The NBA and New York Knicks are warning fans to arrive to Madison Square Garden at least two hours before the tipoff of Game 3 as security measures have been added now that President Donald Trump is planning on attending the game.

There is a “no bag” policy, no storage spaces available, and enhanced “TSA-style screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden for the game scheduled to tip off just after 8:30 p.m. EST.

Trump’s visit has also blocked a watch party scheduled outside of MSG. New York fans have taken to social media to complain about everything from the limitations on street access to ticket prices. Trump has touted his Knicks fandom, but his presence will alter how attendees approach their evening. There is a website provided by Secret Service that lists prohibited items for those attending the game.

Media also received notification that certain areas would be off limits throughout the day and night as the added security measures limit access throughout the arena. Luckily, media are allowed into MSG hours before the doors even open, so hopefully there will be less issues for those bringing laptops and recording devices for the press conferences.

As you read this I am either on a plane, a train, a bus, a cab, or already at Madison Square Garden. For the next three days I will do my best to post about the experience. Feel free to hit me up with questions, things you’d like to see covered, and/or restaurant recommendations.

Go Spurs Go!

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Australia’s relationship with the NBA has been a passionate and long-standing one, and its own domestic league, the NBL, has an enormous following. The NBL has contributed to the NBA Draft across the decades, but ever since LaMelo Ball plied his trade as an emerging guard with the Illawarra Hawks as part of the 2020 NBA Draft class, there has been an increase in not only prospects who have attempted to replicate a similar path but young players who have emerged within the NBL.

Draft selections from the NBL in recent years include Ball, Alex Sarr, Rayan Rupert, Bobi Klintman, and AJ Johnson to name a few prospects in the last few years. Varying levels of talent and NBA-sticking power in that small collection of names, but what is certain is that the NBL has been more recently solidified as an absolutely viable entry route for the NBA.

19-year-old Mexican forward Karim Lopez will be the latest NBL prospect hoping to hear his name called on NBA Draft Day. A 6-foot-9 forward for the New Zealand Breakers, Lopez averaged 11.9 points per game on 49.4% shooting on 8.9 field goal attempts, 32% from three in three attempts per game, 73.9% from the line on 2.9 free throw attempts, six rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and one block in an average of 25 minutes per game in 30 games played, per RealGM.

Considering that Lopez just turned 19 in April (his last game of the season taking place in February, meaning he did all that we’re about to see in a professional league at 18 years old), these are productive numbers from Lopez. Let’s take a look at the film and see what’s what with Karim Lopez, who wears the number one.

Offense/scoring

Lopez’s best work offensively comes on the move, on drives, in the paint. He’s very efficient there, and considering he shoots 49% from the field despite shooting 32% from three suggests that he is more efficient than his percentage indicates. I think the most impressive aspect of Lopez’s offensive game is his poise; many players at this age play with one speed, often too quick than they are capable of.

Lopez plays a little slower, but he also plays as if the game has already slowed down for him. In the NBA, you can see when a player has matured and plays with poise. Jalen Johnson is a great example: his offensive game comes a lot more naturally to him now, and while he could — and can — go above players and finish with authority, more often than not in the halfcourt, he’s more patient now, and you see it as it happens. Lopez, similarly, plays with a poise beyond his years, and you’ll see that as we look at his scoring inside the arc.

Grabbing a rebound off of a miss, Lopez takes the ball up the floor at a leisurely pace, uses the screen, drives inside, creates contact, and finishes at the rim despite a late change of hands from right-to-left and back to right again:

Lopez loves to initiate contact; you’re just going to see it consistently as we move through these clips.

Lopez is able to utilize hesitation dribbles/drives to great effect, which he uses to a smaller degree on this play before being quite aggressive in creating contact, not once but twice, and while he carves out space against his own defender, the help arrives to contest Lopez, who is still able to hit and draw a foul for the ‘and-1’:

On the perimeter, Lopez sizes up his man, and he uses his combination of hesitation and stutter steps before driving, finding the space and finishes at the rim:

Coming off of the pick-and-roll, Lopez is really good at controlling his pace, hesitating before accelerating, creating contact and finishing in the lane:

Coming off of a pin-down, Lopez receives the ball heading to the paint and uses his physicality to clear out space from the defender and hits the runner over the defense:

Lopez can demonstrate good patience, and again, he plays at his own speed and doesn’t really allow others to speed him up. On the catch inside the paint, he waits for the defense to commit, before laying the ball in from close range:

Lopez can be described as a crafty player, picking up the loose ball here on this play, spins, swivels and ducks back to his left and lifts the left-handed layup for the basket:

Some of these swivels really look like travels at times, Lopez is certainly able to use his footwork to get himself into advantageous situation, as he does on this play where he swivels — probably gets away with a travel — before dunking at the rim:

Other methods that can see Lopez score efficiently inside can include offensive rebounds (of which he secured two a game):

Catches in the paint/post where he can finish over defenders:

This play was a particularly heads up play — Lopez recognizing when he has the defender at his back and able to establish superior position inside for an entry pass.

On the catch inside the paint, Lopez bangs, and hits the shot over the defender in the lane:

Lopez also has underrated athletic abilities in his arsenal, and he can certainly use this to punish defenses in transition when he runs the floor:

Lopez can also provide an option close to the rim on an out-of-bounds scenario:

Lopez was excellent at not just initiating contact but as we’ve looked at so far he’s been able to finish plays where he’s fouled, and he’s able to get himself consistently to the free throw line.

On the drive from the corner, Lopez hesitates before driving, getting away with a hook in the process, and draws the foul and free throws:

Coming off of a screen this time, hesitates before shifting gears to get to the baseline under the rim where he draws the contact on the layup attempt and is sent to the free throw line:

After intercepting the lob attempt, Lopez brings the ball up the floor, recovers on the stumble and rises into an attempt at the rim, drawing contact and free throws:

This next play highlights Lopez’s activity off the ball: a mix of a cut, attempting to establish post position, and finally retreating to three-point line, where he receives the ball and drives, splitting the defenders and drawing a foul:

Lopez can also draw fouls and free throws on the offensive glass:

Lopez also does well to draw fouls in the post, as he establishes deep position inside against former Hawk John Jenkins, before bumping and creating contact, drawing a foul and more free throws:

Again, Lopez gets into the paint and gets his man at his back in the post, and when he receives the entry pass he swings and rises, initiating the contact and drawing the foul and free throws:

On this action, Lopez ends up almost using a little slip into the defender into an opportunity to back him further down into the paint before receiving the ball, where Lopez drifts inside for a shot attempt, drawing contact and free throws:

The only major criticism I have of Lopez’s game is a lack of consistency with his three-point shot right now, but 32% is certainly workable at just 19 years old. Let’s take a look at a couple of makes and misses just for reference.

Here, Lopez hits a deep catch-and-shoot three above the break:

Coming off of the pin-down, Lopez gets a look at an open three and he sinks a deep three:

In transition, Lopez receives the outlet pass before jab stepping and stepping back, and rising into the three-pointer:

On the catch on the wing, Lopez misses the catch-and-shoot three-pointer:

In the corner, Lopez takes a few exploratory jab steps before rising into a missed three:

On a give-and-get back possession with his teammate — followed by a screen to free up space — Lopez misses a three above the break:

Passing/playmaking

Lopez has some playmaking ability as part of his game too, averaging 1.9 assists per game. These arrived in a few differing scenarios, let’s take a look at them.

In the pick-and-roll, Lopez loops a pass over the top of the defense for the assist on the roll:

On the slipped screen this time, Lopez delivers another pass over the defense for another assist at the rim:

This theme of Lopez being able to pass over the defense continues, this time in transition as he delivers a satisfying touch pass for a shot opportunity which is blocked:

When a teammate cuts to the rim, Lopez delivers another pass over the defense for another assist:

Operating in the pick-and-roll, Lopez comes off the screen and drives into the paint before kicking to the corner for the three-point attempt:

A dribble so slow that it looks like a carry.

In another pick-and-roll, Lopez finds the shooter away from the screen for a three-point attempt. When this is missed, Lopez grabs the offensive rebound and kicks out to the three-point line for an assist on the three:

Defense

Lopez’s defensive stats certainly suggest that he is a hive of activity capable of mixing it up in both steals and blocks, averaging 1.1 steals and one block per game.

Near the end of the shotclock — and with the dribble of the offensive player spent — a fadeaway attempt is blocked by Lopez, who has the reach to block the fadeaway:

After the spin move appears to free up on the offensive player, Lopez is able to recover to block the shot at the rim:

This time as the help defender, Lopez rotates to contest and block the shot at the rim:

Again as the help defender, Lopez rotates and blocks the shot from behind at the rim:

At the end of a third quarter, Lopez sprints over from the weakside to block another shot at the rim:

Initially, Lopez is beaten on the drive but is in place to collect the steal on the alley-oop:

As the help defender on the drive, Lopez reaches in down low and he knocks the ball away for the steal:

On an out-of-bounds play, Lopez is able to reach down low to disrupt the inbounds pass and collect the steal:

Looking outside of blocks and steals, Lopez can offer some good defensive moments.

On this possession, he does well to prevent penetration after initially looking as though he was beaten, and demonstrates some good defensive activity which prompts a pass elsewhere:

However, I didn’t always enjoy some of Lopez’s defensive work, which I think can be inconsistent.

On the drive from the three-point line, the defensive effort from Lopez is poor and the basket is scored:

In transition, Lopez trails the play, and while it’s understandable when he’s run off the three-point line, he falls for a fake at the free throw line, and it leads to a more open shot, which he is fortunate is missed:

Lopez can be quite foul prone, averaging just under three fouls a game with a five foul limit.

On this play, Lopez commits to the steal attempt, and in trying to get back in front of the play he commits the foul on the drive:

On this play, Lopez picks up the drive from halfcourt, doesn’t keep his man in front of him, and ends up committing the foul at the rim on the block attempt as the basket is scored:

When the catch inside is made, Lopez initially maintains his verticality but is called for the bump as the basket is scored at the rim, plus the foul:

On the beginning of a drive attempt, Lopez is called for the foul as he cannot keep his man in front:

In closing…

Karim Lopez is a player who is offensively mature beyond his age. He plays as though the game has already slowed down, almost like an old man game — very few things are going to rush Lopez offensively. He has his own rhythm offensively and he utilizes his drives/dribbles/stutter steps really well to get inside as frequently as he does despite not having an elite burst.

What speed he does have, Lopez does a good job of shifting gears. Now, this isn’t a massive third gear to top gear kind of shift. Lopez is really effective in the third to fourth gear shift, if that makes sense. It’s not fast, but Lopez is able to make this small shift in pace work to his advantage to work an opening on a drive. He just has a really good feel for the game offensively and plays with a maturity and pace you just don’t see in 18-year-olds (he was 18 for the entirety of this last season). To add to this young age, Lopez is an underrated athlete on the court — he doesn’t jump out the gym, but you see the moments where he can certainly rise high, and he posted very impressive figures at the NBA Draft Combine (which we’ll touch on soon).

Elsewhere, Lopez is comfortable working from the post or in entry-pass scenarios where he’s able to do a good job finishing over defenses. Lopez is a crafty offensive player, and has this knack for getting away with hooks, travels, and drawing free throws. He’s crafty, and he’s able to create his own offense and his own shots, and that should hold some value. However, the three-point shooting isn’t quite there yet, but having just turned 19 years, old age is on Lopez’s side — there’s plenty of time to further develop Lopez’s already refined and efficient offensive game. There is also playmaking potential to expand on with Lopez too, particularly in the pick-and-roll — nothing elite, but enough that he can create off the bounce and spot a pass or make connecting plays that may not lead to assists but would be considered secondary assists.

