In a video shared online, President Donald Trump appeared to close his eyes for several moments during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York, For the Win reported.
Trump attended the game from a suite at the arena after being met largely with boos from the crowd during the national anthem. Video clips shared on social media later showed him sitting with his eyes closed for a brief period during the game.
It is unclear from the footage whether Trump was asleep or simply resting his eyes. Neither the White House nor Trump has publicly responded to the allegations.
The clips nonetheless sparked discussion online among viewers.
đ¨JUST IN: DONALD TRUMP HAS FALLEN ASLEEP IN MSG WATCHING THE NBA FINALS đ pic.twitter.com/a5fbRZL0JM
â Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) June 9, 2026
Claims follow congressional exchange over Trump sleep allegations
The claims come days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the president amid similar online speculation that he was sleeping during public appearances.
During a June 3 congressional hearing, Rubio told Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., that he had never seen the president fall asleep in a meeting.
âSecretary Rubio, have you been at more than one meeting where President Trump has fallen asleep?â Lieu asked during the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
âIâve never seen him fall asleep,â Rubio said. âOn the contrary, the guy doesnât sleep, which is a big problem,â adding that Trump has called him in the early morning hours.
Lieu then displayed multiple video clips while questioning Rubio, alleging the president appeared to have his eyes closed during parts of significant discussions, including wartime matters.
"The president's inability to stay awake on the job has caused other countries to perceive him differently," Lieu said. "They mock him."
Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. CT, Wednesday, June 10.
The series returns to Madison Square Garden for a second straight game.
Will Trump attend Game 4 of the NBA Finals?
The White House has not announced whether Trump plans to attend Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Who currently leads the series between the Knicks and Spurs?
New York leads the series 2-1 after San Antonio's Game 3 win.
When was the last time the Spurs won the NBA Finals?
The San Antonio Spurs last won the NBA Finals in 2014, when they defeated the Miami Heat in five games (4â1) to capture their fifth championship.
When was the last time the Knicks won the NBA Finals?
The New York Knicks last won the NBA Finals in 1973, when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games (4â1) to capture their second championship.
That 1973 team was led by players like Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe.
This story was updated to include additional information.
In one year at Houston, Kingston Flemings established himself as a potential first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft with his two-way capabilities and dynamic athleticism.
But Houston coach Kelvin Sampson believes itâs who Flemings is off the court that will separate the 19-year-old point guard from others in the 2026 draft class.
âWell, I think thatâs the strength,â Sampson told NBC Sports California in an exclusive phone interview Tuesday. âI think what he does off the court is better than what he does on the court.â
Houston had just come off its second consecutive Big 12 championship with a 19-1 conference record. Milos Uzan, the point guard who led the Cougars to that success in the 2024-25 season and played all 40 games, returned to Houston for his senior season in 2025-26.
Along with Uzan, a couple of other familiar faces returned to the Cougars in 2025. One new face, however, was Flemingsâ.
Sampson shared that Flemings initially didnât want to step on toes, given that he was the new guy joining a successful program. But one pep talk from Sampson was all it took.
âKingston came in with kind of a compromising attitude where he didnât want to step on toes,â Sampson said. âSo I bring him in my office one day, and I said, âYoung fella, I didnât bring you over here to take a back seat. Youâre the best player on this team, donât run from it, embrace it. God gave you these gifts, donât hide them because somebody was here before you. I want you to know when you climb Mount Everest, if you have this great accomplishment, you take your flag and stick it in, you claim it as your ground. You can still be a great teammate, you can still treat people with respect. But itâs not fair to you or to us if you come in and take a back seat.â
âSo I said, âYouâre either going to be driving this bus or youâre going to be a passenger. You havenât been a passenger your whole life, so donât come over here and act like youâre sitting in the back row; you can get up there in the front row and be proud of it.â I think thatâs what he needed at the time, and from that day forward, he was the best player on the team. But he was very respectful of those returning guys. Iâve read comments that they made about what a great teammate Kingston was, how respectful he was. But if you know Kingston, thatâs just who he is. Heâs very articulate, heâs very bright, he has a good perspective on life.
