Category: Basketball

The Spurs find themselves 0-2 in the Finals, and the way they got there isn’t surprising. The Knicks have been a horrific matchup for a while in no small part because San Antonio lacks size at the forward spots, an issue that has been apparent for a while but has only recently become troublesome. And Johnson was expected to be part of the solution.

Keldon won 6MoY because he impacted the offense significantly and did the little things. He’s been the big forward the Spurs have been able to count on, but his struggles in the playoffs have been real and have limited his impact against the Knicks. As of this writing, FanDuel had the odds of Johnson having at least 8.5 combined points and rebounds in Game 3 at -102 and the odds of him not getting there at -130, underscoring how little is now expected of a player who averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in the regular season.

It’s not Keldon’s fault that the team needs him so badly

The Spurs came into the season knowing that the big forward spot was a weakness. Jeremy Sochan, once considered the long-term answer at the position, had lost Mitch Johnson’s trust late last season and as his shot never improved, he faded out of the rotation before being waived at the deadline. Harrison Barnes was doing well as a placeholder in the starting lineup, mostly by not making mistakes and hitting shots, but his jumper abandoned him and opponents were playing off him to help on Wembanyama. The patchwork solution was to start Julian Champagnie, a natural small forward, at the power forward spot. It worked, as Champagnie offered strong rebounding, more switchability, and more dangerous shooting, helping San Antonio find its best shape.

What happened in the starting lineup had some effects on Johnson’s play, but he was entrenched as the sixth man and his duties didn’t really change. What he brought to the table in terms of size and physicality, however, became more important simply because the Spurs got smaller. Against a lot of teams, it wasn’t as big of an issue, and Mitch Johnson filled out the minutes at power forward with Barnes, Keldon, and even rookie Carter Bryant at times, giving the team bodies to sop up minutes. Still, the concern remained: the Spurs didn’t have frontcourt size that they could rely on except for the Sixth Man of the Year.

Johnson has struggled all playoffs, but in past series, the Spurs could still survive

Johnson has been bad all playoffs, except for a few games. His minutes are down, his scoring efficiency fell off a cliff, as he can’t finish inside, and his rebounding is not the strength it once was. The Spurs have been fine even with his struggles, in part because Dylan Harper has had several standout performances off the bench, providing interior scoring and rebounding and being a credible outside shooting threat. Keldon’s lack of production was an issue, but it was not a killer for San Antonio, mostly because of matchups.

In past series, the Spurs faced teams that started paint-bound centers, which allowed Victor Wembanyama to have someone to guard close to the rim. Some trouble emerged when those teams went to their stretch bigs who could draw The Alien out, but San Antonio’s one-man zone helped alleviate those issues, with the drawback being occasionally poor defensive rebounding. That’s where Johnson, who is not particularly tall but is strong enough to guard big forwards and has boundless energy on the boards, would come in handy. Still, the Spurs made do until now.

The Spurs desperately need a viable big forward to match up better against the Knicks

The unique problem the Knicks present has a name: Karl-Anthony Towns. If Wembanyama guards the sharpshooting Towns, he’s away from the paint, where he’s not looked comfortable defending this series. Needless to say, that’s been a problem for San Antonio, since the best rim protector arguably in league history is largely neutralized. Other teams (and the Spurs in other opportunities) have placed their center on Josh Hart and have had a big forward who can hang with Towns on drives, guarding the big man. The Silver and Black don’t have one of those. The closest is Johnson, but he’s been so ineffective at everything that he’s become an afterthought, logging 24 total minutes in two games.

Outside of lineup versatility, not being able to rely on Johnson affects the Spurs when they have Wembanyama switching on the perimeter. When that happens, they need a big body in the paint, keeping Towns and the Knicks from getting offensive rebounds. Johnson has not been able to do that in the opportunities he’s had, but he seems like the only viable option off the bench. Bryant is too light and mistake-prone. Barnes will box out diligently, but he lacks the youthful energy and athleticism Johnson has. Expecting Keldon to solve the Towns issue would be foolish, but the Spurs need him to be solid enough on offense to be playable and hope he can at least help with rebounding and physicality.

