This is why there was so much attention around Mitchell Robinson and his injury.
So much concern that he might be compromised. So much emphasis throughout the year on keeping him healthy.
It was the matchup — and perhaps the moment — everyone knew he would be needed for.
Jalen Brunson’s free throw gave the Knicks a one-point lead, and the Spurs called timeout with 7.5 seconds left.
It was obvious who would take the last shot: Victor Wembanyama. And it was obvious who the Knicks would want contesting that shot: Robinson.
Mitchell Robinson blocks Stephon Castle’s shot during the second half of the Knicks’ 105-104 win over the Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 in San Antonio. Jason Szenes for New York Post
De’Aron Fox got the inbounds pass. Wembanyama set a screen for him, and Fox passed it back. Wembanyama rose up for a 20-footer.
Mitchell Robinson and the Knicks celebrate their Game 2 win. Jason Szenes for The New York Post
But Robinson contested the shot well, forcing the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama to fade away. It hit off the side rim, securing the Knicks’ 105-104 Game 2 win over the Spurs on Friday night at the Frost Bank Center for take a 2-0 lead in the Finals.
The possession prior, with the game tied, Wembanyama missed as well. And it was Robinson defending him.
“Wemby is iconic,” coach Mike Brown said. “There is nobody like him. He can score from all three levels. He wants the ball. Two big possessions at the end of the game, we put Mitch on him. What I’m proud about more than anything else, Mitch defended him the right way. Wemby is iconic. If he makes a shot, he makes a shot. You’re not blocking his shot. You make him work, you lead with your chest. You show your hands and you embrace those details while trying to guard him and then box out.
“It started with Mitch and it ended with the other four guys boxing out. So just a heck of a job by Mitch guarding the most iconic player in the world on two possessions to possibly win the game. Phenomenal.”
Robinson had surgery to repair a broken fifth metacarpal he sustained between the conference finals and the NBA Finals. There was uncertainty whether he’d be able to play, and even if he did, how effective he could be.
On the two biggest defensive possessions of the game, he was the difference-maker.
“I know we needed stops and I had picked up a few fouls on him,” Robinson said. “I think, what, three, like early on? So in my mind, I was just like, defend without fouling. So that was kind of like how it went. Just great contest, and just kind of how it went.”
Robinson is the longest-tenured Knick. He was with the team at its rock bottom. He was part of its rise.
And now on the biggest stage, he made a game-sealing impact.
“It was crazy,” Robinson said. “Been here for eight years, now here we are in the Finals. I can truly say I done seen it all. It’s wild.”
Chalamet, the “Dune” actor, hugged one person in the bowels of the arena before making a beeline toward the “Meet the Parents” actor for a powerful embrace, as seen in a video shared by Yahoo Sports.
Stiller was smiling ear to ear as he reveled in the Knicks taking a commanding 2-0 series lead, despite New York nearly blowing a fourth quarter lead as the Spurs went on a furious late run.
Ben Stiller celebrates during the Knicks’ Game 2 win at the Frost Bank Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But Spurs star Victor Wembanyama turned the ball over in the waning seconds with an errant pass and then fouled Jalen Brunson, who converted 1 of his 2 free throws to give the Knicks the lead. Wembanyama, with a chance to give the Spurs the win at the other end, missed a buzzer-beater to seal San Antonio’s fate.
Chalamet and Stiller have been a fixture at Knicks games — at both Madison Square Garden and on the road — throughout the years, but they’ve had a noticeable presence during this run to the NBA Finals.
New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas – New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns father Karl Sr. and Timothee Chalamet celebrate at the end of the fourth quarter of NBA Finals Game 2 on June 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostNew York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas – Actor Timothy Chalamet reacts in the crowd during the second quarter of NBA Finals Game 2 on June 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
To that end, on Thursday, Chalamet posted a picture to his Instagram story where he had plastic bags of ice covering both of his knees. In a follow-up story he wrote: “Ppl underestimate the wear and tear on the body of a fan throughout the playoffs,” Chalamet said in a corresponding Instagram story post. “Self care is important.”