Defensively, there’s no doubt that Lopez can make plays. He has this knack of contributing multiple blocks and steals in a game, particularly blocking shots which he can do in one-on-one situations and as a help defender. He has great physical tools, measuring at 6 foot, 8.75 inches without shoes, and a wingspan of 6 foot, 11 inches, all to go along with a 38-inch vertical jump at the NBA Draft Combine. However, Lopez’s defensive effort can be inconsistent, and he can struggle to stay in front of his man, and he can be quite foul prone on these drives, or on block attempts.

Overall, there’s a lot to like when it comes to Lopez. His offensive skillset partnered with his physical tools and his age means that there’s high upside here, especially if the shooting comes along. Now, with all that said, let’s look at how other outlets view Lopez’s stock ahead of the draft.

ESPN rank Lopez 13th overall among their ‘Best Available’, and Jeremy Woo, similarly, mocks Lopez at 13th overall with this to add on Lopez as a prospect:

Lopez is drawing interest from a number of teams in the lottery, including the Clippers, Nets, Bucks and Warriors, with rival teams viewing him as more of a trade-back candidate later on in the case of the Clippers and Nets.

He was helped by his combine measurements, affirming his size to play both forward positions capably and massive hands. He continues to improve and has positioned himself as an intriguing development bet coming off a strong second season in the NBL

Many teams are intrigued by Lopez’s mix of size, skill and toughness but want to see him improve as a shooter and get a better sense of how well he can create offense for himself. These are things he can display in workouts as he gets in front of teams in the coming weeks to help firm up his position.

A playoff team in need of retooling would benefit from the maturity Lopez brings, but would they have the patience needed to play him in order him to develop? Woo notes that the combine has helped Lopez’s draft stock, which is worth noting as his posted well physically at the combine.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie mocks Lopez 20th overall with this to say of Lopez:

Lopez’s numbers look in line with past lottery picks coming out of Australia’s NBL Next Stars program, as he’s averaging 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block per game. He has excellent hands, is very skilled with the ball and often operates as essentially a mismatch hybrid forward for the Breakers. He’s a physical bowling ball who can play in screens and short rolls. He can attack in a straight line from the perimeter, and he is a solid finisher.

The 3-point shooting has been up and down in his two years in New Zealand (32 percent), but he looks to have good touch and should work through any concerns there at some point. The bigger questions come on defense, as his lateral speed isn’t particularly good. He doesn’t have much shake on the ball offensively; on defense, his hips don’t flip quickly enough, and he can be beaten by faster guards. If he improves in those two areas as he ages, he’ll be an excellent rotation player.

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports mocks Lopez as high as 12th overall, outlining Lopez’s strengths and weaknesses:

STRENGTHS

Physical tools: López is already built like a veteran at 6-foot-8 and 222 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. He isn’t a twitchy athlete and he doesn’t sky over opponents, but his broad shoulders and functional strength let him hold his ground against grown men in a professional league as a teenager.

Interior finishing: López is a bowling ball on his drives to the basket. He bodies opponents with his shoulder and invites contact once he elevates. He draws a ton of fouls as well. But there’s a finesse to him as well with the way he can extend his arm and hand for touch finishes from unusual angles.

Role player skills: He runs the floor on the break, he cuts, he screens, he does all the little things you want from a non-star. He’s a super aware cutter who’s always looking for cracks in the defense. He’ll bully smaller defenders under the rim as well to make himself available for finishes in the paint. Even if a simple layup or dunk isn’t available, he has the skill to hit some turnaround jumpers while fading away. With his ability to handle, he could ideally be paired with a perimeter-shooting guard that can free up López to eat on short rolls to the basket.

Connective playmaking: He’s not a primary initiator, but he can keep an offense flowing by making smart reads out of pick-and-rolls, handoffs, and short roll situations. He has a flair to his game. He’ll toss wrap-around passes when a big man commits to him to find cutters, he’ll throw bullseye lobs to cutting bigs, and he rewards guys who run the floor when he brings it up himself.

Defense: With his size, length, and strength, López has the traits to become a highly versatile defender who can switch across positions and make an impact as a help defender. He slides his feet well on-ball, whether defending players at his size or quicker guards. And off-ball, when he’s locked in, he’s a useful weakside rim protector who can fly in for blocks.

Just to chime in at this point of O’Connor’s assessment, there appears to be a consensus that Lopez is more likely to carve out a role on the fringes than as a starter. I would push-back somewhat on Lopez’s effectiveness as an on-ball defender, but would agree that he is impactful as a help shot-blocker. The rest of Lopez’s strengths we’ve examined previously. Let’s continue:

CONCERNS

Shooting: López made 33% of his catch-and-shoot 3s and 73% of his free throws in two NBL seasons, which isn’t a disaster, but he hasn’t shown an ability to be a knockdown shooter yet. He rarely takes 3s off movement. But his shooting has progressed. He was closer to a non-shooter when he was younger, and he went from having zero bag off the dribble to hitting six dribble-jumper 3s this past year. With his soft touch near the rim, he might just need time and the right coaching to unlock a reliable jump shot.

Shot creation: Most of his unassisted shots come as a result of bumping off defenders and using pump fakes to generate space. He doesn’t have a quick first step or burst in the lane, and he doesn’t have a dynamic handle either. He rarely ever uses his left hand when finishing at the rim. It doesn’t impact his ability to score in the NBL, but certainly could in the NBA. His handle is also notably looser with his left than his dominant right hand. Against NBA athletes, that physicality might be more neutralized than it has been at lower levels.

Off-ball defense: He gets a bit spacey when defending away from the ball. He’ll be late on rotations. Sometimes it seems like his effort comes and goes, which can’t happen for a player that projects as more of a role player than a superstar.

I’d argue that it is a testament to Lopez’s offensive skill that he can be efficient and effective despite not having an elite first step or burst — he makes it work for his game. It is a fair concern that things would look very different against NBA athletes, and it’s fair to take that into account in assessing Lopez as an NBA prospect.

Kyle Mann of The Ringer is significantly lower on Lopez than we’ve seen so far, projecting Lopez 28th overall with this to add:

I’ve had more of a “pumped brakes” mentality when it comes to López, because I think where he lands will be really important. The ability to pinpoint useful skills and maximize them is an advantage that some organizations have and some don’t. We’ve seen what Boston has done with Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Sam Hauser, and I think that López—a power wing whose rim pressure makes him an intriguing prospect—would similarly benefit from the time and structure that the Celtics could give him. If they tidied up the details surrounding his downhill strength and helped his percentage from 3 climb a few points, López could become an asset.

I completely agree that ‘where’ Lopez is selected is really important. Were he to land on a playoff team with a G League affiliation, it could prove a great selection and infusion of talent in a few years. Lopez would likely be too high for the Hawks to consider at eight, but in a trade back situation, Lopez could be helpful off the bench. Karim Lopez is an intriguing prospect whose ceiling I think can be a productive starter, a solid rotation player off the bench in a less-than-ideal scenario.

Time will soon tell…

Remember those long breaks between the second and third rounds, then the Conference Finals and the Finals?

Having an extra day of rest between Games 2 and 3 felt like twice as long to me. Thank God we’re back at it.

Here’s another humongous Bulletin ahead of Game 3, covering everything that went down on practice day at MSG on Sunday.

Mike Brown

On adjusting to Karl-Anthony Towns and finding common ground:

“It is supposed to be like this. I came (to New York) with a great plan. Maybe the plan doesn’t work. Who adjusts: Him or me? Me. I adjust. (But) the adjustment’s not enough. Every once in a while, we’re not on the same page. We talk about it. We talk about it. I adjust again. A little bit better. He’s feeling good. We talk about it. We talk — maybe we take a couple of steps backwards because what I did, he doesn’t like, which is fine. It’s my job as a coach to fit whatever scheme we have on both sides of the floor to all of our players. And if you’re a great player, I’ve got to make a little bit more adjustments, or I’ve got to give a little bit more than you do. We finally got to a point where he was comfortable, (where) I was comfortable, Jalen (Brunson) was comfortable, OG (Anunoby) was comfortable, Mikal (Bridges) was comfortable. And to me, that’s what the regular season is about. The regular season is about finding your way so you can prepare for this time of the year … So, when we get here, anything we run into, we’ve already conquered during the regular season, and we’ll know how to handle it.”

On Gregg Popovich’s influence on his career:

“It was huge. Pop — I talk about MSG being iconic, New York City being iconic — Pop is iconic, especially here in San Antonio. When you talk about the game of basketball, he’s iconic to everybody that enjoys the game of basketball.”

On what he learned from Popovich beyond basketball:

“The neat part about him is it’s not just about the X’s and O’s that you learn. You know you can never be him, but you learn people skills. You learn how to connect, not just the 15 or 18 players, you learn how to connect an entire city, maybe even an entire state.”

On Popovich’s personal support during difficult times:

“He’s second to none how [in] he treats people off the floor in their personal lives. I grew a lot personally. Everybody goes through good times and bad times off the floor in their personal life. When I was here, I went through good times and bad times. He helped me tremendously with those. He’s a special human being.”

On facing Mavs’ Jalen Brunson as a defensive coordinator at Golden State:

“As a defensive coordinator, this is just me, going into that series, my concern wasn’t Luka, my concern was Jalen. We put Draymond Green on Jalen. That’s how concerned we were. Because we needed a bigger, stronger, tougher guy to try to do it or to try to slow him down at that time.”

On meeting Ben Stiller and seeing Fat Joe at practice on Sunday:

“A great day for me today. For the first time I got a chance to meet Ben Stiller. … I actually gave him a handshake and a hug. I got my man Fat Joe sitting in the back. This is a great day for Mike Brown.”

Jalen Brunson

On whether or not he’s stopped to reflect on the Knicks’ Finals run:

“Not until it’s over.”

On the need for finishing games better after losing a 14-point lead in Game 2:

“I think playing better with the lead that we had, the 14-point lead. The way they fought back and took the lead is just a credit to how good they are.”

On his mentality and upbringing with relation to Kobe Bryant:

“I think the way I carry myself, the way I do things, is a credit to how I was raised by my parents. But also part of their philosophy, I think, seeps into the Mamba Mentality, as well. So, there’s a connectivity there. I do my best to stay present in the moment, to do the things I can to make sure my mind is right. Being mentally and physically ready every day. Trusting my work. That’s what’s gotten me here.”

On what scouts missed about him when he fell to the second round of the NBA draft:

“Everything.”

On the love he’s received from New York:

“I’ve always said this and felt the amount of love I’ve gotten from this fanbase and from this city since Day 1. I’m so thankful, I’m so honored to be able to put ‘New York’ across my chest. I wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything in the world.”

On the magnitude of the Finals returning to MSG:

“I think it’s really cool — 27 years since the last Finals here in this building. I know the fan base is really excited, as they should be, but as a team, us inside the locker room, we have more work to do.”

On the team’s daily improvement mindset:

“Things take time. We knew that we just had to get better every single day — every single day. In the world we live in now, everyone wants things instantly. So from our perspective, it’s all about just getting better every single day, keep chipping away, keep chipping away, being one percent better. When you take steps back, how can you improve? It’s always about, ‘How can you improve? How can you improve?’ Having that mentality and focus and approach, I think, allows us to still be students of the game and still find ways to learn, even through wins. And I think we need to continue to do that.”

On his perspective on pressure given his father’s pro career in the NBA:

“I view pressure… my dad, he was in the league on 10-day contracts and non-guaranteed deals. Being able to see that, and getting older and seeing what he had to do (for his family to live), I have it easy.”

On his thoughts about failure and giving everything:

“It’s all about being able to say you gave it everything you got. Knowing that sometimes you might not get the end result you want, but you know you gave it everything you got. Just control what you can control. If you go out there, put all the preparation and the work in, do everything you can, and you live with the results.”