âHe puts others first, but when he walks across those lines â heâs a killer.â
Flemings had a historically dominant freshman season at Houston, averaging 16.1 points on 47.6-percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range, with 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. He led the Cougars in scoring, assists and steals â becoming the most decorated freshman in program history.
The Kings, who are in need of a starting point guard, hold the No. 7 overall pick. Flemings is one of the many guards who have been projected to go around that range, with other guards such as Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. also mixed into the guard gauntlet.
Sampson explained how Flemingsâ game is different from the others.
âWell, we played both those teams last year. We played Arkansas and we played Illinois. [Acuff Jr. and Wagler are] both outstanding players. I think it depends on what youâre looking for. Of the three, I think Kingston is the best true point guard, because thatâs what he is. He is a point guard. We played Arkansas in New Jersey right before Christmas, and I think Kingston had 28 in that game, and Acuff may have had 25. Theyâre both really good, but you know, Kingston is 6-foot-4. He sees the floor; he cares more about winning than he does about anything else. He had games where he had eight or nine assists and six points and games where he had 42 points. He does whatever you need him to do.
âBut heâs true beyond his years. His basketball IQ is off the charts, really understands the game at a high level. Itâs only going to get better. When we signed Kingston, he probably weighed about 165 pounds, maybe, and he played last year around 183, 184, something like that. Eventually, heâs going to be 195, and heâs not gonna be 19 years old. Kingston is 19; heâs a teenager. I was looking at the [NBA Finals] game last night. Look at how old [Jalen] Brunson is. [Stephon] Castle is a young guy. Castle also has [Victor] Wembanyama with him. None of these other teams have a Wembanyama, so itâs a little bit harder to be the point guard when you may wind up being the best player on the team.
âSo Acuff has the strengths, I think he is an elite, elite scorer. Wagler has his strengths. I think heâs a really good basketball player thatâs only going to get better. I like all three of them. I just think if youâre looking for a point guard, and based on how you define that position, I think Kingston would be the choice for me.â
Another key trait that has separated Flemings from other guards projected to go early in the first round is his defensive capabilities. At least to the so-called âdraft experts.â However, Sampson doesnât necessarily believe that to be the case.
While Flemings was committed to Houstonâs elite defensive identity under Sampson, the coach understands that doesnât automatically make Flemings a lockdown defender as he transitions into the NBA.
Sampson, the winner of multiple Coach of the Year awards who also coached in the NBA for six seasons, is more realistic â and honest â than that.
âWell, I think thatâs where heâll struggle the most,â Sampson said of Flemingsâ defense. âWhen youâre 19 years old, youâre not going to go in and say, âWell, he was a good defender in college, heâs going to be a good defender here.â Heâs guarding guys that are 26, 27, 28 who have grown man strength. Theyâve been lifting and understand the rigors and know how to do all the tricks of the trade. Heâs not coming in as a Day 1 NBA defender, but nobody in the draft is either. We played [AJ] Dybantsa last year twice. Heâs not. [Cameron] Boozerâs not. We played [Darryn] Peterson twice last year; heâs not.
âSo this notion that heâs a good defender in college means heâs gonna be a defender in the NBA, that will take him a couple of seasons. That doesnât mean heâs not going to try, and his athleticism is going to lead him to steals, but because you have steals and you can block shots doesnât mean youâre a good defender. ⌠So Kingston is going to be a good defender, because itâs important to him, and he wants to win, but heâs 19 years old, and he weighs 180 pounds.â
Fair enough.
Kings coach Doug Christie, a devoted defender during his playing days, and general manager Scott Perry are trying to enforce a defensive identity in Sacramento. They want to, at the very least, see the effort and a commitment on that side of the floor from their players.
While Christie outright pleaded for a starting point guard this offseason, Perry made it clear that his staff will go for the best available player on the board, regardless of position.