The best self care for Chalamet and Stiller might be two more wins for their beloved basketball team.
SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson scored the game-winning point. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns had big games. The Knicks bench was terrific again.
But the MVP of the Knicks’ franchise-record 13th straight playoff victory may have been an assistant coach.
Jordan Brink, the team’s director of video services and player development, being able to convince coach Mike Brown to challenge a call late in the fourth quarter was pivotal in the Knicks’ dramatic 105-104 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center. They lead the NBA Finals 2-0 after becoming the third road team to win the first two games of the finals.
OG Anunoby gets fouled on a 3-point attempt in the fourth quarter. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
The Knicks had blown a 14-point lead. Momentum had flipped. The official had ruled that the ball had gone out of bounds off OG Anunoby while he attempted a 3-pointer. But Brink felt there was a foul on the play with 2:37 left.
After a review, the call was reversed. Anunoby was headed to the free-throw line for three attempts.
Jordan Brink (left) was the Knicks assistant behind the crucial decision. NBAE via Getty Images
OG Anunoby gets fouled on the 3-point attempt and it causes him to throw the ball out of bounds, the refs call a Spurs' ball. The Knicks successfully challenge the call, and OG makes all the clutch free throws pic.twitter.com/1yRW4baTNm
“Jordan, he’s been a master at this,” Brown said of the assistant coach, who played at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Later, on Brink, Brown added: “He’s been doing this now two years in a row. I rely totally on him. Every once in a while I lose my mind, get emotional, and try to stick it to the refs, even though I like all of them. But that never works. So I try like heck to follow Jordan’s lead, and it was 100 percent his call.”
Og Anunoby reacts to a call during the fourth quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Just as importantly, Anunoby stepped to the line and made all three free throws. He wasn’t surprised the call was changed.
“It was a foul, so I was surprised they didn’t call it initially,” said Anunoby, who had 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 36 quality minutes. “Jordan Brink did a great job of letting the coaches know. … I think it was big, especially because it was three extra points.”
It helped stop the Spurs’ momentum. Without that successful challenge, the Finals may be headed back to New York tied at 1-1.
Victor Wembanyama said the focus has already shifted to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but the final three possessions of Game 2's one-point loss to the Knicks will long linger in the Spurs star's mind as San Antonio missed an opportunity to complete a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback and New York grabbed a 2-0 series lead.
Twice, he missed pull-up jumpers over Mitchell Robinson, the second just before the buzzer to seal a 105-104 Knicks win, sandwiched around a costly turnover as he threw the ball off teammate Stephon Castle's back in the backcourt and set up Jalen Brunson’s game-deciding free throw.
“I’m still very blurry, and that’s the whole problem,” Wembanyama said about the game’s final moments. “I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”
Wembanyama called the turnover “the most frustrating thing.”
“To throw it away after putting in all this work,” he said, adding the urgency of the moment, getting the rebound and pushing the ball up the court led to the mistake. “The body reacts quicker than the mind.”
Coming off the floor, he said he had “lots of emotions of every type,” before correcting himself, “not of every type, only the negative type.”
“I threw that one away, I messed up,” he said. “We didn’t play great as a team. We needed to win that game. This game was ours. But at this point it’s done.
“Am I gonna regret it? Yes, of course. Am I gonna use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
On the final possession, Wembanyama got a good look off a pick-and-pop for a 20-foot jumper to steal the game, but the jumper with two seconds left hit back iron.
“I liked the shot, but I feel like in this moment you need to shoot to score,” he said. “And in moments like this, results matter more than process. We just need to score, I need to score.”
The Spurs had done the hard part. After the Knicks' lead hit 97-83 with 6:04 to play, San Antonio would score 12 straight in the next 129 seconds, a run interrupted but not halted by two Mike Brown timeouts.