On the Knicks’ steady search for “sprays”:

“I mean, they were just reading and reacting. We were playing off each other. We saw the same thing you did.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the need to pay back Knicks fans:

“We got to be desperate for these fans. Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give ’em something to cheer for, give ‘em something to get loud for and also give ‘em something to believe in. I talked about the word ‘hope.’ Hope has been brought back to the city. We’ve revitalized that word. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time. So we have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”

On restoring success to New York:

“Hope has been brought back to the city. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen. We have to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”

On playing for the fans at MSG:

“To be able to lace the shoes up, be able to put the jersey on and be able to see our fans, to see Finals basketball after all this time is going to be really, really special.”

On not taking the Spurs lightly after going up 2-0:

“Every single game, you expect their best. That’s how you don’t get caught, in a way, lacking. You go out there and you expect their best, so you want to bring your best. This is the NBA Finals. There’s no time to take any game easy or to take any game lightly.”

On the team leaning on each other during adversity:

“This team leans on each other. I think that’s why we’ve gotten here. That’s why we had the success we had during the regular season even when things weren’t going great, because at the end of the day, when things do get tough and the trials and tribulations do present themselves, this team doesn’t disband. They don’t go away from each other. We lean into each other even more. We trust each other even more to get out of the rut. That’s what special teams do. Jalen knows. He has a national championship, and you’ve seen the camaraderie and unity they have.”

On adjusting his role throughout the season:

“It’s about impacting winning. Especially this year, throughout the year, I’ve always had to change my role for the betterment of the team. I’ve always had to change the way I play so it could be most beneficial for the team. Taking all that experience this year, I’ve had to do it on the fly. It wasn’t like game by game. It’s been quarter by quarter. That comes with experience and just knowledge of the game and just time. Time playing the game, time putting shots up, time reading defenses, seeing defenses, offenses. So like I said, one game Jalen got hurt, that’s when I have to be a primary scorer. Other games when he’s cooking, I’ve got to be a facilitator, a hub, assist-maker, aggressive in playmaking. Then there’s games when I need to do both when he’s in and I’m in and be able to do both when his shot is warming up. There’s also days where I got to be a decoy, I got to be the best screener, I got to be the best spacer for our offense. So I think that right now, whatever it takes to win, especially when you’re in the NBA Finals, I’m willing to do.”

On finding the right balance in the playoffs:

“I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too much, and it was to the detriment to the team. And I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too little, and it was a detriment to the team. It’s a fine line. It comes with experience where you learn what truly is best for the team and being able to find that balance of being aggressive and impacting the game with your skill set, but also utilizing that skill set to make others better. Something that experience has taught me. I think right now, I’m doing the best I’ve done at it.”

On being recognized as a great shooting big:

“It’s an honor. I worked on my game. When I was younger, that wasn’t something that was supposed to happen. You’re laughed at. You’re told, What are you doing? You’re wasting your time. People come back to me and give me all the congrats and congratulations and all this love for something they didn’t help with; they told me to do the opposite. So that’s how life always goes.”

Mikal Bridges

On what he remembers from the 2021 Finals collapse:

“I just remember losing four straight. That’s what I remember out of that. They all understand as well, knowing the series is far from over. We’ve got to keep playing desperate and be the more desperate team.”

On the need for fixing the Game 2 fourth-quarter mistakes:

“Got to be better the whole fourth: turnovers, shot selection, a lot of transition defense in that fourth quarter itself. Keep going. Can’t get too comfortable. We had a good lead, but we know how the league works. Being this far, playing against a really good team, no lead’s ever safe.”

On resiliency despite a poor fourth quarter:

“I think a poor fourth by us, obviously with all that happening, the resiliency to stay together and stay mentally locked in and still find a way to win. You can’t do that to the team that is that good, give chances like that. We got to be way better.”

On ignoring the 13-game winning streak:

“Personally, I think we really don’t care too much about the winning streak or anything like that because all that’s in the past. I think we do a great job as a team of always knowing that it’s 0-0 after every win, staying locked in on the next game.”

On how he’s able to keep up with his ironman streak:

“I just want to be out there … just want to grow every day, be better. It’s kind of how I was raised, kind of how when I was in high school, college, my coaches always preached playing every game even if you’re banged up a little bit. They make you play. I think subconsciously knowing how the league goes … the more I think about it, never ever, leave a window open for someone to take your spot. I think that’s kind of been subconsciously staying on my mind ever since I first got in the league. I always play no matter what, but I think that’s just another aspect that kind of got to me was always just you never know. You never know how you might go out for a week or two and maybe the next guy steps up and maybe the team plays better … the organization might look at you a little bit different.”

On maintaining urgency despite a 2-0 lead:

“0-0 man, f**k. Keep playing, desperate. That’s it, man. Take this rest. We got two days, take a break, do whatever you gotta do to get ready for this next game, but keep going out there and don’t stop. We got nothing but the offseason, man. Keep pushing. Leave everything on that court.”

On fighting through adversity in Game 2:

“Just gut. Just fight. A lot of integrity, poise, staying together. We’re gonna fight to the end. They made a run. They’re a really good team, but we’re gonna fight to the end. I wish we had a better fourth quarter. They’re a really good team. They pushed it, but we’ve gotta be better.”

On his prior Finals experience helping him and the Knicks now:

“I think just being here before, knowing how it’s going to be. Just a lot of experience knowing how much effort you need to give every single moment. Same situation, up 2-0, and I’ve got to be able to talk to these guys and just keep level-headed and just keep playing desperate. Being here before, knowing how it was gonna be and how much effort you need to give at every single moment.”

On his playoff mindset:

“Just that desperation. You know, that desperation of trying to be the last team standing and trying to do whatever it takes to help my team win. There’s nothing after June. You don’t play again until October. So just try to give it all that I got and do whatever it takes for this team.”

On the urgency of the moment:

“It’s just go time. It’s winning time. It’s that season. I’m trying to go out there and give it all I’ve got for this team, my teammates, the coaches, for the organization, fans.”

Josh Hart

On the need for better late-game execution after Game 2:

“In terms of that play, you never know because you could go down and get a stop. So you never know what play can change a game. But for us, we know that we have to do better. We were up like 14, and I think we’re the best fourth-quarter team in the league, so we got to make sure that we’re locked in and executing in that regard.”

On fourth-quarter issues in Game 2:

“[Poor] execution, for sure, in the fourth quarter. I feel like we played a little bit slower. Transition defense wasn’t as crisp as it was in the first three quarters. I think if we focus on that and rebounding, we’ll be good.”

On the high ticket prices at MSG for Game 3:

“I kind of wish the ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are. I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren’t able to get into the building. The cheapest ticket is $7,000, $8,000. That’s ridiculous.”

On the expected atmosphere at Madison Square Garden:

“The Garden is going to be rocking. Obviously in this city we love our Knicks. So we’re going to come out, show love, support. The energy is going to be electric.”

On tuning out the outside noise in Game 3:

“For me personally, especially in college, [Villanova] Coach [Jay] Wright always talked about [how] we play for the guys in the locker room, and we don’t really play to the crowd. So for me, I feel like I’m able to kind of tune that out pretty well, just because that guy instilled that in me [during my] four years in college.”

On Mikal Bridges’ impact:

“You can’t say enough about him. I’m not surprised about it. I don’t think anyone else is surprised or should be surprised. That’s what he does. He’s a winning basketball player. He makes big-time shots, big-time stops. He takes the challenge and he’s a hell of a basketball player.”

Jose Alvarado

On the high resale ticket prices for Games 3 and 4:

“I see it’s $11,000 each, I say no. They know the love. They know what it is. But it’s a lot of money … I ain’t doing that. I tell you that much. It’s a good thing and a bad thing. That means we got a fanbase that’s willing to do anything to come out and see us and we’re grateful for that. … We’re just seeing what we can do because not a lot of people can afford that. … I’m gonna throw a watch party for my neighborhood in Williamsburg. Just improvise and be grateful for the situation we’re in. That’s what New York is all about.”

On celebrating with fans if they win the title:

“If we win the championship, I don’t know what I would do, but that’s probably one thing that’s gonna go through my head to see how I can go out there and celebrate with everybody. If that happens, it definitely will be something I’ll think about.”

Deuce McBride

On Landry Shamet stepping up:

“It’s no surprise to us about whenever any of us step up. But especially Landry, for a guy that’s dealt with so much throughout his career, and to be here … it’s a testament to how he works, how he trusts in himself and his confidence.”

Landry Shamet

On the 13-game winning streak:

“The games in the past don’t matter. Not 13 games ago, not one game ago. It’s one game at a time, and that’s the only way through this thing. So we’re worried about Game 3, and the series is 0-0 in our mind in that respect.”

On whether this is the best he’s played throughout his career:

“I don’t know. I’ll let you guys figure that out.”

On staying present during the run and not thinking too much about it:

“No. And that’s OK. I’ve had moments, but actively, I don’t want to do that until it’s all said and done. I want to be here, be present, soak this up, compete, stay locked in and just try to help my team. Getting four wins is the goal. Right now, we’ve got to get another one.”

On ball movement and looking for “sprays”:

“Drive and kick, make the right read, share the ball. That’s our team. You know, if there’s a guy open, we’re gonna make that pass, make that play, trust each other and do that.”

On embracing sacrifice during this run:

“We’re here for a reason, we want to compete and contribute. At the end of the day, wins speak much louder than any of that other stuff. That’s what we all ultimately want.”

OG Anunoby

On staying focused with the added Game 3 distractions:

“I think he will just be there watching the game. We’re just going to go as usual and play our game and try to win the game.”

Mitch Johnson

On the need for capitalizing:

“We have to be better at taking advantage of when we put ourselves in good starting spots to take advantage of the things that we are doing well. I think that’s probably been — if there’s a thematic thing, the biggest thing is we’ve put in some good, hard work at times, and have not taken advantage of that hard work. That’s been partially some undisciplined things of us, partially also New York has stepped up and made some plays at the end of the clock and finished out possessions.”

On returning to their standard to try and bounce back:

“If there’s a thematic thing, the biggest thing is we’ve put in some good, hard work at times, and have not taken advantage of that hard work. That’s been partially some undisciplined things for us. Also, New York has stepped up and made some plays at the end of the clock and finished out possessions.”

On the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden:

“I think there will obviously be a ton of excitement around the game. This arena’s like no other. The added circumstances will be on top of that. We’ve been fortunate to play some games in this arena recently that have been, again, not Finals, but [the] Christmas game [in 2024]. Again, I just think added attention around Victor and being in this arena a few times, we’ve experienced that. I would expect tomorrow will be more than that. It will be a fun environment.”

On simply focusing on Game 3 down 2-0:

“We’ve got one game [Monday] night at 8:30 in Madison Square Garden. It’s the only game that matters. We’ve got to come in here ready to win it.”

Stephon Castle

On the late turnover in Game 2:

“I don’t know what we could have done differently at the end of that game to pull it out. It didn’t happen, so on to the next.”

On the added urgency being down 0-2:

“It’s human nature to come out with a certain sense of urgency after a loss. It probably shouldn’t go that way; you should come out with the same urgency whether you win or lose. Now being down 2-0, our sense of urgency is the highest it’s been.”

On Gregg Popovich’s message after going down 0-2:

“Pretty much his message was, ‘Just let the last two games go.’ It happened. They were very winnable games. We feel like we gave them those games. We’ve got to let those go and focus on the next one. The next game is the most important game of the series. Try to come into that and win it.”

On the challenge of coming back from a 2-0 deficit:

“At the end of the day, it’s first to four [wins]. I mean, at this point in the season, it doesn’t really matter whether you’re playing at home or away. Teams are playing their best brand of basketball. Trying to figure out how to win basketball games is the most important thing. I mean, yeah, going down 0-2 at home is something we definitely didn’t want to do. Going back and watching it, those were very winnable games. I think the next two are very winnable games, too.”

On his ankle after the Game 2 scare while foul-baiting:

“It’s been feeling good. Yeah, I’ve been feeling good. It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially. Obviously, I had some adrenaline running, [and] kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it. Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.”

Victor Wembanyama

On the Spurs’ mistakes in Game 2:

“There were many things we could have done better. From simply not turning the ball over to being smarter about fouls, or even fouling earlier sometimes in the possession. It could have went a thousand ways.”