Whether Flemings has a future in Sacramento remains to be seen, but Sampson is sure about one thing. NBC Sports California asked him to fill in the blank with the following sentence: âThe team that drafts Kingston Flemings is getting âŚ
âA kid that has a high ceiling. Theyâre getting him on the ground floor of a career thatâs probably going to be a high-rise building in a high-rent district.â
The Knicksâ front office may have given Mike Brown the green light.
ESPNâs Brian Windhorst speculated that Leon Roseâs crew OKâd the Knicksâ coach ripping the referees after Mondayâs 115-111 home loss to the Spurs in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden.
The Spurs shot 34 free throws to the Knicksâ 22, including a 24-8 edge in the second half when San Antonio overcame a seven-point halftime hole to slice their series deficit to 2-1.
Mike Brown was not happy about the free-throw disparity Monday night. NBAE via Getty Images
âI know Mike Brown and I have covered Mike Brown at times when heâs been upset with officiating in the playoffs, and he has had a conscious conversation with the front office. âDo we go in there and make an issue of the officiating?'â Windhorst said on ESPN after the game. âWhile I donât know for sure, I suspect that they made a decision, âLetâs go in there and make this a topic of conversation.'â
Going after the referees can be a bit of a chess game, with the hope that it can sometimes lead to better calls in the future or perhaps the referees adjusting how they call the game.
Coaches have to be careful too since they risk a potential fine, although at this point in the season itâs fair to assume Brown will gladly pay that violation if a better whistle helps the Knicks win the title.
Mondayâs game marked the third straight in this series in which the Spurs have attempted more free throws than the Knicks, and the Knicks have been called for more fouls in the last two games.
Finals Tale of the Tape: Fouls and free throws
Category
Knicks
Spurs
Game 1 fouls committed
23
23
Game 1 free-throw attempts
18
25
Game 2 fouls committed
23
20
Game 2 free-throw attempts
21
27
Game 3 fouls committed
23
21
Game 3 free-throw attempts
22
32
The Knicks have committed 69 fouls to the Spursâ 64, leading to them attempting 61 free throws compared to the Spursâ 84.
In the second half Monday night, the Spurs connected on 20 of their 24 free-throw attempts to maintain their lead while the Knicks made six of their eight.
âI never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free-throw attempts in the second half to another teamâs eight,â Brown said. âI donât think I complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free-throw attempts. San Antonio is a great team. They are a great team, OK. Itâs going to lower our odds big time, big time, if we play Game 4 and in the second half, they get 24 free-throw attempts to our eight. Maybe we were fouling. Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.â
Mike Brown making his case about the referees. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brunson did not appreciate one play in which Spurs guard Stephon Castle ran him over, while Josh Hart objected after being bumped by Luke Kornet under the basket.
The Knicks actually held a 14-8 edge in free-throw attempts in the first half â and a 64-57 lead at the break â but the Spurs shot 14 and 10 in the next two quarters, respectively.
Brian Windhorst thinks Mike Brownâs speech about the fouls was approved by the front office. @ohnohedidnt24/X
âAgain, I donât complain much,â Brown said during his lengthy rant after his team lost for the first time in 14 games. âI never thought Iâd see that in an NBA Finals game, and I saw it tonight. Thatâs tough to overcome when youâre playing against a great team. ⌠But as a team, if you take away the fouls and the free throws that should have, in my opinion, been a little bit more even, again maybe we fouled that many times but they fouled, too. And itâs not shown at the end of the day on this boxscore.â
CHICAGO - CIRCA 1991: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls shoots against Danny Ferry #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers circa 1991 at Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Former Oklahoma and Chicago Bulls star Stacey King died Sunday, apparently after what is being termed a âserious fallâ at his home. Just 59, he seems far too young to die of a fall, but you never know what is going on in a personâs life, let alone his health problems.
We mention King because on Monday, we saw this very funny clip featuring the former Bull (he won three rings in the 1990s).
We decided to post it because itâs a funny story featuring former Duke star Danny Ferry.