After Brunson missed a pair of shots, the latter a wide-open three-pointer, pushing the Knicks’ cold streak to six straight off the mark, the game was tied with three minutes remaining as Dillon Harper laid it in at the other end with 3:00 to play. The Spurs would then score on four of their next five possessions and held a two-point lead with under a minute remaining.
“I think we need to put ourselves in better conditions,” Wembanyama said. “We’re digging ourselves a hole, that’s been a theme so far.”
The hole came from the Knicks dominating the middle quarters, outscoring their hosts 59-41.
Wembanyama was a bit of a non-factor in the first half, attempting just four shots in his first 18 minutes.
“I have to make sure that there are environments that the ball finds him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of the low shot total. “He’s gotta make sure that he can’t rely on that to get shots, as well. And I think there are times, when he was open on rolls around the paint and his teammates gotta get him the ball.
“... But, yeah, four shots in a half, on this stage, is not acceptable.”
The Spurs’ star was an even plus-minus and had just seven points, five rebounds, two blocks, one assist, one steal, and two turnovers. (He turned it around, scoring 22 points in 22 second-half minutes on 9-for-17 shooting.)
Karl-AnthonyTowns took full advantage, scoring 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting (3-for-5 from deep) with seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, a block, and was a plus-13 in 18 first-half minutes.
Wembanyama called Towns a “very different” big man from the ones the Spurs faced in earlier rounds.
“It’s bringing us into difficult areas because they’re good players and he’s a good player,” Wembanyama said of Towns. “We just need to figure it out, we need to keep working at it... We can do a little bit better; we can do better defensively.”
The Knicks withstood the Spurs' nine-point advantage in the first and fourth quarters, the latter of which included a 21-5 run over five minutes and a two-point San Antonio lead with 57 seconds left, before emerging from Friday's 105-104 NBA Finals Game 2 win.
"It's an amazing feeling, as a coach, to know how mentally tough your team is -- no matter what the situation is in front of 'em," Mike Brown said. "To see them continue to fight and fight and fight and fight -- no matter what the score is, no matter how much time is on the clock -- it's just a fantastic feeling. I'm telling you, man, the NBA is tough. You don't experience what I'm experiencing with this group a ton, and it is a fricking joy to be around."
New York needed Jalen Brunson's game-tying bucket at the fourth quarter's 39-second point and 1-of-2 mark from the free-throw line 20 seconds later before surviving on Victor Wembanyama's go-ahead attempt, which missed with two seconds left and secured the Knicks' 2-0 series lead.
"It's 0-0 at this point, as far as we're concerned," Josh Hart said. "Being up 2-0 means, really, nothing. This team's going to come out on, what, Monday with an unbelievable amount of energy and desperation and we've got to be better."
Regardless of New York's outlook, the MSG environment figures to be a raucous one with the Knicks two wins away from the franchise's first NBA championship since 1973.
"Hectic," Miles McBride said as New York's focus shifts to Monday's 8:30 p.m. Game 3 at The Garden. "I'm sure it's going crazy right now. We heard New York here, down in San Antonio, so ... I don't even know what I'm expecting, honestly. It's going to be great. I'm excited."
With the ball in his hands and the final buzzer nearing, Wembanyama unfurled his 7-foot-4 frame for a clean look at a long two-pointer at the right elbow that would have tied these Finals at 1-1. But the shot was just long, and bounced off the rim as the Knicks celebrated their 13th consecutive victory in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
"A great player got a great shot. It just didn't go in," New York forward Karl-Anthony Towns said postgame on ABC's broadcast.
KNICKS GET THE HUGE DEFENSIVE STOP TO WIN GAME 2 🚨
Now, the Spurs face Game 3 on June 8 at Madison Square Garden in New York with a 2-0 deficit dogging them.