On blocking out distractions at MSG in Game 3:

“I think the key is acceptance a lot of times, taking a step back, realizing all the journey that’s behind this and what’s ahead of this. Just being okay with who I am, where I am, what I’m doing. I think this is everything that I wished for. There’s really no reason to overthink it. I mean, this is what I’m built for. I think it could be [more difficult given all the attention], but isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years. I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem. This is similar to something media-wise like the Olympics.”

On capitalizing in Game 3:

“We need to capitalize, actually use all the efforts we did. We did a lot of things wrong, but we also were relentless and kept pushing, but kind of, like, wasted that effort. Even though I know it’s not wasted because our lessons are learned — I know we’re not going to make the mistakes of the past again — but in a moment like this, we need to make these things matter.”

On De’Aaron Fox’s leadership within the Spurs locker room:

“He’s an experienced guy that we’ve always been able to turn to when we need it. Especially I think it’s easy to forget that our guards are really young, how precious he’s been for them.”

Harrison Barnes

On De’Aaron Fox’s impact on the Spurs:

“It’s huge. It can’t be stated enough the things he’s done. When he came here last year, I think he had in the same week 50 and 60 points, you know what I mean? I think those things aren’t talked about enough. You talk about the youth of this team. This is his second playoff run.”

Dylan Harper

On what’s the most important thing for him heading into Game 3:

“Desperation. I think for me, I feel like I’m at my best when I play with that type of desperation, and I think that’s what’s kind of needed for this occasion. I feel like I’m going to go out there and no matter what the circumstances, I think if I’m not playing with that type of fire or grit, I’m doing a disservice to everyone.”

On the atmosphere at MSG for Game 3:

“I mean, I feel like we kind of got a taste of [what it will feel like] a little bit in San Antonio. I think that next game tomorrow is going to be electric. I think it’s going to be through the roof. I think it’s going to be everything that I’ve kind of seen or dreamed of times 10.”

De’Aaron Fox

On believing the Spurs can recover from the two-game hole:

“We’ve lost a Game 1 at home and we’ve been able to fight back. We’ve played well on the road throughout the course of the playoffs. I don’t think any of us in the locker room are thinking we can’t do it.”

On his approach for Game 3:

“It could go downhill quickly or we could fight back. So, for me, you want to come out and just be aggressive and just allow our team to follow suit.”

On the Spurs’ belief in themselves:

“There’s a reason why we’re so good. We have a talented group. We have a group that is willing to share, willing to play together and we want to continue to do that. But we need to play better.”

Amar’e Stoudemire

On No. 47 attending Game 3:

“Oh, man, he’s going to get a standing ovation. That’s the United States president. He deserves all the respect that we can give him. So I think the Knicks fans will show respect Monday night to the president if he does come to the game.”

Mike Sweetney

On being welcomed back by the Knicks for Games 3 and 4:

“I didn’t have the career I could have had. But for them to have me back and welcome me with open arms, that means the world to me.”

On how different the current environment feels to his Knicks days:

“It was a zoo when I was there as a player. So it’s one of those things where I look at it like, ‘Whoa, that’s kind of crazy.’ But now it’s one of those things where you’re happy for the team for where they are now, what they’re doing. There was a lot of pressure on me. But I’m going to be honest with you, I didn’t know it was like this. I knew it was crazy but … you can see it, wow, Knicks fans are everywhere.”

Walt Frazier

On the Knicks being destined for the NBA title:

“It’s destiny. At the end of the season, we feared Detroit and Boston and they fell out. We didn’t want OKC and they fell out. We got the guys we wanted because of their lack of experience. You saw that tonight. They had us on the ropes, but they didn’t know how to finish it.”

On the team’s togetherness compared to his era:

“Frazier, Bradley, DeBusschere, Reed. It’s the same thing. That togetherness is really core. This year, we’ve been a 10-man team. Guys are stepping up . . . All these guys have been very productive.”

Zohran Mamdani

On attending Game 3 at MSG:

“I will be in a very different section of the stadium. And I think we look forward to welcoming any New Yorker who is excited for the Knicks to have that chance to win that championship.”

On what this Knicks run means to the New York City:

“This moment means everything for so many across the city. It feels like the transformation of the world’s greatest city into the world greatest small town, where not only are we all thinking about the same thing, but we’re all praying for the same thing.”

On the need for keeping watch parties safe and joyful:

“I think thus far the focus is on the question of watch parties and ensuring the safety and the security and also that they’re places of joy where New Yorkers can gather.”

On balancing safety and celebration:

“This is the constant bounce in any time of immense excitement and joy is that we want to make sure that it is safe, it is secure, and also that we are not stifling a moment that New Yorkers are going to remember for a long time. And I think in the World Cup we’ll see a similar thing where, yes, we are focused on making sure it’s a safe and secure World Cup, and also one where that is not stifling the excitement of the experience. And, I can tell you that as a fan, yes, you build your entire day for the game. But the memories you have are before, they’re after, they’re at the fan zone, they are across the city, and that’s something we want to make sure that others get to have here.”

On James Dolan providing tickets to underprivileged families:

“I’m appreciative of the fact that Mr. Dolan has provided a number of hundreds of tickets for these finals for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it. I think this is a moment where everyone is thinking about the Knicks … (While campaigning), I remember speaking about the fact that we’re going to fight for affordable tickets and there are many who rolled their eyes. And now there will be a thousand New Yorkers who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go to the game for whom this will mean everything and that’s an incredible opportunity.”

Dwyane Wade

On challenging Victor Wembanyama to elevate his game:

“What Wemby’s done has been incredible. I need to see more. If you’re gonna win this championship, we’re gonna have to see Wemby go to the level that we think Wemby can go to. He’s shown us he can. I knew the opportunity that was in front of me and I didn’t want the opportunity to pass me by, and so I end up discovering a player that I never had seen before. That guy who averaged 34.7 in the Finals, I never seen him before.”

Edie Falco

On her overwhelming positivity about the Knicks:

“I’m a little embarrassed at my positivity and joie de vivre. Not being the winning team is kind of built into the Knicks’ sauce. You say you’re a Knicks fan, and people are like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ It’s like a joke. But it’s never really mattered to me ’cause I just love ’em. I love the Knicks, and I love being at the Garden, even though the individuals are different every year. So, this is some whole other place. This is some whole other thing. It’s intense.”

On feeling possessive about the team:

“I don’t know where to put this. It’s a little bit like everybody is focused now on my guys. But they’re my guys! I’m feeling sort of very possessive about my team. Like, the whole freaking world is focused on them right now, and I’m like, ‘Back off, everybody. These are my guys.’”

Fat Joe

On the Knicks unifying New York:

“I seen Hasidic Jews break dancing with Black kids. This is the greatest unification of the city since 9/11.”

On James Dolan’s ownership:

“Shoutout to Mr. Dolan. Greatest team owner in the game. Very misunderstood. They villainize Mr. Dolan almost like a Bruce Wayne, like Batman in Gotham City because he’s an elite. But this man: All these watch parties. That man’s taking care of us. What do you want me to say? The guy lives a great life. It’s a lot of pressure. New York City, man, they want answers and they want it now. So they kept trying to get it right and now finally you’ve got this team-ball mentality.”

On the Knicks’ team-first mentality:

“[In New York], we like big names, and we always went for the big names, but those were more like individual achievers. It wasn’t team basketball. So we got it right.”

On fearing the firing of Tom Thibodeau and the hiring of Mike Brown:

“I was a little nervous with coach cause I’m not gonna lie to you: I loved Thibs. So when he came, I said, ‘Dog, what did we do?’ But [Mike Brown] proved to me that he’s an incredible, incredible coach. This is all a team. They’ve got that mentality. They’re not celebrating. I might be celebrating more than these guys.”

Ben Stiller

On sharing courtside footage with fans on X:

“If you’re lucky enough to have that access and have that point of view, I feel like it’s great to be able to share that. I think that’s the biggest part of it, is to be able to share that point of view because I feel so grateful to have that. And then it’s fun to be just witnessing it.”

On combining filmmaking and his Knicks fandom:

“It’s just incredible. It’s so exciting. Obviously, to do what I love doing, and then my favorite thing to do is to go see the Knicks play, it’s special to have that come together.”

On appreciating the moment as a fan:

“It’s that thing of just trying to appreciate the moment. It’s actually hard, even when I’m filming, because I want to enjoy it as a fan, too. So, it’s kind of that balance. So, half the time I’ll drop the phone and just go jump up and down. For me, I’m much more interested in seeing what’s going on out there instead of myself.”

On accepting the Knicks’ struggles over the years:

“My whole life I’ve lived with this idea that, ‘Oh, the Knicks aren’t going to make it, the Knicks have never been good, the Knicks have been a joke for a long time back in the day.’ It almost became something you accept.”

On how surreal this Knicks run feels:

“It’s kind of surreal. I think it would be one of the biggest things to happen to the city in terms of unifying [us]. I think it’s stuff inside of people that they don’t even know is there, the feelings that are coming up where you’re used to just having to live with, ‘OK, this is what it is’ to the reality of we’re in the Finals and we’re two games up.”

On being in denial about the moment:

“It’s still, I feel like I’m in denial about it. But I think for the city it’s going to be incredible. You can already feel it.”

The opening acts have already been electric.

But Monday could be historic.

This playoff run — in which the Knicks have won 13 straight, including five at home — has shown the absolute mania that is possible inside Madison Square Garden.

But even that is likely just a warmup for what the Mecca and Knicks fans are capable of at their full potential.

Everything has lined up for Monday’s Game 3 of the Finals to be one of those moments that cements itself in New York City lore.

The Knicks return home leading the series 2-0, having won both road games to begin the Finals.

“I expect our fans to come out and do what they do every game, which is come and support us at the highest level,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after practice Sunday. “I’m really excited to play. It’s always great when you get to play the game of basketball at its highest level. To be able to lace the shoes up, be able to put the jersey on and be able to see our fans, to see Finals basketball after all this time is going to be really, really special.”

The wait only adds to the anticipation.

For 27 years, The World’s Most Famous Arena has been a pressure cooker just waiting to explode — a sleeping giant just waiting to be woken up.

The last Finals game in the building was June 25, 1999 — when the Knicks lost Game 5 to the Spurs to end the series.

“I think it’s really cool — 27 years since the last Finals here in this building,” Jalen Brunson said. “I know the fan base is really excited, as they should be.”

This century has not seen the Finals version of MSG and New York City.

And really, even in ’99, the Knicks trailed 2-0 in the series by the time they came home, dulling some of the energy.

You have to go back even further, to Game 5 of the ’94 Finals, to find a game the Knicks began at the Garden at least tied in the Finals.

“We got to be desperate for these fans,” Towns said. “Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give ’em something to cheer for, give ’em something to get loud for and also give ’em something to believe in.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

“I talked about the word ‘hope.’ Hope has been brought back to the city. We’ve revitalized that word. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time. So we have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”

This young Spurs team, which has already shown it is susceptible to capitulating in high-intensity moments, is about to walk into a cauldron unlike anything it has experienced before.

“I think there will obviously be a ton of excitement around the game,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “This arena’s like no other. The added circumstances will be on top of that.”

Victor Wembanyama is confident he’s ready for the atmosphere.

“Isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years,” he said. “I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem.”

The uniqueness of MSG can be felt before Game 3 even tips off.

It felt like there was double the number of media members at practices Sunday than there were in San Antonio.

Fat Joe and Jadakiss crashed coach Mike Brown’s news conference and then held their own impromptu media availability.

Ben Stiller was roaming the grounds filming the scene.

A special building has been waiting for this special moment.

“It makes it feel different,” Brown said, “than almost any other building you’ve been in.”

Bryant Park has been added as an extra Knicks watch party location for Monday night’s NBA Finals Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs, it was announced early Monday.