Johnson’s leadership and energy could also help in general

Even if Johnson doesn’t help solve the serious Towns-related issues, having another bench player who can have a positive impact could really help the Spurs. At his best, Keldon is a passable shooter who gets to the rim on straight-line drives on offense. San Antonio hasn’t had huge issues putting points on the board, but another threat after kickouts and someone who will run the floor could be useful, if for no other reason than to keep others fresh. Right now, only Dylan Harper can be counted on to show up for the second unit, and that’s clearly not ideal.

Beyond the sheer production, Johnson could also have an impact on the team’s mentality. He’s a locker room leader who has a penchant for making plays that get his teammates excited. Every time he drives at a defender’s chest, finishes through contact, and screams “and-one!” or gets an offensive board over several opponents provides a mini morale boost. As the Spurs try to come back from a 2-0 deficit in the Finals, something that only five teams have done in league history, they’ll need everything their longest tenured player on the roster can offer.

As Knicks coach Mike Brown and his players spoke to the media Sunday ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, rapper Fat Joe sat in the back of the room at Madison Square Garden.

He teased Brown about his shoes.

He shouted “wooo” after Jalen Brunson said talent evaluators missed “everything” by allowing him to slip to the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, where he was selected 33rd by the Mavericks.

It wasn’t long before the cameras were pointing at Fat Joe, who shared his thoughts on the Knicks, who have a 2-0 lead over the Spurs and are just two wins away from winning their first title since 1973.

He praised the Knicks for playing team basketball and exciting a city that hasn’t been to the Finals in 27 years.

He also paid his respects to Knicks owner James Dolan.

“Shoutout to Mr. Dolan, greatest team owner in the game,” Fat Joe said. “Very misunderstood. They villainize Mr. Dolan like almost like a Bruce Wayne, like a Batman movie and this is Gotham City. This man, all these watch parties, this man takes care of us.”

Fat Joe went on to reveal how Dolan had his back.

“The other day I was in Cleveland and I bought courtside [tickets] — this is a real story, guys — and they took it away when they knew it was Fat Joe, the Knick fan,” he said. “Mr. Dolan was so pissed, he said, ‘Man, if we go Game 5, I’m putting the owner up in the deck.’ … I said, ‘Man, this guy, he’s for us.’”

The Knicks went on to sweep their Eastern Conference finals series against the Cavaliers, apparently sparing Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert that indignity.

Fat Joe went on to call New York “the place to be right now.”

“I’ve been hanging out with Timothée Chalamet,” he said. “This guy has been hitting every block party all over New York City, just grabbing the mic, killing it.”

Fat Joe acknowledged that he wasn’t sure the team was going to be this successful this season, especially after it fired coach Tom Thibodeau last June.

“I was a little nervous with coach,” he said. “I ain’t going to lie. I love Thibs, so when [Brown] came I said, ‘What did we do?’ The man [proved to me] that he’s an incredible, incredible coach.”

The Knicks have won 13 playoff games in a row, the second-longest postseason streak in NBA history behind the 2017 Warriors, who won 15 in a row.

Suffice it to say, Fat Joe is a believer now.

“Right now, if you analyze the numbers, we might be looking at the greatest team ever,” he said.

As the Spurs head into Game 3, they have some positives to build on defensively. In Games 1 and 2, they utilized a similar defensive stratagem on Jalen Brunson that worked in the Western Conference Finals against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. So far, they have limited the Knicks star point guard from taking over. In San Antonio, the Spurs stayed within striking distance but came up short.

During the regular season, Brunson averaged 26 points on 46.7% shooting. During this postseason he has stayed consistent. In the last two games, he’s averaged 25 points on 33.9% shooting. Against the Spurs, Brunson has to work harder to get his points. And with all that extra ball-handling comes an increase in turnovers, from two-and-a-half in the regular season to four per game in the Finals.