According to King, Ferry came into a game between the Cleveland and Chicago, and his sole purpose, supposedly, was to take a shot at Bulls star Michael Jordan. Jordan got ready to fight, but the Cavaliers took Ferry out after that, and the Bulls had to wait for their revenge.
They got it the next time they played. Weâll leave the rest of it for King to tell, but it was pretty entertaining. We can see why Bulls fans loved the man. Itâs a pretty entertaining story.
NEW YORK â Before anyone even asked him a question, Mike Brown constructed the narrative.
His Knicks had just lost Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals here at Madison Square Garden by four points. And with that, New York ceded some leverage back to the San Antonio Spurs in the series.
Brown opened his press conference with a statement, like he always does following games. This time, however, and in a rather uncharacteristic fashion, he bemoaned the gameâs officiating.
The Spurs shot 10 more free throws than San Antonio in Monday nightâs 115-111 New York loss, but Brown took exception with consistency in the second half.
"First of all, I want to make sure I get something clear: coach Mitch Johnson and the Spurs, they won the game tonight," Brown started. "They came and took the game. But I will say this: I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another teamâs eight. I donât complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free throw attempts.
"San Antonio is a great team. They are a great team, okay. Itâs going to lower our odds big time, big time, if we play Game 4 and in the second half, they get 24 free throw attempts to our eight. Maybe we were fouling. Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too."
To further make his point, Brown stipulated that because the Spurs shot 24 free throws in the second half, it was worse than the box score indicated.
"Now, we didnât play good," Brown acknowledged. "San Antonio played great. We could have played better. There was a lot of things that we didnât do that we did in Game 1 and Game 2.
"But to go 24 free throw attempts in the second half, thatâs 48 for the game, if you think about the way they called that second half, compared to eight. All the shots we took, we got fouled four times, roughly, for eight free throw attempts."
The reality is that San Antonio took 32 free throws and converted 25 of those. The Knicks, by comparison, made 18-of-22.
But doubling up the second half attempts is a convenient manipulation â one that disregards the fact that New York attempted 14 free throws in the first half, compared to San Antonioâs eight.
And by going down this path, Brown, in essence, created an environment in which he made excuses for New Yorkâs poor play. He even acknowledged as much.
"Itâs going to be that, because I said it," Brown said. "The story is going to be that."
Yet, New York lost the battle in points off turnovers by a margin of 21-7. It settled for far too many 3s in the fourth quarter. And the Knicks did not match San Antonioâs aggression for most of the game.
Now, all that said, this is a calculated move by Brown.
He knows Game 4 is massive. If the Knicks win, they move to 3-1 and take complete control of the series, needing just one victory out of three remaining games to claim their first title in 53 seasons. If they lose, however, the series heads back to San Antonio tied at two games apiece.
By getting this out there â and Brown may have to pay the price in the form of a fine â heâs exerting direct pressure on the officiating crew for Game 4 to put their thumb on the scale somewhat. Essentially, Brown is putting out the narrative that his team has been wronged.
The implication being that some corrective measure is owed to the Knicks. Whether it pays off remains to be seen, but, with a title on the line, itâs certainly worth a shot.
Now, were some of the calls enforced against New York in the second half soft? Certainly. But if you look closely, most came after New York lazily grabbed at players after they had put themselves in compromising positions.
Did the Spurs get away with some calls? Potentially. But that doesnât account for why New York shot just 7-of-27 in the fourth quarter, including a brutal 2-of-14 from 3-point range, many of those decent looks.
"That ainât cost us the game," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said when asked about officiating. "We turned the ball over. We didnât execute. We didnât do what got us 13 straight wins; thatâs how you lose a game."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 08: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the rim as Og Anunoby #8 and Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks defend during the second quarter in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For Game Three of the NBA Finals, a graphic of the Larry OâBrien Trophy was laid under the Knicks logo at halfcourt. This marks the very first time the image of the trophy has ever been placed there. Others have said it, but allow me to reiterate: seeing the iconic trophy on the court at MSG is weird.