The addition was made after the NYPD and Secret Service axed the planned watch party outside of Madison Square Garden due to heightened security requirements for President Trump’s planned attendance.

“These watch parties have become a celebration of New York City itself,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“From every borough and every neighborhood, this city has come together to cheer on the Knicks and share in a moment that belongs to all of us. That’s why we’re adding Bryant Park as an additional watch party location, so even more fans can be part of this incredible Knicks Finals run.”

The watch party will be free and open to the public, with a maximum capacity of 5,000 attendees. Registration in advance is required.

Knicks watch parties will also be held at Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl so fans across the Big Apple can watch the team make their first run at an NBA championship since 1973.

The NBA Finals head to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will have a chance to close out the series at their home arena after winning the first two games on the road at the Frost Bank Center.

The Knicks' last NBA finals appearance was in 1999 against the Spurs, who went on to beat New York 4-1. The Knicks won their only two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973.

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will have to crawl back into the series, in search of the franchise's first title since 2014.

Here’s what NBA experts think will happen in Game 3 of the series:

Knicks vs. Spurs Game 3 predictions

USA TODAY Staff: Knicks will continue to pull away

Most of the USA TODAY Sports staff believes the Knicks will continue to run away with the series in Madison Square Garden.

Lorenzo Reyes: Knicks 110, Spurs 101

Mark Giannotto: Knicks 108, Spurs 105

Scooby Axson: Knicks 115, Spurs 111

Victoria Hernandez: Knicks 112, Spurs 108

Jon Hoefling: Knicks 111, Spurs 109

Andres Soto: Spurs 111, Knicks 108

James H. Williams: Spurs 115, Knicks 108

Sports Betting Dime: Spurs 116.5, Knicks 115.1

The website predicts that San Antonio will win Game 3 against New York, taking the Spurs with the points. It has the point total going over.

ESPN: Knicks given best chance to win in Game 3

The website gives New York a 58.2% chance of beating San Antonio in Game 3 and being within one game of winning the championship.

How to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Madison Square Garden (New York)
• TV: ESPN
• Stream:Fubo, YouTube TV

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals Game 3 predictions: Will Spurs or Knicks win?

There are any number of reasons why New York's Madison Square Garden is called "The World's Most Famous Arena."

It's hosted classic boxing matches, from Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano to the "Fight of the Century" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

It's the birthplace of the Big East and the mecca of college basketball.

It's a legendary concert venue, hosting sold-out shows by Billy Joel, Phish, Harry Styles and so many more.

And its ice is where the NHL's New York Rangers finally ended their 54-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994.

But nothing gets the joint jumping more than the New York Knicks and the NBA.

Unfortunately for New Yorkers, the Knickerbockers haven't hosted an NBA Finals game at MSG in 27 years. That all changes on Monday, June 8, when the San Antonio Spurs come to the Big Apple for Game 3.

Let's take a look back at what happened the last time the Knicks were the talk of the town.

We’re beginning our end-of-season review series for the Cleveland Cavaliers. This time, we’re going to go with the report card format.

As is the case with our postgame report cards, a “B” grade represents a player or group meeting their standards.

We’ll start with Koby Altman and the front office.

Key moves

• Traded Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball.
• Didn’t re-sign Ty Jerome
• Re-signed Sam Merrill
• Signed Thomas Bryant
• Signed Larry Nance Jr.
• Drafted Tyrese Proctor
• Traded De’Andre Hunter for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis
• Traded Darius Garland for James Harden

The Cavs had more postseason success this year than they have at any point since LeBron James left for Los Angeles. That’s an accomplishment.

The front office played a large role in that happening. They reshaped the roster at the deadline to one that could win multiple playoff rounds. However, that overhaul was only needed because of their missteps over the last few years. Additionally, the runway for success has been significantly shortened. They deserve criticism for that.

In many ways, the Cavs tried to build a roster to compete against the 2025 Indiana Pacers — a team they would never face again.

The plan last offseason was to increase their versatility at the expense of specialty players like Okoro and Jerome. This trade-off took away some of the intangibles that made the previous group special.

They weren’t the free-flowing motion offense that defined the 64-win version. Instead, they were mostly a jump shooting team that had very few on-ball playmakers. The Cavs didn’t lose their free-flowing offensive identity after the Garland trade — as he suggested last week — they simply never established it at all this year.

This season’s plan fell apart shortly after takeoff. Ball, Nance, and Bryant didn’t provide much versatility, with the main failure being Ball.

Injuries zapped Ball of being a productive player at all. He wasn’t able to get into the paint, and the outside shot abandoned him. Additionally, the defensive versatility wasn’t there due to his diminished lateral quickness. In the end, this all led to Ball not even being in the league by the end of the season.

These failed acquisitions, in addition to the team’s overall injuries, exposed the lack of playable depth during the regular season.

The front office made the best of a bad situation at the deadline. However, it was a mess they created over the past several years.

The Cavs made the wrong bet on Hunter at the previous deadline. He was supposed to solve the team’s ongoing issue at the wing and did for a short time, but it didn’t carry over to this year.

Hunter was bad this season for the Cavs. Fourteen points per game on .423/.308/.869 shooting splits isn’t worth $21.6 million for a team in the second apron. This is in addition to Hunter providing little to no value on the defensive end. Saving some money while finding much-needed depth was the right thing to do, but it was more of a band-aid than a solution to the real issue.

Now, they’re left in a worse spot on the wing than they were before the initial Hunter deal. The Cavs have fewer assets and are at risk of losing Dean Wade, their only truly capable wing defender, in free agency. There are limited avenues to improve on the wing outside of trading a member of the core four, or hoping LeBron decides to come home in free agency for less money than he’s worth.

The Harden trade was a somewhat similar situation.

The real issue was that this version of Garland isn’t worth a max contract based on how he’s looked after the toe injury. But even before the injury, there were reasons to be skeptical of his fit next to Donovan Mitchell well before this past trade deadline.

The front office continually dug its heels in with the previous core four group, despite warning signs that the talent didn’t mesh. Instead of moving Garland when he had more value — as he did in 2024 — they were forced to trade a hobbled version in addition to a second-round pick just to bring back a 36-year-old Harden.

On their own, none of the moves that the front office made this season were indefensible. Trading Okoro for Ball was a worthwhile gamble at the time, not re-signing Jerome made sense, and the moves at the deadline were correct in the moment. Only when you zoom out do the issues become clear.

The Cavs have the highest-paid team in the league, and still have a lot of the same issues that have haunted them each of their past postseason runs, despite winning three more playoff games this year. Except now, they have far fewer avenues to improve, and they have a much more condensed runway to compete.

Realistically, this group has two more years to be a threat to win the conference. That’s a timeline they imposed on themselves. And figuring out how to make the leap is harder now than ever.

The mistakes of the past caught up to the Cavs this year and could haunt them for the remainder of this era unless something drastically changes.

Grade: C-

The Rockets debuted new jerseys and a complete makeover late last week. This makes sense because the video was a follow-up to the Rockets account’s Twitter video, which featured Rudy Tomjanovich’s dinner and honored the ‘93-‘94 and ‘94-‘95 Rockets teams that wore the Ketchup and Mustard jerseys, making them a fan favorite remembered by Rockets fans worldwide, regardless of age. Finally, Ketchup and Mustard are back.

In addition to the Ketchup and Mustard jerseys, the Rockets also unveiled a new black alternate that will be their signature jerseys and a new pin-stripped version. The Rockets also changed their emblems, giving the famous Dunkstronaut and the trademark R a new border. I personally am glad they kept the Dunkstronaut.

“We heard our fans…Ketchup and mustard are back!” said Patrick Fertitta, Vice Chairman of the Houston Rockets and Comets. “From the time my family bought the team in 2017, we’ve heard from countless fans about how deeply those colors are tied to their memories of Rockets basketball. We wanted to create something that celebrates the generations of fans who built Rockets basketball while inspiring the next generation of Rockets fans.”

The Rockets will continue to promote their new design by holding a celebratory event at The George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday from 10 to 8 in honor of the new uniforms. The first 100 fans who spend $100 or more will receive a free T-shirt. Rudy Tomjanovich, Steve Francis, and Vernon Maxwell, who will sign autographs from 12-1, 2-3, and 4-5, respectively, are just a few of the many Rockets icons that will be present to sign autographs.

Having stated all of that, what are your thoughts? Are the jerseys appealing to you? Do you not like the jerseys? Tell me, and don’t forget to return to The Dream Shake for all Houston Rockets news.

Perhaps the best way to humanize the world's biggest celebrities is to get them talking about sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden for a New York Knicks game.

Rapper Fat Joe always says a prayer once he's in his seat, grateful he no longer has to watch from the top of the "World's Most Famous Arena." Actress Anne Hathaway says Knicks' games give her "a fairytale feeling," with flashbacks to her childhood spent dreaming of being where she watches the games from now.

"I don't cherish anything more in my new life than my Garden access," actor Timothée Chalamet said last year on the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast featuring former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

The stars will be out in full force when the Knicks host their first NBA Finals game since 1999 at the Garden on Monday, June 8, with President Donald Trump among those expected to be in the building for Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs.

The New York Knicks were never going to win the trade. Not in November. Not in December. Not in January. Not in April or May. Simply put, Mikal Bridges would forever need to carry the weight of landing in Manhattan by way of five draft picks sent across the bridge to Brooklyn.

The Knicks’ package was loaded with first-round picks, and every single missed corner three or defensive whiff was obviously going to lead directly to questioning New York’s asset management. Mikal must have felt like dying by a thousand cuts.

That was always the problem with judging Bridges fairly and early. The trade was not made for a random Tuesday night in Charlotte, nor for a three-game stretch in January, nor for whatever helped push the “ain’t worth five first-round picks” agenda a step further.

It was made for this.

“Just fight, man,” an emotional Bridges said after the Game 2 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. “A lot of integrity, a lot of poise. Just staying together. We’re going to fight to the end. They made a run—they’re a really good team—but we’re going to fight to the end.

“This is great, man, it’s great. I wish we had a better fourth quarter, but they’re a really good team. They pushed it, but we gotta be better.

“My teammates, man, my teammates and coaches gave me confidence… Bad, bad fourth. I gotta be better. I gotta play hard all throughout the fourth quarter, even when I’m tired—I gotta keep going. I can’t have a fourth quarter like that.”

Asked about his and the collective Knicks’ mindset after going up 2-0, Bridges left no doubt about it.

“Zero-zero,” Bridges answered. “Stay desperate at all times.”

On the black side, De’Aaron Fox has come downhill, Stephon Castle has tried to turn the corner, Dylan Harper and Harrison Barnes and Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie have also taken turns at it. On the blue side, Jalen Brunson has surprisingly needed somebody else to hold the offense together while he’s still in search of his jumper. And truth be told, Karl-Anthony Towns has been the undeniably best Knickerbocker out there.

Outside of the 1A-1B punch of KAT and JB, which FanDuel projects to snatch the NBA Finals MVP award with +115 and +165 odds, respectively, someone is emerging. Captain obvious writing here, as you guessed it right: that’s your man Mikal.

Game 2 was the clearest proof yet that Bridges is, against all odds, inching very veryveryclose to making the Nets regret sending him to New York, no matter what they extracted from the Knickerbocker coffers.

Bridges finished G2 with 20 points, six rebounds, six assists, and shot 8-for-13 from the field while going 4-for-6 from three in New York’s 105-104 win in San Antonio, helping the Knicks take a nearly-insurmountable 2-0 series lead in the freaking NBA Finals.

Mikal did it on a night when Brunson went 7-for-25, when Josh Hart scored zero points, and when the Knicks barely escaped both a team and an officiating crew working together to try and put a stop to what is now a 13-game winning streak.

Bridges kept the Knicks afloat before Brunson put the Spurs to the sword. He hit eight straight shots across the second and third quarters, gave Mike Brown real offense when things got dicey, and still had enough left on D to give Fox, Castle, and whoever hunted him fits.