What is working for the Spurs? Simply put, Stephon Castle has been brilliant. In the first two games, Castle covered Brunson for 9:24, by far the most time by any member of the Silver & Black. During that time, Brunson has scored 8 points on shooting 2 of 10, or 20%.

After Game 1, Castle stated, “I thought we did well. We kept him off the line, for the most part. He made some tough shots late. I feel like a lot of his buckets were loud because they were back-to-back. The shots he did get to go were consecutive, so it hurt a little bit more. But looking at the box score, looking back on it, I think we did a pretty good job on him.”

The only player limiting Brunson to a lower shooting percentage is De’Aaron Fox. On his watch spanning 4:25, Brunson did not score, going 0 for 6 with two turnovers.

After Game 2, Fox echoed Castle’s sentiment from Game 1, “I think we’ve had a good defense majority of the year. We’re just trying to make it difficult on him. I think we’ve done a good job both games. He’s made big shots at the end of games. He’s a hell of a player. Even when you make it difficult on good players, they’re talented so they’re going to end up making shots. He’s done that, especially at the end of the games. I don’t know if I would say just change much of what we’re doing. He’s made timely shots.”

Dylan Harper, guarded Brunson for 5:49 and held him to 2 points on 1 of 3. After Game 2, Harper said of Brunson, “He’s a great player. I feel like he kind of likes moments like that. He steps up in those big moments. I think for us we have to keep doubling down on our game plan, kind of just seeing what works and just keep going to that.”

Victor Wembanyama also boasts some good defense on the Knicks guard. The Defensive Player of the Year has held Brunson to just just 25%, 3 of 12 shooting, in the first two games. Most of Victor’s 2:53 covering him has come after switching onto him while defending the pick and roll. In those situations, Brunson is 1 of 7.

Where Brunson has found success, and where the Spurs will need to make a more concerted effort, is when Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and Carter Bryant end up on him. Champagnie has allowed Brunson 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting, or 69.2%, in 4:54. Meanwhile, Vassell has allowed 5 0f 9, or 55.6%, over 2:59, yielding 10 points. Carter Bryant, who’s only been on Brunson for 2:05, has allowed 6 points on 3 of 5 shooting.

Vassell spoke on Sunday about covering him when he’s made those clutch shots, stating, “Yeah, it feels like those are the moments that he lives for, especially in the fourth quarter, clutch. I feel like we’re doing a really good job on him, making him shoot some tough shots all throughout the game. Even those clutch shots are very tough shots that he’s been hitting.”

The Spurs lost by ten in Game 1 and by a single point in Game 2. In Game 1, Brunson scored 30 points. 12-31 38.7% going 4 of 4 from the charity stripe, By comparison, the Spurs did better in Game 2, limiting him to 20 points, 7-25, 28%, 4 of 5 free throws.

Overall, there have been stretches where Brunson struggles to get the ball through the hoop. After hitting the opening shot of Game 1, he didn’t score again until the halfway point of the second quarter. In fact, he scored 3 in the first, 8 in the second, and 6 in the third. It wasn’t until his 13-point fourth quarter eruption that the Knicks separated from the Spurs for the win. It’s key to why Brunson came in fifth for Clutch Player of the Year this season, and exactly where the Spurs must lock in if they hope to take Game 3 in New York.

It takes 12 players, multiple coaches, a medical staff, front office and much more to win a championship, but to the general public, most of the credit falls on the big stars. For the Knicks, now two wins away from their first chip in over half a century, that’s Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but their roster of unsung heroes runs much longer.

One player who can’t be ignored is Landry Shamet -- now on his second consecutive veteran's minimum deal, Shamet's been a major part of their run to the championship, despite the bumps and bruises on the way.

Last year, he suffered a shoulder injury in preseason and agreed to rehab in the G-League before rejoining the team midseason. While he returned to action, he fell out of the rotation when the playoffs rolled around, until the Knicks desperately turned to him facing elimination in the Conference Finals.

He provided a nice spark, but New York had limited roster spots going into 2025-26, and he had to compete for another minimum deal. Shamet made the cut, but this year began to look like Déjà vu. 

