San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -2.5; over/under is 215.5
NBA FINALS: Knicks lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last meeting 105-104 on Saturday, led by 21 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 29.
The Knicks are 30-10 in home games. New York ranks fifth in the NBA allowing just 110.1 points per game while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.
The Spurs are 30-12 in road games. San Antonio averages 119.8 points and has outscored opponents by 8.3 points per game.
The 116.5 points per game the Knicks average are 5.0 more points than the Spurs allow (111.5). The Spurs average 13.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than the Knicks give up.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jalen Brunson is averaging 26 points and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. Mikal Bridges is averaging 17.3 points over the last 10 games.
Wembanyama is averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 10-0, averaging 118.2 points, 44.9 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 9.2 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.5 points per game.
Spurs: 5-5, averaging 112.7 points, 48.4 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 7.8 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.
Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 5: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
“And David put his hand in his bag,” wrote the anonymous or eponymous author of the book of Samuel, “and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.”
David made due with what he had and it was enough. The NBA version of David would be the 2004 Pistons, who upset the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and their seemingly destined fate to four-peat. Los Angeles was a mess, what with Shaq hating Kobe, Kobe hating Shaq, both players hating Phil Jackson, the child rapist sexually harassing the accused rapist’s wife with a “joke” about little girls, etcetera. They were their for the taking, and the Pistons made sure they got took.
The Lakers lost Game 1 at home, then trailed by six with 36 seconds left before rallying to force overtime and win Game 2. But the next three games were in Michigan, one of the busiest hubs on the railroad that runs where dreams go to die, and whatever lingering fantasies they flew in with were laid to rest after three straight Ls. It’s not a perfect fit. It’ll do.
The San Antonio Spurs lost Game 1 of this year’s Finals at home, then very nearly staged an incredible comeback to win Game 2. To my knowledge Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox get along well enough. Mitch Johnson seems inoffensive, if not likable. And I’ve never heard a single salacious thing about Stephon Castle. So I’m not saying the Knicks and Spurs are David vs. Goliath II. I’m saying what New York’s has done/is doing is more impressive. A slingshot blast to the dome? That’s like porn, or Stalinism — effective, but only so far as you either ignore or adore the brutality.
The Knicks are doing unto others what’s been done to them the past two postseasons. When they played Indiana in 2024, Tyrese Haliburton led Pacers in minutes (235). Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo all eclipsed that mark, with Isaiah Hartenstein nearly joining them. Nine Pacers averaged a dozen or more minutes over the seven games; only seven Knicks did. Multiply that over a couple of weeks and . . . well, you know what it looks like.
In these Finals the Knicks are the bigger, stronger, deeper team. They entered the series far more rested than the Spurs, a gap likely to continue expanding: the Knicks have no reason to fix what ain’t broke, whereas teams down 0-2 are historically more likely to change or shrink their rotation than expand it. Sean Elliott, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard aren’t walking through that door, and probably neither are Kelly Olynyk, Lindy Waters III or Bismack Biyombo.
These are the minutes played after two games:
Aren’t those pretty?
What’s clear in those graphs is that the team that’s down and clearly and understandably worn out is more top-heavy, minutes-wise, than their fresher opponent. But there’s something not immediately apparent that emerges with a little bit of a closer look.
The man from the government would tell you Wembanyama and Brunson have played nearly identical minutes (78 to 75). They haven’t. That’s one reason the Knick star has had enough in the tank to close both games out when the younger stud Spur hasn’t. And it’s one reason the Spurs are up against a more daunting uphill than merely coming back after dropping the opening two at home.
Brunson has played roughly 20,000 minutes in the NBA, regular-season and playoffs. Two games into the Finals, he’s played 6% more minutes than he did a year ago. Wembanyama just passed the 6,000 minute mark this spring. Last year, deep vein thrombosis ended his season before the All-Star break, so his workload from 2025 to 2026 is up 64%. Even if you go back to his prior career high in 2024, his total minutes are up 20%. I don’t know how to calculate the added intensity of playoff minutes, but however you frame it the picture’s the same: the biggest man in a league of big men is working more than ever.