Per the New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield, Bridges has held Fox to 0-for-4 and Castle to 1-for-7 when serving as their primary defender through the first two games of the series. That might or might not sound like much, but when you realize the Spurs are basically a one-man army with a few minions around him, once you cut those two from the body, the thing becomes an entirely different and not-so-offensive animal.

“[Bridges] was huge for us on both ends of the floor,” Brown said. “You’re not stopping a guy like De’Aaron Fox. You’ve just got to try to make him work. We put Mikal on Fox in the second half a little bit and made him work. But what he did for us offensively when we were struggling and then when we took Jalen out was huge. He made big play after big play after big play.”

And outside of his production—Bridges’ averaging a strong 14-3-3-1 line in the playoffs, shooting 58.5% from the floor and 38% from three—the thing the Knicks might benefit the most from having him is his experience and veteranship. You might have forgotten, but Mikal was part of the latest, biggest face-painting in NBA history.

Up 2-0 with the Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals, Bridges and the band went on to drop four straight games to the Bucks, losing 4-2 and losing an once-in-a-lifetime shot at Larry. Good for Mikal, he found a way to navigate his way to New York and earned a second chance.

“0-0 man, f**k. Keep playing—sorry, excuse my language—desperate. That’s it, man,” Bridges told Shaq after Game 2 on ESPN’s Inside the NBA. “Desperate, that’s the only thing that we’re worried about. Take this rest—we got two days, take a break, do whatever you gotta do to get ready for this next game, but keep going out there and don’t stop. We got nothing but the offseason, man. Keep pushing. Leave everything on that court.”

No panic, no celebration either.

“I just remember losing four straight. That’s what I remember out of that,” Bridges said on the eve of Game 3. “They all understand as well, knowing the series is far from over. We’ve got to keep playing desperate and be the more desperate team.”

The Knicks are two wins from their first championship since 1973, and Bridges surely is not the main reason they are here. Brunson is still New York’s honcho and captain. Towns has done so much during the past couple of months—and week—to flip the narrative of his career that we’re starting to open discussions about his number potentially hanging on the MSG rafters. OG Anunoby is a ruthless, calming presence by nature. Nobody is getting Josh Hart to stop running and biting. The bench mob has been the next thing to great.

But Bridges is slowly, quietly, shadowy, but surely becoming the final piece to make the machine click out on the court and inside the locker room. The Knicks paid a monster price, yes, but I bet they’d hand out twice that package if that’s what brings New York to the promised land on Wednesday or at any point in the next week-and-change.

Two down, two to go, and the show is coming to the Garden. Can’t ask for more.

Let’s go Knicks!

Down two games to zero, the San Antonio Spurs are playing not only against the New York Knicks, but against history. Only five teams in NBA history have come back from a 0-2 defecit in the NBA Finals: the 1969 Boston Celtics, the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers, the 2006 Miami Heat, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks. None of those teams did it after losing the first two home games.

It may seem like there is no hope, but the Spurs don’t feel that way.

“The key is acceptance… taking a step back and realizing the journey that is behind us and ahead of us,” Victor Wembanyama told the press before Game Three. “At the end of the day, this is everything that I wished for, so there is no reason to overthink it. This is what I am built for.”

It was a mature answer for a team that has, for the first time in the postseason, looked immature. Errors on both ends have built this hole for the Spurs. Both games seemed like ones that San Antonio could have won if they cut down on the types of mistakes that most young teams are prone to making. Now, they’ll have to play with their backs against the wall in historic Madison Square Garden, and a rabid fan base that is eagerly awaiting it’s first championship since 1973. It won’t be easy, but Wembanyama seems to think this group is built for it.

The Spurs will once again look for answers to New York’s stars. Both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson have been tough to stop. Towns and the Knicks have created big problems while the Spurs are on offense. Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper seemed to find their footing a bit in Game Two, and will hope to carry that momentum into MSG.

San Antonio has been in tough spots before. This is by far the toughest. A win in enemy territory would be the exact type of response this team needs to turn things around. Game Three could turn out to be a pivotal moment in the series if the Spurs can eliminate their mistakes and get a win on the road.

San Antonio Spurs (0-2) vs. New York Knicks (2-0)

June 8th, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT

Watch: ABC / ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: No injuries to report.

Knicks Injuries: No injuries to report.

What to watch for:

Guarding Brunson

San Antonio switched up their strategy guarding Brunson a bit in Game Two, and for the most part it worked. The Spurs stopped throwing quick doubles at Brunson, and instead guarded him mainly one-on-one with Stephon Castle, and switching pick-and-rolls so Wembanyama matched up on Brunson in space. If a bad switch came, the Spurs would sometimes send another defender at Brunson to get the ball out of his hands. The result was some poor decision making from Brunson, who shot 7-25 from the field and had 4 turnovers. Yes, he hit a clutch shot down the stretch, but the defensive approach worked for the most part. If the same defensive strategy is working in Game Three, the Spurs could have a slight edge in guard play.

Playing fast

It’s a worn out saying at this point, but the Spurs play their best when they play with pace. San Antonio mounted it’s big fourth-quarter comeback in Game Two when it started to push the ball in transition to catch the Knicks in disadvantageous cross matches. In front of a raucous New York crowd, the Spurs should be looking to land haymakers by playing fast in transition whenever they have the chance. That may mean playing the “four-guard” lineup that includes Fox, Harper, Castle, Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. This group can hold their own on the perimeter and push quickly with a surplus of ball-handlers to beat the Knicks in transition.

Defensive rotations

San Antonio’s help defense and overall attention to detail on the defensive end has been lacking in The Finals. It’s been where they’ve looked the most inexperienced. Too many times a Knicks player is overplayed for a blow by or left alone for an open shot as the Spurs scramble to help on drives to the paint. New York is going to shoot the ball incredibly well at home. San Antonio has to tighten it’s defensive rotations to get good contests on shooters, or else the Knicks’ lead will balloon quickly.

Before Liberty star Breanna Stewart sat down for her obligatory media availability after Wednesday’s win against the Toronto Tempo, she checked the score of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs.

Two nights later, Stewart was watching Game 2.

But since the Liberty were hosting the Indiana Fever on Saturday, she had to turn off the TV early to sleep and missed the thrilling end, which put the Knicks up 2-0 with the best-of-seven series resuming Monday at Madison Square Garden.

The WNBA season is in full swing, but the Liberty are keeping a close eye on the Knicks, as is the vast majority of people in the city.

How could they not be?

The buzz across the five boroughs has been palpable.

You can’t turn a city corner or step into a subway car without seeing someone sporting donning orange-and-blue gear.

Even visitors are taking notice.

Fever star Caitlin Clark said she was tempted to join the mass celebration outside Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

“I always want to see those people that … they’re jumping around on each other and climbing light poles,” Clark said. “I feel like that would be an experience. I don’t know if my security guy would let me do that, but I want to experience that because those Knicks fans are so passionate and crazy. I admire it. It’s pretty awesome.”

The Knicks fever spread around Brooklyn and infiltrated the Barclays Center, too.

Sure, the Liberty are far more connected with the Brooklyn Nets because of their joint ownership by Joe and Clara Wu Tsai.

But members of the Liberty feel a sense of connection to the Knicks run to their first Finals since 1999.

They’ve relished the communal excitement, too.

“It’s been amazing,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “You’re able to understand when you’re driving on the street or walking on the street, like, everyone’s in Knicks gear, everyone’s dialed into the game, the streets are packed. Everyone’s cheering, watching the game, and I think it’s a testament to the basketball culture here in New York City, but also how you know everyone’s a fan and so if you’re not, you kind of become one because of the feeling and the buzz in the city, so I’m really excited, the series is going to be really good.”

The Knicks are vying for their first championship since 1973.

The Liberty broke the city’s professional basketball title drought when they won it all in 2024.

So no one understands the pressure and feelings the Knicks are going through better than the Liberty.

“We’ve been able to bring a championship to a city that loves the game of basketball,” Jonquel Jones said. “And obviously, now, seeing the Knicks do it, and see the way that everybody’s supporting them is a great thing and I just want the city to continue to be successful because it’s a special type of energy when New York basketball teams are winning, and New York teams are winning and you can’t really explain it, you just have to experience it.”

The Liberty have a lot of connections to this Finals series.

Ionescu and Jalen Brunson — the faces of New York basketball — are close friends.

Liberty coach Chris DeMarco worked with current Knicks coach Mike Brown on Steve Kerr’s staff with the Golden State Warriors.

Marine Fauthoux played with Victor Wembanyama’s older sister, Ève, and knows his family well.

She said she also has a friend on the Spurs coaching staff.

Marine Johannès shares an agent with Wembanyama and crossed paths with him when the two represented France at the 2024 Paris Games.

The bummer is that the Liberty wrapped up their seven-game homestand Saturday.

They’re heading out for a two-game road trip, starting Monday in Connecticut, meaning they’ll be gone for Games 3 and 4 this week.

“Knicks in four!” Stewart said. “It’s crazy because we go on the road now … We don’t get to go to any games.”

Clark said she’s indifferent about who wins, but selfishly, she hopes the series goes to seven games.

“It’s been a great series — even the Spurs beating the Thunder, I think that was incredible, too,” she said. “So I’m a fan of basketballI think even watching, you can learn so much. So I try to absorb as much as I can.”

The Draft is two weeks and two days away. Free agency is three weeks away. And all we have is speculation – a lot of it – which is exactly how Sean Marks & co. want it. The number and range of possibilities is near infinite, at least by NBA standards: Stay at Nos. 6, 33 and 43, move up, move down, add a pick. When you have as many draft assets as the Nets do — the most picks (32), most first round picks (13), most tradeable first round picks (nine), most first round swaps (two) and most second round picks (19) plus $34 million in cap space, there’s plenty of ways to move. You’ve heard it all before but it remains true.

One bet we’d make, based purely on history, is that it is highly unlikely that the Nets will come away from the draft with picks taken at Nos. 6, 13 and 43. We at NetsDaily learned that lesson back in 2019 when the Nets had two first rounders at Nos. 17 and 27 plus a pick at the top of the second in No. 31. We wrote endlessly about the top prospects at those first round slots, only to see Marks trade both picks to add the cap space needed to sign Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. Then, they took Nic Claxton at No. 31. One surprise after another.

Here’s another bet: Whoever they take in the Draft will not be close to a finished product, even in the most basic sense. Nate Ament told Marc J. Spears in May that he’s been told he could grow another two inches from his current 6’9.5” in socks. He also has “projectable frame,” meaning he can fill out, tweeted Jonathan Givony. They’ll all likely be 19 or 20 years old and be in need of a lot of work in the weight room, on the practice court, etc. No team in the Nets situation drafts for the next season.

Moreover, the roster will change …. a lot. We can only speculate on who they plan to target and how. Will Marks try to lure a veteran like Austin Reaves? C.J. McCullum? Donatas Sabonis? Or maybe toss an offer sheet at Peyton Watson and see how much the Nuggets are willing to spend to keep him? Or how about Tari Eason of the Rockets? He’s also restricted. Ayo Dosunmu of the Timberwolves? He’s unrestricted. Will he put together a big trade offer? We have no idea … none … really. (A side note: is it possible the wheels are already in motion on such moves? Sure. The Nets shocking blockbuster trade for Joe Johnson in 2012 was a done deal well before the NBA Draft. It was just announced afterwards.)

Also, not all the young players the Nets suited up at the end of last season will return. Already, we know that E.J. Liddell won’t. He signed this weekend with Aris Basketball in Thessaloniki in the Greek League…

Liddell, 25, played 26 games for Brooklyn last season, averaging 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds. He also played 22 games for Long Island before his contract was converted from a two-way to a standing deal, putting up 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds. Tyson Etienne’s future seems uncertain. Chaney Johnson will get another chance.

Three players have team options that come up in the days after the Draft: Day’Ron Sharpe and Zaire Williams at $6.3 million each and Josh Minott at $2.6 million.