Shamet suffered another shoulder injury early this season, sidelining him for a third of it. He’d come back again, but wasn’t a major rotation piece early in the postseason.

Things turned around in New York’s second round, when Shamet popped for 15 and 12 points in Games 3 and 4 on the road in Philadelphia. His performance helped close out the Sixers, as he shot 6-of-9 from three in the two contests.

But the real magic came in Game 1 of the Conference Finals. With Josh Hart struggling down 22 and just seven minutes to play, head coach Mike Brown subbed in Shamet with the starters for spacing, and the Knicks rolled.

Shamet hit some of the biggest threes of the season: one to cut the lead to 17, another that bounced in with under a minute to play that tied the game, and finally the clincher in overtime. He finished with just these nine points, but they were crucial to one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Playoffs history.

He followed up with another pair of big road games, scoring 14 in Game 3 and 16 in Game 4, contributing to another dominant sweep. He finished the Conference Finals shooting a stellar 11-of-12 from downtown.

If these performances weren’t enough to cement his legacy in this playoff run, his early start to the Finals might put #44 in the rafters. Shamet’s been a big boost off the bench in a series Brunson’s struggled and the Knicks haven’t played to their best offensively as a team. 

Shamet scored 13 in Game 1 on 3-of-6 shooting from three, and another 13 on 3-of-7 three-point attempts in Game 2, as the Knicks won two tough road games to take control of the championship round. 

Throughout his appearances, he’s defended hard and attacked the mid-range and paint to keep defenses honest.

It’s no exaggeration that the Knicks wouldn’t be in this spot without Shamet’s contributions. Miles McBride is averaging under seven points this postseason and Jordan Clarkson slowly fell out of the rotation as the competition stiffened.

With limited offensive help from the pine, Shamet’s been a major lift, providing double-digit scoring in single-digit victories. All on a prove-it contract that’s likely to now be aggressively outbid in the summer.

The Knicks are still two wins away from their ultimate goal, and Shamet will need to continue his pace to secure them. If that happens, he goes from heartwarming story to local legend, and no matter where he ends up, New York fans will be eternally, deservingly grateful. 

Former NBA guard Jameer Nelson is taking on a significantly larger role within the 76ers organization following a dramatic front-office shakeup.

With Daryl Morey no longer the team president, the 76ers have also removed Elton Brand from his role as general manager — a position he held since September 2018.

Taking his place will be Nelson, the Philadelphia native and former NBA All-Star who has been the team’s assistant general manager since May 2025 and has been in the team’s front office since 2020.

Nelson will work under Mike Gansey, the newly hired president of basketball operations.

The changes for Philadelphia follow yet another disappointing postseason exit, as Philadelphia’s hopes of a deep run ended, once again, in the second round of the playoffs.

Coming off the high of a seven-game series win against the Celtics, which included three straight victories to end the first round, the 76ers were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Nelson has steadily climbed the organizational ladder since transitioning from his playing career.

The former Magic star has worked in player development, scouting and executive roles, leading to his promotion to the general manager seat.

His promotion signals a new direction for a team attempting to regroup after another second-round exit.

The 76ers haven’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, and since becoming a perennial playoff team again, they’ve been eliminated in the second round in six of their last nine seasons.

Philadelphia enters the offseason with major roster questions, too.

Joel Embiid, 32, is going to make a combined $120 million for the next two seasons, with a $67 million player option in 2028-29.

Paul George, 36, will enter the third year of a four-year deal, earning $54 million next season with a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.

Tyrese Maxey, 25, has three years remaining and will make over $40 million next season.

The 76ers, who own the No. 22 pick in the draft, will also have free agency decisions to make on Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre.

With this hiring, Nelson now becomes one of the most influential figures in shaping Philadelphia’s future.

Before enjoying a successful NBA playing career, Nelson starred at Saint Joseph’s University, where he became one of the most accomplished players in program history.

After being the No. 20 pick in the 2004 draft, Nelson played with the Magic for 10 seasons, and starred on the 2008-09 team, which reached the NBA Finals and lost to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant’s first ring post Shaquille O’Neal.