Wembanyama recovered from the "shock," as "Inside the NBA" analyst Charles Barkley called his first-half performance, to finish Game 2 with a game-high 29 points and 9 rebounds. But New York's trio of Towns (21 points), Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson (20 points each) continued the Knicks' torrid playoff run.
The Knicks managed to fend off the Spurs’ late rally in the fourth quarter to secure a 105-104 victory. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for New York with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 points.
Fans were offered the chance to attend watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden and at SummerStage in Central Park in New York on Friday night.
Midtown turned into a sea of blue and orange Friday night as thousands of “exhilarated” Knicks fans flooded the streets outside Madison Square Garden after their hometown team won Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Chants of “Go New York, go New York, go New York, go!” and “Knicks in four!” echoed down Seventh Avenue and drivers could be heard honking their horns in their own show of support one block away.
Knicks fans celebrate the team’s win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals outside Madison Square Garden on June 6, 2026. Michael Nagle for NY PostFans hold up a Jalen Brunson cutout during a wild celebration outside Madison Square Garden on June 6, 2026. Michael Nagle for NY Post
The party kicked off hours earlier as diehards secured spots at a watch party outside the World’s Most Famous Arena more than four hours before the 8:42 p.m. tipoff.
“I feel exhilarated,” said Lester Alexander, who was equipped with a Knicks flag attached to a broomstick.
“I can’t be happier. As a New Yorker, nothing could ruin my day now, my week, my month, my summer,” the 27-year-old, who goes by “Les,” told The Post.
Les, a Harlem native, already had grand plans for a possible Knicks title.
“I’m gonna propose to the most beautiful woman I’ll meet that night. ‘Cause right now I’m single. And if I don’t find nobody I’ll just marry the game,” he declared.
A Knicks fan holds up a broom after the team took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals over the San Antonio Spurs on June 5, 2026. Michael Nagle for NY PostKnicks fans crowd both sides of the street outside Madison Square Garden on June 5, 2026. Christopher Sadowski for NY Post
Gary Charles, 31, who watched the game at a separate watch party inside MSG, said, “we’re literally writing history right now.”
He was amazed at “just the amount of people that’s coming out to just support the Knicks,” adding that “it’s magnificent, beautiful.”
Reacting to the Knicks’ 105-104 victory over the Spurs, Charles’ 33-year-old friend told The Post that “it’s a blessing.”
“A Championship win,” he said, “would unify the city, it would bring the city up in many ways, people not even realizing, you know what I’m saying? Economically, socially, emotionally.”
A person in a Spiderman costume is carried through the crowd of Knicks fans outside Madison Square Garden. Aristide Economopoulos for NY PostKnicks fans celebrate the team’s win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals during a watch party at Summer Stage in Central Park on June 5, 2026. Lone Pine Press for NY PostFans crowded into Central Park’s SummerStage for the watch party on June 5, 2026. Lone Pine Press for NY Post
Randy Horowitz traveled with her two daughters and husband from Long Island to watch the game at The Mecca.
“I am ecstatic,” she said.
“I’m energized. This is why we live in New York. We feel this. No place like New York to experience a night like this,” she continued.
“I was inside. It was better than the team being there. There was so much energy — it was amazing.”
Pals Surgio Urnia, 35 and Ken Lopez, 50, also joined in on the festivities outside the Garden.
“The thing that I love about the watch party is the camaraderie between the New York culture,” said Urnia, a Brooklyn resident.
Knicks fans celebrate during a watch party outside Madison Square Garden on June 5, 2026. Aristide Economopoulos for NY PostKnicks fans celebrate the team’s win at the SummerStage party in Central Park on June 5, 2026. Lone Pine Press for NY PostBen Stiller reacts after the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 5, 2026. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
“It’s beautiful. It brings it back. It’s a feeling I haven’t felt in this city in a very long time.”
When asked how he would celebrate the Knicks winning the championship, he had a blunt response: “I’m quitting my job.”