No basketball stage is bigger than Madison Square Garden. Whenever a big game is played at the Mecca, visitors are expected to wilt under Broadwayâs lights. It never occurs to us that the home team might feel a little of that heat, too.
Indeed, the Knicks seemed more affected by the pressure in their 115-111 loss. It was a flukey game across the board. For instance, they lost the third quarter for the first time in 17 playoff games. Given that the starters were out of sync all game, it made sense. In fact, this was the first theyâve looked like the âold Knicksâ since the first round. The lead guys started slow, the reserves provided a second quarter lift while Towns and Brunson were split up, the play went stale again after halftime, and they hoped for Captain Clutch magic in the fourth. It was as if, after being away from the Garden for 19 days, theyâd forgotten what a juggernaut they had become and, returning to their home court, reverted to their bad habits.
Out of the gate, the hosts coughed up two turnovers and fell behind by seven before Josh Hart finally got them on the scoreboard. That kicked off a promising stretch by Hart. The Spurs picked their poison and gave plenty of space to Hart on the perimeter. His two triples in the first quarter kept the Knicks from falling too far behind. Our Energizer Bunny finished with 16 points on 4-of-7 from deep, plus nine boards and five dimes.
The Spurs made eight of their first ten shots to go ahead by 11, but thatâs a hard pace to maintain. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges picked up two quick fouls and was replaced by Landry Shamet (3 PTS, 1-of-8 FG, -20, 23 MIN). It was the start of a long night for Bridges, who had his first offensive dud in a while. He posted two points on 1-of-5 shooting.
In the game thread, UrsaMajor13 said, âBridges and KAT really disappointing.â Since they had combined for 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting and eight fouls, Ursa almost won a spot in the headline. Weirdly, the plus-minus tells a different story. Would you believe that Karl-Anthony Towns finished +8 and Bridges +11? That box score is lyingâand Soylent Green is people!
The Spursâ star, Victor Wembanyama, recorded 32 points on 11-of-18 from the field; the Knicksâ star, Jalen Brunson, also scored 32 points, shooting 11-of-25.
Both of these things can be true: San Antonio did an admirable job of keeping KAT out of the offense and the Knicks did a lousy job of incorporating KAT into the offense. Brunson shot 15 more times than Towns. They could have at least split the difference. If the Knicks plan to close this out and float a parade through Manhattan, theyâd better start running plays for Karl again.
"Didn't execute, didn't do what got us 13-straight wins in a row."
Tempers were spicy tonight. On one sequence, Wembanyama palmed the back of Brunsonâs head and shoved him to the floor. No whistle. On another, after a Knicks make, Hart was laid flat under the rim when Luke Kornet body-bumped him. Hart jumped up to shove Kornet and got a tech. Nothing for the Spur. The refs sure seemed intent on stretching this series past four games, but maybe your broadcast showed different camera angles. Both sides played aggressive, physical basketball yet when the curtain fell, the Spurs had shot 32 freebies to the Knicksâ 22.
Mike Brown thought it was fishy.
"I never thought I'd be in an NBA Finals and see in the 2nd half 24 free throw attempts to another team's 8âŚSan Antonio's a great teamâŚIt's gonna lower our odds big time if in Game 4 they get 24 free throws 2nd half to our 8"
â New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 9, 2026
After the first quarter, New York trailed 33-22. San Antonio once again executed better than the Knicks at the start of a game. The Spurs had assisted on 11 of 14 field goals, while the Knicks had been outshot 25% to 57% from downtown and coughed up the rock four times. Once again, both teams crashed the defensive boards. Of the 22 first-quarter rebounds, just two were offensive.
Fun fact: The broadcast reported that Mitchell Robinsonâs 37% career playoff free-throw percentage is the lowest in NBA history. Robinson made 1-of-2 tonightâand played just seven minutes. Why? His -11 plus-minus points to an answer.
In the second quarter, San Antonioâs shooting cooled, and the Knicks reserves turned up the heat. Jose Alvarado gave Brunson a breather and capitalized on the opportunity. His jumper over Wembanyama was a first-half highlight. That was part of a 16-7 Knicks run that cut their deficit to two.