Nelson, an All-Star that season, averaged 16.7 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 89 percent on free throws.

He retired following the 2018 season after stints with the Nuggets, Pelicans, Celtics, Pistons and Mavericks.

The loudest I’ve ever heard Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden was May 16, 1997.

Game 6, Knicks vs. Heat. 48 hours earlier, P.J. Brown lit the match that David Stern’s dumb de jure brain fanned into the fire that torched the ‘90s Knicks last shot at MJ and the Bulls, ergo their last shot at a title. 19,763 New Yorkers cheering their team is one thing. Add a righteous indignation to the mix and you get a sound like none I’ve heard before or since. The sound of bloodlust.

I’m old now. Old enough that day after day I see more and more people I’m older than, and fewer that I’m not. Old enough to recognize the ties that bind me to the New York Knickerbockers differ from those that connect me to my other sports loves. Old enough to feel like I know something too many people have forgotten, or never knew. Old enough to realize how much the world has passed me by, too.

The first year I followed the Mets, they won the World Series. The first time I sat to watch an entire Rangers playoffs, they won the Stanley Cup. The first two times the Giants made the Super Bowl, they won. And the first season Manchester City stood up on both legs to challenge for the league title, they won, thanks to a miracle finish that still makes me tear up whenever I see it. I’m literally crying with joy re-watching it now.

And then there’s the Knicks.

The Knicks are the team I’ve followed the closest. Other than a few games at the end of the Isiah Thomas era, I’ve watched just about every game I could see since 1990. They’re as much a part of my identity as anything else. But my history with them is . . . different.

The Knicks did not win it all the first year I watched them. They finished 39-43, got destroyed in the first round. The next year, they shocked the world going up on the world champion Bulls, took them all the way to Game 7. The Mets would have won that game. The Messier Rangers would have. Man City? Definitely. But not, bless ‘em, my Knicks.

I’m old enough that the young fans are scaring me. For me and for them. The same inherited idiocy that led a generation of Knick playoff virgins to radicalize Trae Young *before* that series even started has loads of nudniks now flying off at the mouth about how the Finals are over, the Knicks are set to sweep, yada yada yada.

Babes. Don’t.

The third year I followed the Knicks, they were up on Chicago 2-0 in the ECF, riding a 27-game home winning streak. This may sound crazy now, but in 1993 everyone I knew (mostly dumb young people) shared the same thought. The Bulls and Knicks are evenly matched. No way they’re beating us four straight, or four outta five! Reader, they did.

The next year, the Knicks led the Bulls 2-0, then lost three of four. The next round, they led the Pacers 2-0, then lost three of four. In ‘97, they led the Heat 3-1, 3-2 when the teams met for that decibel-record Game 6. MSG lifted their severely shorthanded heroes to a 10-point lead after one. Four at the half. Two after three. It wasn’t enough.

Again, I am old. In elementary school, calling someone “commie” might start a fistfight. The first album I ever bought was a tape cassette — “Bad.” I remember when conservatives were upset that there were too many teen pregnancies, whereas today they say there’s too few. The world is not the same.

And neither are the Knicks. The ’90s Knicks were practically a thought experiment: What if an NBA team were the ‘85 Bears on defense with an offense straight outta James Naismith’s nightmares? The few great teams since then had flaws from here to eternity. The 2013 Knicks were eerily similar, as far as roster construction; one true superstar and a bunch of worker bees is never gonna beat a group of murder hornets. The Thibodeau Knicks could score but not defend, defend but not score, and when they could manage both they were still more shallow than Pearl Harbor.

I wrote this months ago and so far it’s held up: this is the best Knicks team I’ve ever seen. Elite offense, elite defense, elite starting five and a progressive bench that’d rather build on what’s good than settle for it. Everything they’ve done this season, to this point, has only strengthened the feeling that this could be, should be the group that does the impossible.

But I’m still bugging.