And as the season’s advanced, he’s playing way more minutes way more often. There’s no real difference between Brunson playing 37-plus minutes in 50% of his playoff games and Wembanyama doing so in 47%. But Brunson played that many minutes 42% of the time in the regular season. He’s done it eight times in the playoffs. Wembanyama did so five times in the entire regular season, 8% of his games.
Hack-a-Mitch is the free throw story getting the most press in the series, but Wembanyama’s attempts are noteworthy. He had nine in the first two games against Portland (he left the second game early due to a head injury), five against Minnesota and 15 versus OKC. The Knicks sent him to the line 21 times. Those add up over time. Long as those fouls aren’t coming from KAT or Mitch, they’re fine continuing to send him there.
When the legs are gone, the fight usually is, too. The Knicks being the Knicks — in particular Towns being as unique a 7-footer as Wembanyama — is forcing the young giant to answer questions that weren’t in the reading, to push past limits he’s never tested before, limits no human that big maybe ever has. If the Knicks are partying in the Canyon of Heroes this June, their silent sixth man will be a big reason why.
Goliath’s Achilles heel was his head. Shaq was awful at the line. The Knicks are relying on talent and grit in this series. They’re also relying on time wearing on Wembanyama. Head shots are automatic flagrants these days, and he’s making nearly 90% of his free throws in the playoffs. A rock to the noggin won’t work against this particular strain of mutant. Time itself is grinding on him. The Knicks are skilled and gifted on both ends. They’re two wins from a title because they’re stronger and tougher, too.
With another two wins, the Knicks will end the NBA’s most painful drought and capture their first championship in 53 years.
With two more wins, the names of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges will be passed down to future generations, just as Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe became famous to every Knicks fan too young to experience when the Garden was Eden.
Every title team eventually gets whittled down to a small fraction of its contributors.
Even perhaps the greatest team of all time, the 1927 Yankees, has been filtered to little more than Ruth and Gehrig.
New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
But you know better.
You know the Knicks wouldn’t hold a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals without the strength of their second unit — without names that will never reach the rafters (Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride).
“A lot of contributions from a lot of guys, and that’s why you like having a team because it could be anybody’s night on any given night,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said following the 105-104 Game 2 win. “Our guys don’t care. They sacrifice for one another and we found a way to get a win.”
The Knicks bench was instrumental in the Game 1 win in San Antonio, producing 28 points, along with four assists from McBride, and a combined 10 rebounds from Alvarado and Robinson.
In Game 2, Brown needed even more, as Brunson shot 7-for-25, Hart was held scoreless and Towns was limited to four second-half points.
For a stretch of more than five crucial minutes — from the 3:19 mark of the third quarter through the 10:15 mark of the fourth quarter — Brown sat Brunson and Towns, opting for a lineup of Shamet, Robinson, Alvarado, McBride and Bridges.
Mitchell Robinson dunks over Victor Wembanyama in Game 2. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
During that span, the Knicks lead grew from four to 12, eventually settling at 87-78 when Brunson and Towns reentered.
Shamet, who is shooting 67.6 percent on 3-pointers in the postseason, finished with 13 points for the second straight game.
Robinson had seven points, three rebounds, one block and one steal in 14 minutes, in addition to helping prevent Victor Wembanyama from evening the series on the potential game-winner.
Alvarado and McBride — who have two of the Knicks’ top five on-court ratings in the NBA Finals — combined for seven points, four assists and four offensive rebounds.
In last year’s playoffs, Tom Thibodeau used each of his starters for more than 35 minutes per game, giving just two reserves (Robinson, McBride) double-digit minutes per game.
This year, Brunson is the only starter averaging more than 34 minutes in the playoffs, as Brown uses a nine-man rotation during the season’s most critical moments, placing trust in names many will never know.
“It’s important,” Shamet said of the bench play. “We need everybody.”
In a statement, the team said these measures are being made because officials "want to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all ticket holders by sharing important security procedures that will be in place."
The statement outlined that "a strict no-bag policy will be in effect, and fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum."
The Knicks are encouraging fans to arrive to the game at least two hours ahead of the 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff time.