Jose Alvarado hits the jumper over Victor Wembanyama, as KAT is fouled in the paint (with replays) pic.twitter.com/wmXeu45LWt
Not to toot my own horn, but in my preview, I said it was Jordan Clarksonâs turn to have a game. He did his best to make it so, hitting a timely three and picking DeâAaron Foxâs pocket on an inboundâbefore passing the ball past Hart and to Stephon Castle, who scored with an and-one. Clarkson finished with 10 points in 13 minutes, making 4-of-7 from deep. From the cheap seats (a recliner in Binghamton, NY), certain fans wondered why Coach Mike Brown chose not to sub Clarkson for Bridges once he knew that Mikal was mentally on Mars.
Meanwhile, OG Anunoby was ferocious on both ends. He netted a triple and then stuffed Dylan Harper at the rim. With the Knicks rallying, a Brunson trey gave them a brief lead with four minutes to goâbefore Wembanyama scored five points to restore the guestsâ advantage. It was the tale of the game. So many times, the Knicks were poised to take over and just fell flat.
Thanks to a Castle loose-ball foul on Brunson, a Towns steal, and an Anunoby slam, New York tied the game with two minutes remaining in the second. Hart (whoâs been studly everywhere except the points column in this series) swished his third three-pointer, Brunson added another, and Towns made two free throws to give the good guys a 64-57 halftime lead.
Through the half, the Knicks shot better from the field (58% to 53%), better from three (47% to 40%), won the rebounding battle (18-14), and matched San Antonio in the paint (28-28). What kept the Spurs afloat was ball movement and game control. San Antonio had assisted on 17 of 23 baskets while New York managed just 11 assists on 22 makes. At intermission, Castle led all scorers with 18 and Anunoby was a close second with 17.
Early in the second half, Julian Champagnie went up for a three and kicked out his foot at Brunson, who was closing out. Brunson had turned away from the shooter, and contact was initiated because Champagnie nearly popped a hip reaching his leg out. The officiating crew deemed it a flagrant foul on Brunson. Go figure. (Champagnie logged 12 points on 3-of-7 from deep.)
Jalen Brunson was assessed a flagrant foul after review on this play from Julian Champagnie. pic.twitter.com/bAdGIroXfv
That call helped the guests mount a 10-4 run. Around the midway through the third, the Spurs tied the game at 76, and then Wembanyama stroked one from deep to regain the lead. With both teams fighting through it, the Knicks were down by three. Thanks to a Hail Mary from Clarkson, New York entered the final frame trailing 92-91.
While Brunson rested, the Spursâ defense continued to disrupt the Knicksâ shooting and kept them scoreless for the first three-ish minutes. That increased the deficit to seven. Brunson returned to try to get things going, but even he was short on answers. New York would shoot 7-of-27 in the fourth quarter. Yuck.
At the other end, Wembanyama drained a three as Robinson crashed into him for a foul. Except, on replay, it was clear that Keldon Johnson shoved Robinson into Wembanyama. Brown challenged the call and, correctly, it was overturned. Instead of being down by 10, New York regained possession, and Brunson promptly drove the lane to make the deficit five.
Anunoby scored on a soft-touch jumper, then blocked Harper at the rim on a breakaway that led to a Brunson bucket. Buckets were hard to come by, with each team ratcheting up its defense. The clubs had combined to miss their first 16 shots from deep in the fourth period. And although the players in the frontcourt hung onto each other all game long, the refs waited until the final frame to start calling fouls. Wembanyama had shot six freebies in just over seven minutes of fourth-quarter play.
With four minutes to go, the Knicks trailed by eight and were gifted a missed finger roll by Wembanyama. Two free throws by Brunson chipped at that, and his jumper from the elbow cut the lead to four. Two minutes left.
Castle connected from deep for the first triple of the quarter. Bad timing for us. Trailing by seven, Anunoby made one of two from the line. Then, with 30 seconds left, Captain Clutch drilled a three straight on. The Garden went crazy.