I will be even if they win tomorrow night. I will be if they’re up 10 at the half in Game 4. Until the final buzzer sounds on the fourth and final win, or Mitch Johnson pulls his starters and waves the white flag before then, I’ll feel ill thinking about the Knicks winning the series. I think a lot of middle-aged fans will.

When Man City were on the cusp of reversing decades of ignominy — if you think the Knicks have been a punchline, study City’s history before 2008 — older fans expressed more hesitance to believe in them than the younger fans I knew. Until City’s very last kick of that 2012 season, the oldheads were right. They looked set to blow it, all the way until they didn’t. Ever since, they’ve been a rocket ship ride always headed up, up, up.

I’m willing to be the last fuddy duddy to believe in what’s happening with these Knicks. There are words I’d like to share about it, feelings I’m feeling I want to shout so the whole world hears me. But until/unless the final buzzer sounds on that fourth and final Finals win, I can’t. I’ve always believed they were capable of such great heights. But there are some moments too intense to imagine, realities that only register once you’re in them. What a time to be a fan. What a twisted nest of joy and anxiousness.

I hope the Garden is the loudest it’s ever been tomorrow night.

With the 2026 NBA Draft lauded as one of the deepest in quite some time, even teams like the Lakers, who have a late pick, are looking to add a quality player to their roster.

Los Angeles is doing everything possible to find a draft prospect who can help the team win now. They’ve hired former Virginia coach Tony Bennett to come in as a draft advisor and have worked out a ton of players.

Now, Cody Taylor, a writer for the Rookie Wire, is reporting that the Lakers have recently worked out a slew of new players, including Skyy Clark and Trey Kaufman-Ren.

Clark is a guard who has played the last two seasons of his collegiate career at UCLA. During his senior year, he averaged 11.5 points per game and shot 42.7% from 3-point range.

Given Clark’s shooting and ball-handling skills, he is exactly the kind of guard the Lakers could use as part of a backup unit. He is not on mock drafts as a first-round selection, so LA is likely scouting him to see if he can be an undrafted player they can pick up.

Kaufman-Ren is another prospect who is projected to go late in the draft. He is a forward who spent his entire collegiate career at Purdue and finished his final year averaging 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds.

He could be a player who provides much-needed wing depth for LA, as well as some size and rebounding ability.

A prime example of this was his performance against Oklahoma this past season, where he scored 19 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, including seven that were offensive boards.

In the NCAA tournament, he had arguably the best moment of his career, scoring the game-winning basket for Purdue off a tip-in to push the Boilermakers into the Elite Eight.

The Lakers’ search for potentially undrafted players is a good sign that they are doing their due diligence and trying to win in the margins.

This is exactly how they got Austin Reaves back in 2021, when he went undrafted and they picked him up afterward.

While that’s a rare success story, it can only happen again if a franchise puts itself in a position to take advantage of players who slip through the cracks. It seems LA is giving themselves a chance of doing that again by working out so many players.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Trail Blazers are willing to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo without long-term assurances.

Antetokounmpo has just one year left on his deal worth more than $58 million and he’s expected to decline his 2027-28 player option for over $62 million in favor of a new, and potentially final, long-term max contract.

Speaking on “Stugotz and Company,” ESPN insider Shams Charania identified the Trail Blazers as one of the teams prepared to aggressively pursue the former MVP despite no guarantees of a long-term commitment, “no matter the risk.”

This is notable given that Portland is one of the teams reportedly interested in Antetokounmpo in a sweepstakes headlined by the Heat, which has also been rumored to include the Magic and Celtics.

It’s not uncommon for front offices to seek some level of confidence that a player intends to remain with the organization before parting with multiple draft picks, young prospects and matching salary, in order to execute a trade at this level.

Portland, however, appears willing to accept that risk.

The Blazers have spent the last few seasons rebuilding around a young core after moving on from franchise icon Damian Lillard in 2023 — although they did bring him back last off-season after a failed two-year stint with the Bucks.

Lillard, who missed last season with an Achilles injury, is expected to be ready for the 2026-27 season.

