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 “serious fall” 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 person’s 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 it’s 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. We’ll leave the rest of it for King to tell, but it was pretty entertaining. We can see why Bulls fans loved the man. It’s a pretty entertaining story.
NEW YORK — 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 game’s officiating.
The Spurs shot 10 more free throws than San Antonio in Monday night’s 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 team’s eight. I don’t 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. It’s 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 didn’t play good," Brown acknowledged. "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."
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 – one that disregards the fact that New York attempted 14 free throws in the first half, compared to San Antonio’s eight.
And by going down this path, Brown, in essence, created an environment in which he made excuses for New York’s poor play. He even acknowledged as much.
"It’s 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 Antonio’s 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 – and Brown may have to pay the price in the form of a fine – he’s 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, it’s 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 doesn’t 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 ain’t cost us the game," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said when asked about officiating. "We turned the ball over. We didn’t execute. We didn’t do what got us 13 straight wins; that’s how you lose a game."
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 “B” grade represents a player or group meeting the standard we expect from them.
Cavs’ 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 office’s moves last offseason didn’t 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 didn’t play until the spring. Darius Garland missed the start of the season, and when he did return, he wasn’t 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 could’ve easily been a lost season.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s 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 player’s 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 Harden’s 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 would’ve 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. That’s 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 weren’t as quick as they should’ve been. Against the Toronto Raptors, he took too long to find ways to get the bigs involved. The Cavs weren’t 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 couldn’t find a way to get it jump-started down the stretch in the fourth, even after timeouts.
The Cavs probably don’t 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 could’ve 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 didn’t 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, I’m going to lean more positive. The playoff shortcomings don’t happen if this season goes off the rails, as it could’ve.
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 O’Brien 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 Broadway’s 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 they’ve looked like the “old Knicks” 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, they’d 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 that’s 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, “Bridges and KAT really disappointing.” 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 lying—and Soylent Green is people!
The Spurs’ star, Victor Wembanyama, recorded 32 points on 11-of-18 from the field; the Knicks’ 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, they’d 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 Brunson’s 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 Knicks’ 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 8…San Antonio's a great team…It's gonna lower our odds big time if in Game 4 they get 24 free throws 2nd half to our 8"
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 Robinson’s 37% career playoff free-throw percentage is the lowest in NBA history. Robinson made 1-of-2 tonight—and played just seven minutes. Why? His -11 plus-minus points to an answer.
In the second quarter, San Antonio’s 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 Clarkson’s turn to have a game. He did his best to make it so, hitting a timely three and picking De’Aaron Fox’s pocket on an inbound—before 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 go—before Wembanyama scored five points to restore the guests’ 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 (who’s 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 Spurs’ defense continued to disrupt the Knicks’ 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 driver’s 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, “On to the next.” 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.
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 week’s question is an interesting one. We’ve 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 don’t 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 — and only one — which one would it be?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll 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.
But one thing ate at Brown as much as anything listed above: the officiating.
“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 team's eight,” Brown said late Monday night. “I don't think I complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free throw attempts….Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.
“KAT 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,” he continued.
“Now, 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.”
The Knicks were in the bonus three minutes into the fourth quarter, so they played a role in the free-throw discrepancy.
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.
On Monday, Brown made his case publicly.
“There 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,” Brown said. “This is a four-point ballgame. Four-point ballgame. One-possession ballgame going down the stretch. It's tough to overcome.
“If they do this in Game 4 where it's 24-8 in the second half,” he continued. "It's going to be tough for us to win.”
Sometimes in playoff series, this public plea can change how the next game is called.
We’ll find out on Wednesday if Brown’s words will have that kind of impact.
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).
"I'm still very blurry. That's the whole problem."
That's how Victor Wembanyama described himself in the immediate aftermath of Game 2, trying to get his head around the disastrous final few possessions that put the Spurs in an 0-2 hole. He said at the time he needed to slow his mind down and get some clarity.
"The Playoffs, it's like a — I don't know how to say that word — a whirlwind. It's hard to put your head out of the water," Wembanyama said of his headspace. "Sometimes I don't even go to watch the game back right away. I need some time off, let my brain cool down, recover. Recover as much for the body as for the mind."
Wembanyama took that time off before Game 3 and found his clarity sitting in Gramercy Park in New York on Sunday, sketching a picture of a statue (of Edwin Booth, legendary Shakespearean actor of the mid-1800s, although unfortunately for him, he is better remembered as the brother of John Wilkes Booth).