With 12 seconds left, Fox hit a contested jumper to make the score 113-108, and the Garden went silent.
Out of a timeout, Hart swung the ball to Anunoby for a corner three! 113-111. Nine seconds left.
New York intentionally fouled Castle, who made both from the line. 115-111. Out of a timeout, Bridges hoisted a three-point attempt, but he was the last person we wanted taking the shot after going Casper all night. He missed. Ballgame.
Up Next
The Knicks remain in the driverâs seat, ahead 2-1. We can comfortably chalk this loss up to poor performances by Bridges, Shamet, Robinson, too much Brunson, not enough Towns, and a few crappy calls. Quoth Real Clydes, âOn to the next.â The pressure really will be on our heroes now, though. We do not like the idea of giving these Spurs the momentum of a tied series heading home to Texas. Not one bit. Game Four will be played at the Garden on Wednesday. Get ready, Knickerbockers.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 9: Head Coach Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on before the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs during Round Two Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Our season review of the Cleveland Cavaliers continues with Kenny Atkinson and the coaching staff.
As is the case with our postgame report cards, a âBâ grade represents a player or group meeting the standard we expect from them.
Cavsâ record
Regular season: 52-30 (-12 from last season)
Playoffs: 8-10 (+3 from last season)
Atkinson was dealt a rough hand this year.
The front officeâs moves last offseason didnât pay off. Trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball was a miss, as were the signings around the edges of the roster.
Additionally, injuries were a recurring issue throughout the year. Max Strus didnât play until the spring. Darius Garland missed the start of the season, and when he did return, he wasnât close to the All-Star version we saw the year before. The group also missed time from both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
Atkinson deserves credit for keeping this season on the rails. The group continued to be bought in, even during their slump, and were able to keep their heads above water. This couldâve easily been a lost season.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homageâs Cavs gear HERE. The link to the new City Edition shirt can be found HERE.
Then, Atkinson was forced to adapt again when they traded for James Harden.
Atkinson understands that this is a playerâs league first and foremost. He sacrificed his personal preference to fit the style that worked best with this group given the limited time left in the season.
The Cavs blended Hardenâs isolation system with some of the off-ball movement concepts we saw from them during their 64-win season. Making those adjustments on the fly with limited practice time is an incredibly difficult task, and not one many coaching staffs wouldâve succeeded in doing.
The trades and the injuries resulted in the starting lineup they used most in the playoffs, only spending four regular-season games together. Yet, the Cavs were able to make it further in the playoffs than they have at any point since 2018. Thatâs a remarkable achievement.
At the same time, Atkinson deserves criticism for some of their biggest losses in the postseason.
The adjustments in the first two rounds werenât as quick as they shouldâve been. Against the Toronto Raptors, he took too long to find ways to get the bigs involved. The Cavs werenât ready for the first two games against the Detroit Pistons, and he failed to get his group prepared for Game 6.
Atkinson also deserves a good portion of the blame for the disastrous Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks. He kept Harden on the court late, allowing him to get picked on by Jalen Brunson. By the time the defensive adjustment came, it was already too late. The offense ground to a halt. Atkinson couldnât find a way to get it jump-started down the stretch in the fourth, even after timeouts.
The Cavs probably donât win the series if Game 1 ended differently. The Knicks are playing at an incredibly high level right now. But at the very least, Cleveland couldâve made it a competitive series if they had held on to Game 1.
Figuring out how to balance the impressive regular season and frustrating playoffs is difficult for a project like this.
On one hand, Atkinson showed that he can make the absolute best of a bad situation. He continually raised the baseline of a group that had no business winning more than 50 games with the amount of injuries, roster turnover, and off-years from the supporting cast.
Simultaneously, he didnât elevate this group in the postseason. It never felt like the players were in the best position to succeed, and the adjustments came far too late, if they came at all. That is concerning for a group that wants to compete for titles over the next few seasons.
Overall, Iâm going to lean more positive. The playoff shortcomings donât happen if this season goes off the rails, as it couldâve.