The organization has accumulated promising talent as well, including Scoot Henderson, picked No. 2 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft after Victor Wembanyama, Toumani Camara, talented swingman Shaedon Sharpe and interior presence Donovan Clingan.

The Blazers also have Jrue Holiday on the roster, who won a title with Antetokounmpo in 2021 in Milwaukee.

Holiday was moved from Milwaukee to Portland in 2023 as part of the first Lillard trade but ended up with the Celtics, and he played an integral role in their 2024 championship run.

Holiday was again traded to Portland last summer, but he remained with the club after outside speculation fueled the possibility of another re-routing.

Antetokounmpo, 31, remains one of the league’s best players and will be entering his 14th NBA season next year.

He averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in just 36 games this year because of injury.

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This was not assigned as a 3-pointers props article, but that is what this look at the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks organically became. There is a bounty of value beyond the arc in Game 3, though some of it comes from expecting the visitors to stay away from the long shots.

My Spurs vs. Knicks props and these NBA picks clearly expect New York to continue controlling this series with Game 3 tipping off at 8:30 ET on Monday, June 8.

Best Spurs vs Knicks props for Game 3

Player	Pick
Karl-Anthony Towns	Over 1.5 3-pointers	+122
Julian Champagnie	Under 2.5 3-pointers	-135
Victor Wembanyama	Under 1.5 3-pointers	+145

Game 3 Prop #1: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 3-pointers

Do not make this bet simply because Karl-Anthony Towns went 3-for-5 from deep in Game 2. Do not make it simply because his five attempts are the threshold at which it becomes far more likely than not that the New York Knicks’ center will hit multiple 3-pointers. Do not even make it because Towns has hit 48.1% of his 3-pointers this postseason.

Rather, make it because Towns is returning to Madison Square Garden. He shoots far more often at home than he does on the road.

Towns took 4.4 threes per home game this season, compared to 3.8 per road game. That has held up this postseason, taking four per home game and 2.7 per road game.

Towns is shooting so well that the only question is related to quantity. He is clearly more comfortable loading up in New York City.

Game 3 Prop #2: Julian Champagnie Under 2.5 3-pointers

The usual logic here would be to doubt a role player in a road game, but Julian Champagnie actually shot better and more often on the road this season than he did at home. The difference in percentages, in particular, was rather negligible.

The logic here instead looks at Game 2 compared to Game 1. The San Antonio Spurs’ best shooter took 10 3-pointers in Game 1, going 5-for-10 as part of 16 points. But in Game 2, he pulled up from beyond the arc only five times, going 2-for-5 as part of eight points despite playing nearly five more minutes than in Game 1.

The Knicks defense adjusted to Champagnie, and that adjustment should hold as the NBA Finals move to the East Coast.

Game 3 Prop #3: Victor Wembanyama Under 1.5 3-pointers

The inverse approach has yielded profit this postseason. Betting on Victor Wembanyama to find comfort beyond the arc at home has paid off. Because he clearly does not like shooting from deep on the road.

So, let’s take the chance to fade the French superstar.

The following trends have been true of all three years of Wembanyama’s young career. These are simply the most recent and therefore the most pertinent stats: He shot 37.9% from deep at home this regular season, compared to 31.3% on the road. He took 5.9 threes per game at home compared to just five per game on the road.

Look at the Western Conference Finals. Wembanyama went 9-for-21 from deep at home, 42.9% on seven attempts per game. He went 7-for-19 in four games on the road, 36.8% on 4.75 attempts per game.

If Wembanyama is not going to attempt six 3-pointers, it becomes more likely than not that he will not hit multiple threes. To get such a reality at plus money is a foolish offering from the sportsbooks.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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There are two popular songs titled “Reason to Believe”.

The first was written in 1968 by a very underrated songwriter named Tim Hardin. His version of Reason to Believe has been covered by many artists, including Rod Stewart, The Carpenters and Johnny Cash. The most famous is the Rod Stewart version:

As Wikipedia describes it: “The lyrics to ‘Reason to Believe’ center on the painful paradox of maintaining hope, affection, and trust even when faced with overwhelming evidence that you are being deceived or that hope is in vain.”