Celebrities like Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller have been at Madison Square Garden cheering for the Knicks throughout the season. New York has won 13 straight playoff games and is in the Finals for the first time since 1999.
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are warning fans to bring as little as possible to Game 3 of the NBA Finals and encouraging them to arrive at least two hours before tipoff as part of enhanced security measures with President Donald Trump attending the game.
The Knicks said Saturday that a strict no-bag policy will be in place and that there would be “TSA-style screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden.
Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. He has already attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 29: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers plays defense during the game against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs on December 29, 2025 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 2025 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t have many high-value assets they could move for a talent upgrade. One of those is Evan Mobley, who theoretically could be used for a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, given that the Milwaukee Bucksreportedly value him. However, as of now, the Cavs have little interest in moving Mobley.
This backs up previous reporting. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor mentioned last week that the Cavs’ braintrust views Mobley as a “future star” and as a safety net for a potential rebuild once this era comes to a close.
Additionally, Cavs President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman, said in his end-of-season press conference that Mobley was part of the team’s “future.”
At this point, it’s worth taking these reports and Altman’s public statements as true. That said, Mobley’s value seems to be quite high at this point. There aren’t many players in the league who can theoretically guard Victor Wembanyama as well as Mobley can. In a league run by Wemby, having a counter is extremely important — especially for a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are already rumored to be interested in Mobley. Things could change quickly if the Cavs receive an offer they can’t refuse.
It’ll be an interesting summer for the Cavs. They will want to find ways to make their roster more well-rounded, while also cutting costs so that they can get under the second apron. We’ll see if Altman and the rest of the front office can find a way of doing so.
The team announced Saturday a slew of rules they will enforce Monday night at the Garden, including a “strict no-bag policy,” along with “TSA-style” security measures ahead of NBA Finals Game 3.
The Knicks suggest fans show up at least two hours before the 8:30 p.m. tip-off to ensure they are at their seats on time for the start of the first quarter.
“A strict no-bag policy will be in effect, and fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum,” the team wrote. “Fans should expect enhanced security measures when entering Madison Square Garden, including TSA-style screening procedures. Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive at least two hours before tip-off to allow additional time for screening and entry.”
Jalen Brunson host the Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
There is also a recommendation for fans to look at the Secret Service website for a list of prohibited items.
The Garden typically allows bags that fit under one’s seat but do not exceed 22 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches, per the arena’s website.
The game, already historic enough for a sporting event, is also expected to see President Donald Trump among the attendees.
After The Post first reported earlier this week that Trump was going to come to the World’s Most Famous Arena, the commander in chief confirmed the news.
Knicks fans outside MSG at Game 2 watch party. Aristide Economopoulos for NY Post
It’s the first time a sitting president will attend an NBA Finals game.
“[The Knicks] find a way to do it,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “They’re really great, a great team. I’m happy for [Knicks owner] Jim [Dolan] because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team.”
President Donald Trump is attending NBA Finals Game 3 at MSG. WireImage
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that he’s excited for Trump’s attendance and spoke to the president’s bona fides as a Knicks fan well before he took office.
“We’re seeing that in New York, and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker, and I’m thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knick team,” Silver said this week.
The Knicks, after thrilling wins in Games 1 and 2, hold a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Spurs as they look to clinch their first NBA championship since 1973 on home court.
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart knocks the ball away from San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama in the first half at Frost Bank Center.
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama looked ready to take the crown.
The first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year became the unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP after ousting back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the reigning champion Thunder in Game 7 in Oklahoma City.
Wembanyama, 22, was widely hailed as the best player in the world.
But through his first two games in the NBA Finals, he hasn’t even been the best big man.
Victor Wembanyama has looked human through two games in the NBA Finals. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Despite respectable numbers (27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks), Wembanyama has struggled to find easy looks against Karl-Anthony Towns, while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 26.7 percent on 3-pointers.
On the other end, Towns (19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 55.6 percent shooting, 42.9 percent on 3-pointers) has repeatedly dragged the Spurs star away from the rim and blown past him off the dribble.