But that wouldn’t be all for Urnia.
“I’m going to the parade. I am gonna get a new girlfriend. I’m gonna have a brand new life,” he insisted.
Lopez was much more modest.
A Knicks fan cheers on the team during a watch party in Central Park on June 5, 2026. Lone Pine Press for NY PostA Knicks fan walks around outside Madison Square Garden holding a large cutout of Jalen Brunson’s head after the team’s win on June 5, 2026. Aristide Economopoulos for NY PostNYPD officials detain a Knicks fan during the watch party outside Madison Square Garden. Aristide Economopoulos for NY Post
“I’m gonna take a whole week off work,” he said.
Leaning against the barriers in front of MSG was Nasir Boston, 24, of Queens, who currently works as a security guard but hopes to get into the social media field.
“The Knicks got all of us united right now, all five boroughs including Long Island,” Boston told the Post.
And if they win the championship?
“No one is going to work,” Boston said.
Similar scenes of jubilation erupted across the city on Friday night as Central Park was home to another watch party and bars were packed to the brim with fans.
Knicks superfan and filmmaker Spike Lee was spotted in the city standing through the sunroof of a car, reaching toward a cheering crowd as fans blasted airhorns and yelled into the night, per a video posted to X by ESPN New York.
The Jeffrey, an institutional Upper East Side sports bar, slashed the prices of beer and food from 7 p.m. to tip off at 8:30 p.m. at their 1973 levels — $.73 draft beers, oysters, wings and hot dogs.
He couldn’t afford to get into foul trouble again.
He didn’t listen to his own advice.
The Knicks’ guard was a no-show in Game 2 after having such a major role in the come-from-behind win in the series opener.
He rarely saw the floor, foul woes keeping him from making his usual impact.
Hart failed to score, missing all four of his field goal attempts, and committed two turnovers.
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart drives down the court during the second quarter of NBA Finals Game 2 on June 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He was only on the floor for 18 minutes as the Knicks blew a 14-point, fourth quarter lead, but managed to hold on for a 105-104 victory at Frost Bank Center and take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals.
They became just the third team in the history of the finals to win the first two games on the road.
Hart didn’t score much in Game 1, limited to three points, but still had a major role.
He had 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals. It seemed like he was in the right spot during every Knicks run
“That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it,” Jalen Brunson, his longtime teammate dating back to college, said. “He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times, as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.”
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart knocks the ball away from San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama in the first quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
But that player didn’t arrive for Game 2. He spent much of the game on the sideline.
Instead, Landry Shamet took a good chunk of his minutes and continued his strong postseason with 13 points and three 3-pointers.
It did showcase the Knicks’ depth that they were able to survive this kind of effort from Hart.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama tries to put up a last minute shot past New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of NBA Finals Game 2 on June 5, 2026.
Even though he was quiet late, Mikal Bridges carried the Knicks when Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson were on the bench at the end of the third quarter.
The dynamic wing scored 20 points and added six rebounds and six assists. Those five first-round draft picks the Knicks sent to the Nets don’t seem so valuable anymore.
Zero
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama tries to put up a shot in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of NBA Finals Game 2 on June 5, 2026. Jason Szenes for The New York Post
Victor Wembanyama threw the ball away with the chance to hold for a final shot in a tie game and then missed the potential game-winning shot in the final seconds.
While the 7-foot-4 Frenchman finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, he came up small late.
His turnover and foul of Brunson led to the Knicks captain making the game-deciding free throw with 9.5 seconds left.
Victor Wembanyama looks on after Jalen Brunson hits a shot during the Knicks’ 105-104 Game 2 win over the Spurs on June 5, 2026 in San Antonio. Jason Szenes for New York Post
Unsung hero
The bench.
The bench came up big again, led by Landry Shamet’s 13 points. Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson and Jose Alvarado all contributed, particularly late in the third quarter when the Spurs seemed to have momentum.
