spurs may have felt like they were living in the movie “Groundhog Day,” but they have decided not to play a starring role in the upcoming sequel.
For the third consecutive game, the Spurs led by double digits in the first quarter, but this time, their coolness late and sloppy play from the New York Knicks gave them a much-needed victory that ended New York’s playoff winning streak at 13 after losing two straight at home and put them on the path to a spot in the NBA Finals.
After all, it wouldn’t be the “Knicks in Four.”
San Antonio’s 115-111 victory in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden wasn’t pretty. Although the Spurs were on the back foot, there was a sense of relief that they too could break their championship drought, at least for one night.
This is the second time a road team has won three straight games and the first time since 1993.
Game 4 will be played Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Spurs did everything right in the first 12 minutes, taking an early 12-point lead. They passed the ball efficiently, found open teammates, and let Victor Wembaneyama cook up easy buckets inside and outrageous alley-oops that would rival Stretch Armstrong.
San Antonio had 11 assists on 14 field goals in the first quarter. The Spurs’ 11 assists were the most in the first quarter of an NBA Finals game since the Golden State Warriors had 11 assists in Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.
Wenbanyama had a great performance, with all five of San Antonio’s starting pitchers scoring in double digits, recording a game-high 32 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Wenbanyama became the third-youngest player to score at least 30 points in an NBA Finals game, following Magic Johnson (20 years and 276 days – 42 points in Game 6 against the 76ers in 1980) and Alvin Adams (21 years and 316 days – 33 points in Game 3 against the Celtics in 1976).
New York did everything it could for San Antonio’s cause.
Jalen Brunson led New York with 32 points and OG Anunoby added 28 points for the Knicks, but the Knicks lost for the first time in 46 days after losing in Game 3 to the Atlanta Hawks.
The energy in a packed Madison Square Garden was gone within the first few minutes as the Spurs scored the first seven points of the game and made eight of their first 10 shots. Not to mention the inconvenience to the many Knicks fans who had to arrive at the game two hours early and abide by strict security protocols as they entered the “world’s most famous arena” early in the morning after President Trump and his entourage descended on the city to watch the game.
After booing President Trump during the national anthem, Knicks fans heckled officials. New York committed four fouls in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter and spent the rest of the game shooting free throws, with constant chants of “You suck!”
New York took control late in the second quarter, using several spurts and poor shooting by San Antonio to rally back and take its first lead of the game at 50-49 on Brunson’s 3-pointer. It was part of an 11-3 run that erased a double-digit point lead.
But that momentum quickly disappeared as soon as the Knicks came out of the locker room.
Two consecutive Knicks turnovers to start the third quarter, a four-point play by Julien Champagnie, and a flagrant foul on a closeout quickly erased much of New York’s seven-point lead at halftime.
New York was held scoreless, committed four fouls in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, and spent the rest of the game shooting free throws, prompting chants of “bull—“. San Antonio committed 21 fouls and the Knicks made 22 free throws. New York committed 23 fouls and forced the Spurs to the line 32 times.
Stephon Castle’s final 3 of his 23 points, a 3-pointer with 1:53 left, nearly sealed it, and De’Aaron Fox’s jumper in the lane with 12 seconds left sent the sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd to the exits.
The thing that led the Knicks to 13 straight playoff wins lacked balanced scoring in Game 3. Mikal Bridges had just two points in 29 minutes, and Karl-Anthony Towns had a pedestrian 11 points and eight rebounds in the loss for Wenbanyama. Towns spent most of the night in foul trouble, not actively attacking the rim and settling for an outside shot.
For the Spurs to repeat that trick and make their Groundhog’s Day play even more positive, they’ll have to rely on Wenbanyama’s scoring and his constant presence in the lane to spoil the game once again. The defensive player of the year had three blocks, impacted 12 other shots, and did his best to threaten Knicks players looking to score in the paint.
The series will be extended to at least five games, and if the Knicks can win the next two games (Game 5 will be played Saturday in San Antonio), their first title drought since 1973 will be a thing of the past.