Tim Hardin’s version is one of those songs where the melody seems upbeat, but the lyrics tell a different story. The most famous example of those songs is Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”.

The key lyric in Tim Hardin’s of the song, about the lies he has been told, encapsulates this dichotomy:

“If I listened long enough to you
I’d find a way to believe that it’s all true
Knowing that you lied
Straight-faced while I cried
Still I look to find a reason to believe.”

Springsteen wrote the other version of “Reason to Believe”, on his dark and brooding Nebraska album. In his version, Springsteen sings about people with absolutely no basis to believe that things will get better — but they believe anyway.

The song has been described as “a profound comment on the resilience of our species”. Wow, the first time the words “resilience of our species” have appeared in my decade plus of writing at Pounding the Rock. This is the key lyric of the Springsteen version:

“Struck me kinda funny, funny, yeah, to me
How at the end of every hard-earned day people find some reason to believe.”

For Spurs fans like me, I will go with Bruce. At the end of the hard-earned day, including the day that ended with the painful Game Two against the Knicks, I can find some reason to believe.

We were told that these Spurs were just too young and inexperienced in the Way of the Playoffs to expect to win this season. We were told that the Spurs could not go down 2-0 before heading the basketball’s Mecca — Madison Square Garden. The Spurs are down 2-0 heading back to MSG.

It strikes me kinda funny, funny, yeah to me, that Spurs fans were told the same thing when they went down 3–2 to OKC in the Western Conference Finals. Even after winning Game Six, the Spurs had to go “on the road” to one of the roughest toughest places to play Game Seven against the defending champs. OKC was 34–7 at home this season, 35-6 last. Checking my notes… Spurs won Game Seven in OKC. They also won Game One in OKC in a classic, one of the best games I have ever seen. Checking my notes again… that is two road wins in Oklahoma City — the same number of times the Spurs will need to win in New York City.

OK, that was my pregame speech. Let’s step back and look at the facts.

The Spurs led most of Game One against the Knicks, and even led by two with two minutes left. In Game Two, the Spurs trailed most of the second half, but mounted a furious comeback and actually led by two with less than a minute left – and had the ball with the score tied with ten second left. (We don’t need to discuss the last ten seconds in this post.) The point is – THE POINT IS – the Knicks have not established that they are the better team. The Knicks have won two games, but could have easily lost two games. Put another way, the Spurs lost two games, but could have easily won two games. One of buddies asked me this morning what the Spurs needed to do differently to turn it around. My answer: “Win.”

The Finals began with two talented teams who could win or lose any game. That has not changed. Even with the truly heartbreaking loss in Game Two, the last ten seconds of that game would not have mattered if the Spurs had done better than 19 for 27 from on their free throws. Or if the Spurs had not bailed out two Knick shooters who were shooting desperation threes from the corner with the shot clock about the expire. Those two fouls cost the Spurs six free throws and five points.

My super-wife says I am an optimist, and she is right. I recognize that the Spurs are down 2-0, and we can’t change that. I also recognize that the Spurs are going on the road, but that does not concern me at all. The Spurs are fine playing on the road.

We have all seen the record of teams who are down 2-0 in a playoff series. But we have also seen the number of teams with three of the key players aged 22, 21 and 20 — zero. This is a unique team, in many ways. Each game this young team plays, they learn more about the Way of the Playoffs.

Throughout this remarkable season, the Spurs have given me Reason to Believe.

And I still do.

A planned watch party for Game 3 of the NBA Finals outside Madison Square Garden has been canceled.

More than two dozen people were arrested at a similar party last Friday during Game 2 of the series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. But now, with President Donald Trump and NYC mayor Zohran Mandami planning to be in attendance as the series moves to New York, security is on heightened alert.

The Knicks are making their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999, and fans have enthusiastically embraced the team's title run. After nearly 7,000 fans showed up at Madison Square Garden to watch New York's 105-104 victory in San Antonio, authorities said 26 people were detained, with 17 arrested and charged.