But led by the aforementioned quartet, the Knicks were able to extend the lead from four points to nine over the final 3:19 of the period.
Key stat
3: The Knicks became the third team in NBA Finals history to win the first two games on the road, joining the 19993 Bulls (Suns) and ’95 Rockets (Magic).
Quote
“It started with [Mitchell Robinson], and it ended with the other four guys boxing out. So just a heck of a job by Mitch guarding the most iconic player in the world on two possessions to possibly win the game. Phenomenal.”
— Knicks coach Mike Brown on Robinson’s defense on Victor Wembanyama in the final seconds.
Mikal Bridges looks to pass during Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 5.
SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson was an undersized, second-round pick, a superstar that no one saw coming. Josh Hart was traded three times before becoming the fan favorite of a title contender. OG Anunoby might as well have come from Mars, missing nearly as many games as he played in Toronto before becoming a modern-day Dave DeBusschere.
Mikal Bridges looks to pass during Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 5. Charles Wenzelberg
Coming off a quiet showing in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Bridges bounced back in Game 2 with 20 points (8-for-13 overall, 4-for-6 on 3-pointers), six rebounds, six assists and phenomenal defense in the Knicks’ 105-104 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
“That desperation of trying to be the last team standing, I’m trying to do whatever it takes to help my team to win,” Bridges said. “Just trying to give it all I got.”
After hitting 3 of 6 from the field in Game 1 — Bridges’ fewest attempts since the first round — the 29-year-old made up for an inefficient game from Brunson.
Bridges was held scoreless for nearly 19 minutes, but then hit eight straight shots during the second and third quarters (including his first four 3-pointers), carrying the offense with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns off the floor. Though Bridges cooled off in the fourth, he continued to bother De’Aaron Fox with his length on defense.
Mikal Bridges attempts a shot during Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 5. Charles Wenzelberg
“[Bridges] was huge for us on both ends of the floor,” Knicks coach Mike 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.”
Bridges was uncharacteristically emotional throughout the night, repeatedly screaming and celebrating with teammates on the sideline after each big play.
In barely five weeks, Bridges has redefined a fate that seemed inescapable for a large part of the past two years, transforming from an overrated scapegoat — who was held scoreless as the Knicks moved two losses from first-round elimination — to an indispensable piece on both ends of the floor. Bridges entered the NBA Finals averaging 18.7 points and shooting over 62 percent from the field since being benched in Game 3 against Atlanta.
Five years ago, Bridges held a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals with the Suns. Now, he is two wins away from the ring that got away.
“Same situation, 2-0, just got to keep level-headed and keep playing desperate,” Bridges said. “Being here before, knowing how it was gonna be and how much effort you need to give at every single moment.”
With 13.6 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 104, Wembanyama nabbed a defensive rebound after Jalen Brunson missed a jump shot. The Defensive Player of the Year took a few dribbles and then tossed the ball toward point guard Stephon Castle, who wasn't looking. Brunson then swooped in and stole the rock before colliding with Wembanyama and falling out of bounds.
Wembanyama was called for a foul on the play and he scrunched his face in frustration.
Jalen Brunson misses the jumper over Victor Wembanyama, who passes to Stephon Castle, who isn't looking, and the ball bounces off his back to Brunson, and Wemby fouls him.
Brunson splits the clutch free throws and the Spurs call a timeout.
The Knicks guard made one of his free throws to put his team up 105-104.
The Spurs had the last possession of the game and Wembanyama attempted a jumper, but he missed.
The victory marks eight straight road wins in the playoffs for the Knicks and 13 straight victories overall. The series goes to New York for Game 3 on Monday.
This blunder will be featured in Victor Wembanayama “motivation” packages for years to come.
The Spurs’ phenom made an inexplicable mistake in the final 10 seconds Friday that led to the Knicks’ game-winning free throw in San Antonio’s 105-104 home loss to fall in a 2-0 NBA Finals series hole.