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 27: Alperen Sengun #28 and Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets high five during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 27, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
This weekâs question is an interesting one. Weâve been over and over the fact that the Houston Rockets have two non-shooters in the lineup in Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. If the Rockets donât make headway this season with shooting progress for at least one if not both guys, they may end up having to move on from one of them.
So, the question is, if you had to get rid of one of those guys â and only one â which one would it be?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and weâll be back soon with more Reacts.
Poor attention to detail on defense. Untimely turnovers. Not enough movement off the ball on offense. Too much dribbling. Slow decision-making. And on and on.Â
But one thing ate at Brown as much as anything listed above: the officiating.Â
âThey came and took the game. But I will say this: I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team's eight,â Brown said late Monday night. âI don't think I complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free throw attemptsâŚ.Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.Â
âKAT gets the ball off of a loose-ball rebound and he shoots it, and he gets whacked across the arm and they hit the ball and it goes out of bounds on the baseline. There's no foul. There were opportunities for fouls to be called, to at least try to even the free throws out,â he continued. Â
âNow, we didn't play good. San Antonio played great. We could have played better. There was a lot of things that we didn't do that we did in Game 1 and Game 2. But to go 24 free throw attempts in the second half, that's 48 for the game if you think about the way they called that second half, compared to eight. All the shots we took, we got fouled four times, roughly, for eight free throw attempts. Again, I don't complain much. I never thought I'd see that in an NBA Finals game, and I saw it tonight. That's tough to overcome when you're playing against a great team.â
The Knicks were in the bonus three minutes into the fourth quarter, so they played a role in the free-throw discrepancy.Â
But the officiating -- in general -- has been an issue for New York. There were complaints about calls behind the scenes over the first two games.Â
On Monday, Brown made his case publicly.Â
âThere are a lot of things we can do better and we are going to have to do better, but the same breath, like I said, hopefully they will see some more fouls called against them, so it's not 24-8,â Brown said. âThis is a four-point ballgame. Four-point ballgame. One-possession ballgame going down the stretch. It's tough to overcome.
âIf they do this in Game 4 where it's 24-8 in the second half,â he continued. "It's going to be tough for us to win.âÂ
Sometimes in playoff series, this public plea can change how the next game is called.Â
Weâll find out on Wednesday if Brownâs words will have that kind of impact.Â
The San Antonio Spurs are five-time NBA champions, most recently in 2014 [Getty Images]
Victor Wembanyama scored 32 points as the San Antonio Spurs cut the New York Knicks' lead in the NBA Finals to 2-1 with a 115-111 win at Madison Square Garden.
US President Donald Trump, in the crowd as the iconic venue hosted its first Finals game since 1999, was booed when he was shown on the big screen during the national anthem.
He is the first sitting president to attend the championship series.
Wembanyama, whose errors cost the Spurs in game two, added eight rebounds and six assists.
He was supported by 23 points from Stephon Castle and 13 off the bench from Dylan Harper as the Spurs avoided going 3-0 down - a deficit from which no team has recovered in the Finals.
Defeat ended a 13-game winning streak for the Knicks - two short of the Golden State Warriors' 2017 record - as they chase their first championship since 1973.
Only five of the 37 teams who have led 2-0 have failed to win the Finals.
"We've done what we were supposed to do but the job is absolutely not done," said Wembanyama.
"We're not even halfway. The hardest is yet to come."
The Spurs trailed 64-57 at half-time but went ahead with a 35-point third quarter.
A three-pointer from Castle with one minutes 53 seconds left extended their lead to 111-104 and - unlike in game one, when they came unstuck against a late surge from the Knicks - the Spurs held firm.
Although OG Anunoby hit a late three-pointer to cut the Spurs' lead to two points, Castle scored two free throws in the final 10 seconds.
Anunoby finished with 28 points and Jalen Brunson 32 for the Knicks.
The best-of-seven series continues at the same venue on Wednesday (01:30 BST, Thursday) before the teams return to San Antonio for game five on Saturday (01:30, Sunday).