“It’s very different from [the] previous series,” Wembanyama said after the 105-104 loss in Game 2. “It’s bringing us into difficult areas because they’re good players. [Towns is] a good player.
“We need to put ourselves in better [positions]. We’re digging ourselves a hole. That’s been the theme so far.”
In Game 2, the 7-foot-4 phenom led an incredible fourth-quarter comeback and scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half, but he finished with two misses in the final 30 seconds — including the potential game-winner before the buzzer — and an inexcusable turnover and foul that set Jalen Brunson up for the go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds remaining.
“That’s the most frustrating thing, to throw it away after putting in all this work,” said Wembanyama, who admitted to feeling “blurry” in the final minute. “Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart knocks the ball away from San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama in the first half at Frost Bank Center during Game 2. Jason Szenes for The New York Post
Wembanyama’s chance for redemption comes Monday in the most anticipated game at Madison Square Garden this century.
He needs a win to avoid the death sentence of a 3-0 series deficit, which no team has recovered from in NBA history.
The 1995 Magic were the last team to lose the first two games of the NBA Finals at home, led by a generational 23-year-old center who would eventually earn four rings and three Finals MVP awards.
But before Shaquille O’Neal claimed the crown, he would endure the embarrassment of a sweep against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I mean, here we are,” Wembanyama said. “We can’t change the past now. We’re already focused on Game 3.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 5: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In case you hadn’t heard, LeBron James is set to become an unrestricted free agent in less than a month.
While the Lakers have repeatedly said that they’d welcome him back with open arms, there’s no guarantee that he’s in LA next year. Or on the Lakers, at least.
If this turns out to be LeBron’s final year in the NBA, he might want to conduct his farewell tour elsewhere. It depends on how serious he is about contending for a championship next year. (There’s a clear choice for him if that’s his top priority.)
Money will also be a major determining factor. Only a handful of teams can offer him anywhere close to a max contract, and teams over the first apron can’t acquire players via sign-and-trade. That will limit his realistic free-agent options outside L.A.
With that in mind, let’s break down how he could widen his potential landing spots at each step down the salary ladder, using spending-power projections from Spotrac’s Keith Smith as our guide.
Max contract
Options: Lakers, Bulls, Nets
As of now, only three teams are projected to have anywhere near enough cap space to offer LeBron a max contract in free agency: the Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets.
LeBron could earn up to $57.75 million in 2026-27 if the salary cap lands at $165 million, although he isn’t likely to find any team willing to shell out that kind of money for him, not even the Lakers.
The Bulls and Nets are in the early stages of a rebuild, so they likely wouldn’t hold much appeal to a 41-year-old James who’s firmly in win-now territory. If James isn’t willing to take a massive pay cut from the $52.6 million that he earned this past season, re-signing with the Lakers would be his best bet… provided that they’re open to paying him that much.
Below-max contract
Options: Pistons, Hawks
Both the Pistons and Hawks can operate as cap-space teams this offseason, although neither is necessarily likely to.
The Pistons could have nearly $27 million in cap space, but that would require renouncing their free-agent rights to Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Kevin Huerter, among others. Unless Duren’s miserable playoff run scares them off from re-signing him (unlikely), they figure to operate as an over-the-cap team, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
The Hawks are in a similar boat. They could operate as a cap-space team, but that would mean declining their $24.3 million team option on Jonathan Kuminga and renouncing their rights to both him and CJ McCollum. Instead, they likewise figure to operate as an over-the-cap team, which would likely limit them to the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Most of these teams are in some stage of rebuilding, although the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards are both poised to take a major leap forward. The Jazz acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline and landed the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, while the Wizards traded for both Trae Young and Anthony Davis ahead of the deadline and landed the No. 1 overall pick.
Would LeBron want to team back up with Davis and mentor AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer in the nation’s capital? Might he think the Jazz have the antidote to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs with their trio of 7-footers in JJJ, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler (provided they re-sign him in restricted free agency)?
But why try to beat Wemby when he could simply join him instead?