With a chance to hold for the final and potential game-winning shot, Wembanyama instead made an unforced error that led to a turnover and compounded his poor decision with a foul.
“I threw that one away. I messed up,” Wembanyama said. “We didn’t play great as a team. We needed to win that game. This game was ours. But at this point, it’s done.
“Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel me and fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
After Jalen Brunson missed a jumper with roughly 13 seconds remaining, Wembanyama corralled the rebound and attempted to pass to Stephon Castle, but the guard was looking up court.
The ball bounced off Castle’s back and went right to Brunson, and Wembanyama bumped into the Knicks’ guard for the foul to send him to the free throw line with 9.5 seconds remaining.
It appeared that Castle expected Wembanyama to dribble up the court or to take his time since the Spurs would likely be holding for the final shot.
There may have also been confusion about whether the Spurs would use their final timeout.
Wembanyama’s pass hits Castle in the back. @TheHoopCentral/X
Brunson hit one of two free throws to give the Knicks a 105-104 lead before Wembanyama had a chance to redeem himself and be the hero.
However, he missed a 20-foot jumper over Mitchell Robinson with two seconds remaining and the Spurs are now officially in massive trouble.
Wembanyama also missed a 16-foot jumper after the Knicks tied the game at 104-104, and he finished 0-for-2 with a turnover in the final minute.
He finished with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, although this final minute will plague him.
Victor Wembanyama reacts after his costly mistake. @TheHoopCentral/X
Wembanyama has yet to take over this series as expected despite averaging 27.5 points through the first two games, and with his nightmarish final minute Friday night at Frost Bank Center, it’s looking more and more likely that this series will be the one that fuels him for years to come.
Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) goes in for a shot against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the first half during game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Despite having two chances to finish ahead of New York for good, San Antonio was unable to complete its ferocious fourth quarter comeback and lost game 2 of the Finals. In the waning seconds, Victor Wembanyama committed an unforced turnover trying to feed Stephon Castle in transition, and then missed a buzzer-beating 17-footer. New York extended its playoff win streak to 13 on the power of audaciously accurate shooting in many of the moments that mattered. With the two home losses, San Antonio dug itself a 0-2 hole that will require wins in four of the next handful of games – with three of them at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks erased yet another first half Spurs lead behind the shooting exploits of Karl Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges during some really wretched offensive futility by San Antonio in the second quarter.
San Antonio could not find their well-defended superstar Wembanyama (29 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks) over countless first half possessions, but after a heated huddle conversation in the third quarter, Wembanyama finally took the game into his hands in that late comeback attempt. De’Aaron Fox (20 points and 5 assists) came on late, while Castle (14 points and 4 assists) had his most uneven performance in some time. Devin Vassell (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists) contributed mightily, while Dylan Harper (15 points and 6 rebounds) made the only impact of the reservers.
New York took control of the game in the second period with timely shooting from their vetera players. Towns (21 points and 13 rebounds) nearly got the better of his Spurs counterpart again, while Bridges (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Landry Shamet (13 points) had answers for over 3+ quarters. Jalen Brunson (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) was carried by his teammates on a somewhat muted evening by his standards.
An intense first quarter saw the Knicks’ Brunson and Anunoby generate all of their offensive output over the first half of it. On the way to putting up 20 points over that same period of time, San Antonio only put up one questionable outside shot (Wembanyama had an open lane to drive and settled for a missed triple). Towns’ three broke the Brunson/Anunoby scoring streak and brought New York within four. The Hack-a-Mitchell-Robinson strategy commenced in the waning minutes of the frame generated mixed results as the center hit 3-for-6. Fox found better lanes late in the frame and put up a rapid seven points. Harper, known for his offense, helped forced two unforeced turnovers on the perimeter. An longer than usual first quarter ended with San Antonio ahead 34-25.