Victor Wembanyama drawing with his sister in a park in NYC
"Not bad. Pretty good," Wembanyama said with a smile.
His performance in Game 3 was more than pretty good.
A clear-headed Wembanyama went out and scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, had eight rebounds and six assists, plus three blocks. He was the best player on the court. Because of Wembanyama — and 23 from Stephon Castle on a bounce-back night for him, too — the Spurs have their first win in this Finals series, beating the Knicks 115-111 on Monday night. New York still leads the series 2-1, and Game 4 on Wednesday night becomes massive.
"Wemby played great," Knicks coach Mike Brown said. "He had probably seven lob dunks because we didn't follow attention to detail and try to take that away."
Getting to the rim
Mental clarity was part of it, but for San Antonio, it was also something simple (but not always easy to do): Getting back to what they see as their style of basketball.
"I thought we made some strides in terms of the ball movement and playing with our teammates, setting screens, trusting the basketball would find the right guy for our shot," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "I thought we showed better poise at times."
San Antonio made a point of getting Wembanyama going at the rim early — his first four baskets came within four feet of the rim. However, it wasn't just him — Castle, Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox all were touching paint on drives.
"Just us playing to our strengths, not allowing [New York packing the paint] to stop our aggressiveness getting to the paint," Johnson said. "Just understanding when we're being aggressive and touching the paint, it's not always for us to score. I feel like that opens up passing lanes and puts them in rotations. I feel like when we change sides and move the ball like that, especially after a paint touch, I feel like we're pretty hard to stop."
Where Wembanyama really took over was in the fourth quarter, when he scored 10 points and had a key block on Landry Shamet at the rim.
Jalen Brunson has dominated the court quarters in this series, and he had a dozen in the fourth in this one, but the difference in Game 3 was that Wemby had help, and Brunson did not. De'Aaron Fox had six points in the fourth quarter and hit the dagger jumper with 12.2 seconds left, while Dylan Harper scored five points and hit clutch free throws. For the Knicks, OG Anunoby scored six in the fourth quarter, but the rest of the team shot 1-of-15.
With his clear head and big game, Wembanyama earned a vulgar chant from the Knicks faithful, one usually reserved for the Knicks' biggest villains, including Reggie Miller and, more recently, Trae Young. Is that now becoming Wembanyama?
"I guess," he said with a shrug, and then joked, "I'm nowhere near Trae Young level, though."
Another clear-headed performance like this one and another win on Wednesday night and Wemby will reach Young's lofty level, and more.
It was a spectacle with the secret service and heightened protocol with Trump in the building. He was showered with boos when his face was shown on the arena jumbotron during the national anthem.
If that didn't anger New Yorkers enough, the Knicks losing surely did it. And one particular individual is casting the blame on Trump for showing up.
ESPN television personality Stephen A. Smith said during an episode of his podcast "The Stephen A. Smith Show" that he would blame Trump for his attendance at the game.
He explained how Trump going to the game would cause a stir with the added security and procedures in place that disrupted the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden.
"This is about an indivual engaging in a level of narcissism that really rakes my freakin' nerves. He's got no businesss here tonight. It has nothing to do with politics," Smith said. "It was everything to do with the ferver that exists around the New York Knicks and he is disrupting everything the Knicks have been vibing with."
After Game 3, Trump was asked about the game, the boos he received and particularly Smith's comments on the podcast.
"I think mostly cheers, it was loud and it was very enthusiastic," Trump said.
He continued after being asked about what Smith had to say about his attendance.
"I think he's a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high IQ. I'm not sure that Stephen has that. I don't think he does actually," Trump told reporters.
President Trump responds to Stephen A. Smith's comment, saying that he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost tonight. pic.twitter.com/0HUNj8IeC1
San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 216.5
NBA FINALS: Knicks lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Spurs won the last meeting 115-111 on Tuesday, led by 32 points from Victor Wembanyama. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 32.
The Knicks are 30-10 in home games. New York has a 9-4 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Spurs are 30-12 on the road. San Antonio is second in the Western Conference with 47.0 rebounds per game led by Wembanyama averaging 11.5.
The Knicks average 14.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 13.0 per game the Spurs allow. The Spurs are shooting 48.3% from the field, 2.3% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brunson is averaging 26 points and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. Landry Shamet is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
De'Aaron Fox is scoring 18.6 points per game and averaging 3.8 rebounds for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie is averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 9-1, averaging 115.6 points, 45.6 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 102.2 points per game.
Spurs: 5-5, averaging 110.3 points, 46.1 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 8.3 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.4 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.
Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