The bottom line that often seems lost on Nets fans is that last season’s team was built to lose and little can be drawn from that experience when looking forward. A big part of the rationale in taking a record five first rounders, playing eight rookies — the Flatbush 5 plus Chaney Johnson, Grant Nelson, Malachi Smith — a record 6,400 minutes and building the youngest NBA roster in 20 years was to pre-tank the season. The goal was to get top three odds in the Lottery so they had a 51% chance at a top four pick. They did but they lost in the Lottery. Unfortunate.

Still in the Salary Dump game?

We all know, because dozens of fans and pundits remind us daily, that the Nets have no incentive to tank next season since they may have to swap first rounders with the Houston Rockets. (We say “may” rather than “will” because you new never know about the NBA, but yeah it’s likely.)

So no need to tank again, but what about salary dumps which were also part of the Nets strategy last year? At the end of 2024-25, the Nets had $60 million in salary cap space — easily the most in the NBA — and used virtually all of it between April and February. They didn’t even get to the salary cap floor until the trade deadline. This year, they have around $34 million per Bobby Marks which is likely to be third in the NBA. As noted above, they could use it in a lot of ways to help with free agency, the Draft, etc. … and salary dumps, that is, taking on bad salaries (or salaries seen as bad by other teams) in return for future assets whether picks or young players. There are still a number of teams that will need to shed salary to avoid luxury tax payments or the limitations posed by being over aprons 1 and 2. So there may very well be opportunities.

So we looked at last season’s dumps to help us figure out what and how they might move now. There were eight in all and they were varied. We graded each one.

—June 24: Sent $1.1 million in cash considerations to Celtics to facilitate a three-team deal involving Brooklyn, Boston and Atlanta, receiving Terance Mann ($47 million over 3 years) and draft rights to the Hawks #22 pick in 2025 Draft which became Drake Powell. Took on roughly $19 million in space, the combined salaries of Mann and Powell, their biggest dump overall. (B+. The only reason it isn’t an A is that Powell needs time to develop.)

—June 25: Nets traded #36 pick from the 2024 Mikal Bridges trade in what became a seven-team deal. Nets got future second pick in 2026 (least favorable of Clippers or most favorable of the Celtics, Pacers and Heat) which became the No. 43 pick in this year’s draft plus Celtics pick in 2030. No increase in cap space in this one, just assets. (B. Not needing a second when you have five firsts, they moved one pick forward and got another.)

—June 28: – Traded Cam Johnson to Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and Denver’s unprotected first rounder in 2032. Took on #17 million in space. (A+. CBS Sports rated this deal the fourth best move of the 2025 off-season.)

—August 15: Traded a Nets’ heavily protected second rounder in 2026 to Heat for Haywood Highsmith and Miami’s second round pick in 2032. Took on $5.6 million in space. Highsmith didn’t play a minute for Brooklyn due to injury and was later waived to open roster spot. (D. They still got a pick.)

—September 15: Sent $110,000 in cash considerations to Hawks for Kobe Bufkin. Took on $1.6 million in space. Later waived. (D. They took a chance and it didn’t work. It’s a luxury you have.)

—February 5: Sent $110,000 in cash considerations to Celtics for Josh Minott. Took on $2.5 million in space (B+. He’s looked good and is only 23.)

—February 5: Traded the less favorable of 2026 Clippers and Hawks second-round pick to Denver in return for Hunter Tyson and a Nuggets second in 2032. Tyson waived immediately. Took at $2 million in space. (C. They simplified their draft picks. No big whoop.)

—February 5: Traded draft rights to Serbian PG Vanja Marinkovic to Raptors in three-team deal that also included the Clippers, receiving Ochai Agbaji, Toronto’s second rounder in 2032 and $3.5 million in cash considerations. Took on roughly $3 million in space. (B. If he makes the team, the grade may go higher.)

Bottom line: The Nets used the dumps as much to take on risks as much as to secure picks. The CamJ-for-MPJ deal was both and overall the best. They wound up taking on five other players — Mann. Highsmith, Bufkin, Minott and Agbaji (as well as Tyson who they immediately dumped) while picking two unprotected firsts — the Hawks 2025 first rounder and the Nuggets 2032 first rounder; and a net of three seconds, coming away with the Heat’s in 2032, the Clippers in 2026, the Celtics in 2030 and the Nuggets in 2032. (They gave up one to get two in the trade of the second from the Bridges trade.)

So, since they seem to have more picks than they would need, don’t be surprised if they take another risk or two on young players.

Joe Tsai, Hall of Famer

Pro Lacrosse Hall of Famer, that is.

Three days ago, the Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame announced its 2026 class and Joe Tsai, who is basically the godfather of professional lacrosse in the U.S., was among those honored as the hall’s first “contributor.” Said the hall in a release:

Joe Tsai loves this game the way the rest of us do, and he’s used everything he has to push it forward,” said Paul Rabil, co-founder and President of the PLL and member of the Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame. “He’s grown lacrosse at every level, from the grassroots to the Olympics, and he’s done it because he believes in what this sport can be. There’s no one more deserving. We’re proud to welcome Joe into the Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame.”

The 2026 Hall of Fame class reflects the full range of what it takes to build a sport – elite players who set records that may never be broken, and a contributor whose investment made professional lacrosse’s growth possible at scale,” said Mike Rabil, Co-Founder and CEO of the Premier Lacrosse League. “Brodie, Greg, and Drew each defined their positions for a generation. Joe Tsai’s commitment to this game has shaped the PLL and the sport in ways fans and players will continue to benefit from for decades. We’re honored to welcome all four into the Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Tsai began his lacrosse career at New Jersey’s Lawrenceville School as a 13-year, continuing his love of the game at Yale where he played four years and recently financed a $40 million training center for the school’s team. He currently is the principal owner of two teams in San Diego and Las Vegas (it’s permitted) in the indoor league, the National Lacrosse League, and is a principal financier of the outdoor league, the Premier Lacrosse League.

He will be inducted along with players and coaches during the PLL’s Hall of Fame weekend in Hempstead, Long Island, June 19-20. He’ll no doubt be on hand since the NBA Draft is three days later in Brooklyn.

Congratulations.

Draft Sleeper of the Week

We try to keep track of who’s been in to HSS Training Center for workouts. It’s one of the Nets “state secrets.” There was a time under Rod Thorn and Billy King that not only would the team disclose who had worked out at the Meadowlands then HSS. They would have the chief scout provide reporters with player assessments!

Here’s our best guess at who’s been in.

• Keba Keita, the 6’9” BYU center who played with both Dybantsa and Egor Demin;
• Cruz Davis, Hofstra’s high scoring 6’3” lead guard. Could he fit with nearly Long Island Nets;
• Malik Dia, a 6’9” 3-and-D type who played at Vanderbilt, Belmont, then his final two years at Ole Miss;
• Grant Newell, another 6’9” forward who played at California, North Texas and most recently Western Kentucky;
• Jevon Porter, a 6’11’ center for Missouri who at 22, is MPJ’s younger brother.
• Xaivian Lee, a 6’4” lead guard who finished his career at Florida after three solid years at Princeton. A Korean-Canadian.
• Brenen Lorient, a 6’9” wing who shot 38.9% from deep for his career at West Virginia and before that at Florida Atlantic and North Texas.
• Fletcher Loyer, 6’5” 3-point specialist for Purdue who is the brother of Nets head video coordinator Foster Loyer and son of New Jersey Nets assistant John Loyer.
• Tramon Mark, a 6’6” shooting guard who led the Texas Longhorns in scoring.
• Collin Parker, Austin Peay’s 40.4% 3-point wing who at 6’8” is one of several tall sharpshooters who’ve been in.
• Nick Pringle, a 6’10” bruiser who played with Darius Acuff at Houston.
• Jaden Henley, Grand Canyon’s 6’7” wing, a 3-point specialist.
• Isaac McKeenly, Mikel Brown’s 6’4” backcourt running mate at Louisville and another 3-point specialist;
• Kobe Knox, a 6’5” wing at South Carolina named for Kobe Bryant;
• Corey Stephenson a 6’6” shooting guard who played last season FIU after two years at UCSB;.
• Dain Dainja, a 6’9” forward who averaged 14 points and six rebounds for the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce last season.

And, oh yeah, Darius Acuff, the 6’2” — in socks — lead guard from Arkansas who was in Wednesday, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Acuff is the first of the leading candidates for the sixth pick who we know has worked out. It’s fair to say he and Mikel Brown Jr. are the fan favorites at this point. (We could have profiled Nate Ament, but Lucas Kaplan has covered that waterfront quite extensively.)

Acuff is the most offensively gifted of the four lead guards draftniks have linked to the Nets. Take a look at his highlights from the NCAA tournament where he cemented his reputation as a top prospects at the 1 or 2:

As Wilko Martinez-Cachero of Floors and Ceilings wrote, he can do it all …. on offense:

Darius Acuff Jr. has a high offensive floor with the ultimate potential to serve as his team’s primary offensive engine. That’s why he is around the top 15-20 range of my board, with the chance to climb into the back end of the lottery depending on how draft declarations shape up.

Acuff can score at all three levels to an extent, handle a heavy playmaking load without turning the ball over much, and he has proven that he can play both on- and off-ball this year.

The Arkansas freshman thrives on getting downhill and is always putting pressure on defenses. He’s comfortable getting to his spots in the midrange and getting to his pull-up on balance. Plus, Acuff’s three-pointer – especially his catch-and-shoot – has been a pleasant surprise, which makes me think he can be more of a combo guard and less of a ball-dominant guard in the NBA.

In 36 games, he averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 48/44/81. He also showed that quick decision-making the Nets love and has the confidence teams love in a lead guard. Asked by Brian Lewis at the NBA Combine how he saw his future, Acuff put humility to the side: “Definitely a superstar point guard for sure.” Some have even compared him to Allen Iverson!

However… and it’s a big however … he has not shown much inclination to play defense, like any defense, leading to some ugly assessments…

There has been some revisionist history of late about how the Razorbacks didn’t need him to play defense, that John Calipari wanted to make sure he was on the court as much as possible, not sitting in foul trouble. He did play 35.1 minutes a game for Coach Cal while racking up those gaudy numbers. Still, until proven otherwise, it has to be an issue … and the Nets recent draft history suggests they’re not enamored of small guards. The only guard or for that matter only player 6’3” or under who they’ve taken in the Marks era, in either round, was Cam Thomas. Gulp.

Then again, if you look across the river, there’s this lead guard with almost the same measurements as Acuff who has led his team to a 2-0 advantage in the NBA Finals. Indeed, Acuff told Draymond Green a couple of days ago that he’s been studying Jalen Brunson…

Word is that the Clippers who pick at No. 5 like Keaton Wagler and the Kings who pick at No. 7 covet Acuff.

A bit of Nets history to help you through Monday

The Knicks and Spurs will face off at Madison Square Garden Monday in what is almost certainly the most important game at the Garden in 53 years, since the Knickerbockers last won an NBA title. On hand will be the Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who says he will be sitting with some friends (not courtside) and the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, who will likely be sitting with James Dolan … attended by security personnel that will be numbered in the dozens if not hundreds, everyone from MSG security to the NYPD to the Secret Service.

The occasion has reignited interest in New York’s last men’s professional basketball team that won a championship. We mean the New York Nets who took the ABA title back in 1976 three years after the Knicks. (The last professional basketball team in New York to win a title, male or female, was your New York Liberty who won the WNBA championship at Barclays Center two years ago.)

Mike Vaccaro, the New York Post columnist, was at Nassau Coliseum as an 8-year-old that night when the Nets beat the Nuggets, 112-106, giving them the title in six games. He wrote Saturday about his youthful disappointment that the Nets wouldn’t play that year’s NBA champs, the Boston Celtics, in a tournament of champions. The Nets had publicly offered to play the Celts with all profits going to the U.S. Olympic Team but the NBA and Celtics declined, as another Post writer, Paul Forrester wrote earlier in the week.