At the start of the second period, Towns, as Brunson rested for a protracted amount of time, pieced together his own 9-0 run to slice the New York deficit to five. Wembanyama, meanwhile, sat at four field goal attempts 1 1/2 periods in. New York received clutch shot after shot from Bridges, while San Antonio could not find a consistent contributor after Castle went to the bench with three fouls. A alarmingly tentative Wembanyama committed a pair of turnovers late in the half, and New York capitalized to surge ahead 56-52.
New York’s confidence in its outside shooting continued to grow coming out of the half. Castle, playing with three fouls, stabilized the Spurs’ offense in some tenuous moments in the meaty part of the third period. San Antonio benefitted from Hart and Towns picking up their fourth fouls, too. Johnson made his first meaningful impact this series with his presence on the boards. While San Antonio cut into the considerable deficit and prevented a New York runaway, they still left it down nine.
Observations
I keep on reading that, for many of the Spurs’ rotation players, this is the worst that they ever will be. I wish there was an accelerant somehow for them.
That agile and girthy stretch-4 will come in handy next playoff run.
Devin’s Deeds: If he continues his stalwart two-way presence, he could very well end up awarded on the top defensive teams next season.
Sequence of the Game #1: Stuck deep in the paint halfway through the first period, Johnson ‘found’ Wembanyama cutting through the lane for a dunk.
Sequence of the Game #2: Late in the first quarter, Harper caught the ball, eluded a Landry Shamet reach-in by switching hands, and powered home a dunk over Towns.
Game Rundown
A well-executed first possession ping-ponged from Wembanyama (top) to Castle (bottom) to Vassell for a straightaway three. Though Brunson hit his first attempt, Champagnie drew a quick foul on him at the other end. Champagnie hit two triples – the first a traditional one, and the second resembled the off-the-glass three Deuce McBride hit the other night. On a transition attempt, Brunson thought he’d drawn the foul on Vassell, but the guard swatted away the shot cleanly. Threes from Anunoby and Brunson kept it a one-possession game. Castle drew Hart’s second foul in transition, but missed both freebies. Towns committed a boneheaded foul to put the Spurs into the foul bonus with 5:45 left. Towns had a personal 5-0 run while Wembanyama sat, and San Antonio started settling for jumpers. Fox’s first basket came 8 1/2 minutes in, and his catch-and-shoot three moments later put the Spurs up eight. San Antonio exited the quarter up nine.
Castle’s corner three matched Towns’ three to start of the second. Tony Brothers’ crew missed an obvious foul by Shamet on Castle, and Towns received a friendlier whistle at the other end. Fox – very likely double-dribbling during a later possession – willed home an and-1. Castle was maddeningly whistled for his second foul (third overall) closing out on a three-point attempt. A Bridges three brought the Knicks within three. After Harper missed a transition lay-up, Bridges hit from three again. Hart was called for his third foul when he tripped Vassell on a loose-ball situation. Bridges’ third three of the quarter brought the Knicks within one. Right after a Shamet lay-up gave New York their first lead, Vassell knocked down a 4-point play. The Spurs’ offense sputtered over the remaining minutes, and after two Wembanyama turnovers, Bridges’ fourth three put the Knicks up four at the half.
New York continued to shred the Spurs defense to start the third period with Anunoby and Brunson knocking down deflating threes. Over the Knicks’ opening 8-2 salvo, San Antonio’s offense consisted of a lone Wembanyama fadeaway jumper. Fox drew Hart’s fourth foul, and his and-1 was answered by yet another Bridges three. Towns picked up his 3rd and 4th fouls in succession. Johnson’s offensive rebound and putback and Castle’s three brought the Spurs within five. San Antonio found it’s first consistent offensive execution since the first quarter, but the Knicks made just enough plays to stay comfortably ahead. McBride and Bridges’ shotmaking created separation near the end of the period, and the Spurs went to the fourth down 75-84.