Vaccaro spoke to a number of people familiar with the NBA and ABA at the time, including Bill Melchionni, the Nets point guard about who would have won the series that never happened. But beyond the opinions, Vaccaro engaged Jerry Milano and John Garcia of Strat-O-Matic, who he called “the market leader in sports simulation” to create mythical matchups between the NBA and ABA championships in both 1974 and 1976. The Celtics were the NBA champs in 1974 as well.

“In the ’73-’74 matchup, The Nets won Game 6 in Nassau Coliseum then went up to the Boston Garden and edged the Celtics, 111-110, in a decisive seventh game,” the results showed. “Julius Erving led all scorers with 37.3 points per game, including 38 and 14 rebounds in Game 7.” 

John Havlicek tried to close the Nets out in Game 6 with 47 points and 11 assists but couldn’t quite get it done. 

“The simulation from two years later had New York winning again, this time in six games,” the simulation showed. “Erving again paced scoring with 34.7 ppg.” 

In Game 6, played at the Coliseum in what would’ve been the last gasp of the ABA — and we assume since it was a Nets home game they would’ve used the red, white and blue rock — the Nets won 123-115. Dr. J had 35 and 10 to lead the Nets and Super John Williamson had 14 and 6; Jo Jo White led Boston with 34 and nine assists while Cowens had 10 points and 15 rebounds. 

Can they hang a make-believe banner at Barclays Center for that?

Probably not.

And what about the Nets and Knicks back then? Who would have won in those head-to-heads? Vaccaro didn’t requests simulations there. Both New York clubs were riding high back then. In 1974 through 1976, the Nets were the ABA’s best while the Knicks who had won in 1970 and 1973 but were beginning a slow slide. This was, of course, before the NBA-ABA merger in 1977 when the Nets needed to pay the Knicks an “entry fee” that forced owner Roy Boe to choose between his two teams, the Islanders and Nets. He chose the Isles and sold Julius Erving to the 76ers, paid the Knicks off and joined the NBA.

As we wrote back in 2012, when the Nets were nearing their move back to New York, the NBA and ABA did hold a series of preseason exhibition games starting in October 1972, prior to the Knicks last championship season of 1972-73 but before Dr. J’s arrival at Nassau Coliseum. In year one, the city guys beat the suburbanites twice, the first time in a blowout.

Then, things changed with Erving in red, white and blue. In pre-season exhibitions in 1973 and 1975, prior to the Nets last two ABA championship seasons, the Nets beat the Knicks all three times the two teams played. Was that the reason that the Knicks demanded a $4.8 million “entry fee” from the Nets on top of the $3.2 million the league required? Did they know the fee would strangle the Nets, require them to undertake a massive cost-cutting, which ultimately included the sale of Dr. J. to the 76ers? Ya think?

Here, thanks to Remember the ABA, are thumbnail descriptions of what went down in each of the five games:

October 5, 1972
Knicks 117 – Nets 88
at New Haven, CT
Leaders: John Roche 26 points; Jerry Lucas 25 points; DeBusschere 15 points
October 6, 1972
Knicks 100 – Nets 91
at Uniondale, NY
Leaders: DeBusschere 19 points; Frazier 19 points; Johnny. Baum 19 points; Billy Melchionni 18 points

October 2, 1973
Nets 97 – Knicks 87
at New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
Attendance at MSG 17,226;
Leaders: Julius Erving 27 points (12 in 3rd quarter); Frazier 25 points
October 8, 1975
Nets 110 – Knicks 104
at Uniondale, NY
October 18, 1975
Nets 103 – Knicks 101
at New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
Leaders: Erving 33 pts & jump shot at buzzer to win game; Frazier 22 points.

The Nets did get some revenge on the Knicks in 1996, as we also reported in 2012. Taking advantage of the Dolans need to get the Nets vote on a change of ownership, the New Jersey Nets traded their vote in the board of governors for the right to move anywhere in New York. No questions asked. Michael Rowe was president of the team back then and in 2012, he explained to us just how he outmaneuvered Dolan … and paved the way for the eventual move to Brooklyn.

In 1996, the New Jersey Nets had just turned down an offer to sell the team to the late John Mc Mullen, owner of the NJ Devils, and instead the Nets were turning their interests towards maximizing their opportunities for a possible sale/relocation.

At the same time, the lease to play in the Meadowlands was re-negotiated to give the team flexibility to move and concurrently, the arrangement with Sportschannel, [a Dolan-owned entity] who had local broadcast rights for New Jersey Nets games at the time, was re-negotiated to allow the Nets to end the agreement without the broadcaster having a right to ‘match’… something that would prove invaluable if/when the Nets sought other broadcast opportunities.

While all this was going on, an [NBA] ownership vote affecting the Knicks required that the Knicks receive the Nets’ approval and, keeping in line with our Ownership’s strategic plans, we sought to have the territorial restrictions that the Knicks had over the Nets totally eliminated. We were receiving strong interest from the NY Islanders ownership about relocating to Nassau [County on Long Island], but such a move would have surely been blocked by the Knicks under the old provisions.

I met with [MSG CEO] Dave Checketts at the Garden. We hashed through the issue and the League approved the revision. David Stern was very supportive of the change.

In essence, the clause was designed to aid a sale, or move to Nassau Coliseum, not Manhattan or Brooklyn ( although we did have some brief discussions with Garden about moving into their building…ala Staples Center teams –Clippers, Lakers and Kings). So, the NY/NY Rivalry almost happened back in that 1996 timeframe (actually, a few years later, we had a serious offer from Islanders to sell the team and move it to Nassau in 1998).

But the real ‘gem’ of the above accomplishments was that when our new ownership group [Raymond Chambers, Lewis Katz et al] purchased the Team in 1998 there was NO restrictions on where to move, NO restrictions on our cable rights and NO mandate for the Nets to remain in the Meadowlands. These conditions created a perfect storm to form the Yankee Nets Organization and the YES Network.

Yeah, it’s a lot of history, but it should be comforting in these difficult times.

Final Note

Apologies for the length — it’s our longest Off-Season Report ever, but there’s a lot of stuff going on!

With the NBA Finals underway, it’s time for all but two franchises to begin looking ahead to the draft and free agency. This year’s selection is critical for the Detroit Pistons, as they look to capitalize on moving up seven spots as part of a deadline deal that brought in Kevin Huerter. Coming off a 60-win season, it’s feasible for the franchise to see itself drafting in the late twenties each summer for the foreseeable future. Getting value this year is paramount.

Of course, this pick could very well end up being made by another team, with the potential for it to be used in a trade to help bolster Cade Cunningham’s supporting cast. Should they keep the pick, Detroit has been linked to a few prospects already, most of whom are guard/wings.

Iowa’s Bennett Stirz, Duke’s Isaiah Evans, or Baylor’s Cameron Carr have shown up in a lot of mocks selected by the Pistons since the combine. All of these players are intriguing prospects, but history suggests that it is unlikely that any of these players will come close to matching their college production in a Pistons uniform. Much of the discourse on Pistons Twitter or in the local media has seemed to frame someone like Stirz as a genuine solution for a second banana to Cunningham. The reality is that caliber of player is rarely found at this point in the draft. Finding a star is difficult in the lottery, and next to impossible outside of it. Rather than try to swing for the fences and find the next Tyrese Maxey, the Pistons would be wise to embrace a more prudent approach and target a player that they believe will have a long pro career. That could mean drafting someone projected as a rotation player or even a specialist.

Frankly, coming away with a solid contributor is the equivalent of striking gold outside of the lottery. The hit rate on players drafted outside of the lottery is abysmal. If the Pistons ascend the way the fanbase hopes, they will be picking in the mid to late 20s as long as Cunningham and the young core continue to progress. At that position, finding even a quality rotation player is a crapshoot at best. In taking advantage of the move up this summer, getting on base and adding a contributor for cheap is far more prudent than swinging for (and potentially whiffing) on a prospect with star potential.

Though he has been rising in mock drafts in recent weeks, Morez Johnson is a prospect I identified early who brings multiple tangible NBA skills, and could be available outside of the lottery. The Michigan product has a high floor and multiple traits that translate to winning basketball. Furthermore, he has a fairly high ceiling that could allow him to outperform his draft spot. If Detroit could get him at 21, it would be a job well done by Trajan Langdon and the front office. Let me explain why.

A Closer Look: Morez Johnson

There is much to like about Johnson for Detroit, or any team for that matter. He comes in as one of the most versatile defensive prospects in this draft class. Throw on tape from just about any Michigan game this season, and you will see a 6-foot-9, 250-pound Johnson picking up the team’s opposing point guard full court. No, that was not a typo.

He frequently was at the top of the team’s full-court press, and it was not uncommon to see him poking the ball away from opposing guards in space. You can’t find centers capable of moving like that, especially with a bigger frame like Johnson. Having a big that can move their feet in space the way that he can is especially valuable as it allows you to switch one through five and have more options and versatility in the team’s defensive scheme.

Additionally, Johnson is a flat-out machine on the glass. In limited minutes as a freshman at Illinois, Johnson’s offensive rebounding rate ranked fourth in the nation. At Michigan, his rebounding rate dipped a bit, but it can reasonably be attributed to the team he was on, starting 3 players who were 6-foot-9 or above. Johnson possesses plus strength for his age, good hands, and a 39-inch vertical to go along with a high motor. Those traits project the Illinois native as an instant impact player on the boards.

Offensively, the sophomore showed flashes of a greater role than he consistently played in college. Johnson is already an elite play finisher, and graded out statistically as one of the better roll men in the country in the pick and roll. Johnson is nimble for his size, and was able to maneuver through an often crowded paint while staying under control. He showed good hands and the ability to catch the ball in traffic and bring the ball down without losing it. He even began to show more flashes as a passer out of the short roll as the season went on, which may benefit further from NBA spacing. What is most intriguing, however, is Johnson’s potential as a shooter. He already has great form, and shoots nearly eighty percent from the free throw line. As the season went on Michigan gave him more leeway to shoot jump shots, and shot a solid thirty four percent from downtown. With proper development, it is not inconceivable to envision Johnson becoming a stretch four or five down the road.

Why This Makes Sense For Detroit

While the Pistons already have a glut of centers on the roster, this could give the team roster flexibility both now and down the road. The team could play Johnson some at the 4 now if he continues to expand his range from three-point land. Due to his defensive versatility, he could likely play alongside Isaiah Stewart or even Jalen Duren in certain lineups. Side note, just imagine Johnson, Ausar Thompson, and Stewart on the floor together defensively.

He could also provide insurance for Beef Stew. While Stewart has arguably been the best non-Wemby paint defender in the league the past couple of seasons, he has not exactly been a model of durability early in his career, and has faced multiple suspensions. In his six-year career, Stewart has played more than sixty-five games only three times. While he has been vital to the team’s culture and defensive identity, there could be a case to be made to sell high on the injury and suspension-prone big man while he is young and still on a team-friendly extension.

Johnson’s presence could make him more expendable, as their skillsets mirror each other in many ways. This could allow Detroit to use Stewart as a sweetener in any trades it might make this summer or next season. Almost all mock trades to this point have had the Pistons sending out either Stewart or Ron Holland as part of a potential return. Wing production is so hard to find, and it is still unclear what Holland’s ceiling will be. If Langdon and company wanted to give the young wing another year to develop and grow on a rookie deal, they could potentially get away with keeping him on the roster while making a splash trade with Stewart as a primary piece of the package. Lastly, if the team decided it did not want to pay Jalen Duren and wanted to use him in a sign and trade, Johnson could help maintain the team’s center depth in the short term.

Johnson likely won’t make many All-Star teams in his career, and may not be the flashiest pick. But he projects as a winning contributor who could help give the Pistons optionality with their roster that they don’t have today.

What do you think of Morez Johnson’s fit in Detroit, and who else would you like to see the team target at twenty one?