The Spurs still have Wemby, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper on rookie-scale contracts next year, which gives them far more flexibility than a typical Finals team boasts. The Thunder are still lurking as a real threat to them — James heading to San Antonio wouldn’t quite be on the same level as Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016 — but the Spurs would be clear championship favorites nonetheless.
Any team that operates under the cap this offseason will also have the $9.4 million room mid-level exception at its disposal. The Lakers, Bulls and Nets are all but guaranteed to have it, while the Hawks and Pistons could either have the room MLE or one of the other MLEs depending on what else they do in free agency.
It’s hard to imagine LeBron would be willing to settle for a $9.4 million salary, though, especially if these teams also have cap space to spend on him. The non-taxpayer MLE is likely his floor unless he’s looking to maximize his championship chances by taking a fraction of his actual on-court worth.
Some of these teams might have access to the full non-taxpayer MLE depending on what else they do this offseason, although using it would hard-cap them at the $209 million first apron. Spending the smaller $6.1 million taxpayer MLE would hard-cap them at the second apron.
If LeBron truly doesn’t care about money — after all, the man is a billionaire — being willing to take the taxpayer MLE would expand his free-agent options.
Might he want to join Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White in Boston? Could he form a Klutch Sports superteam in Philly with Tyrese Maxey? Would he want a Team USA reunion with Anthony Edwards in Minnesota or Kevin Durant in Houston? Or would he consider joining Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green in Golden State?
But if he’s willing to settle for $6.1 million…
Minimum deal
Options: Any team
A veteran-minimum contract for someone with 10-plus years of NBA experience is projected to be worth nearly $3.9 million in 2026-27. (If it’s a one-year deal, it’d only count as $2.45 million on a team’s books.) That’s not too far off from the taxpayer MLE, particularly for someone as wealthy as LeBron.
If he’s willing to take a minimum deal, he can sign with any team in the NBA, even those over the second apron. That’s his cleanest path back to Cleveland or his chance to play for the New York Knicks. He could also opt to team with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray in Denver if he went that route.
If LeBron is willing to take a minimum deal, he’d effectively under cut everything that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is trying to do to increase parity throughout the league.
This is by far the funniest possible outcome.
Sign-and-trades
Options: Any team below the first apron
If LeBron wants more than the non-taxpayer MLE but wants to land on a team other than the Lakers, he could always pursue a sign-and-trade.
Teams over the first apron cannot acquire players via sign-and-trade, so that would still limit his options to the teams with the non-tax MLE at their disposal. This would also allow the Lakers to recoup something for LeBron rather than losing him for nothing in free agency.
The Cavs would have a ton of work to do to get under the first apron, but would the Lakers be interested in taking back Jarrett Allen? Would Keldon Johnson or Luke Kornet appeal to them? What about Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II?
A sign-and-trade might be the Lakers’ best-case scenario. They can only hope that LeBron isn’t willing to settle for less than $20 million, which would force other teams to find creative ways to pony up.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 13: The San Antonio Spurs honor Bill Schoening for his retirement during the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 13, 2025 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 2025 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Bill Schoening, Jacob Tobey and Jeph Duarte: surely you’ve heard all their names before and know what they all have in common: the San Antonio Spurs! Bill is the former “voice of the Spurs” and was their radio announcer for 24 amazing years before retiring last summer, Jacob just finished his second season as the Spurs broadcast’s play-by-play announcer, and of course, Jeph is one of our own here at Pounding the Rock, who presents us with some good reading and thoughts for conversation to look forward to every morning.
But there’s something else they all have in common: they’re all musically inclined, and next Thursday, Bill Schoening & Friends will be performing live at Sam’s Burger Joint near downtown San Antonio to celebrate his latest EP Collaborations songwriting release. Bill will be sharing Spurs stories from his more than 2,000 called games. He will be joined by Jacob and Jeph! What more can you ask for than to watch the radio, TV and Pounding the Rock voices of the Spurs all in one place?
There will be Spurs swag giveaways and door prizes celebrating the Spurs historic 2025-2026 season.
If you’re interested, you can click here to purchase tickets. Ticket count is limited to 8 tickets per party, and while reservation of a booth can be reserved for an extra cost, a general admission ticket is still required to see the show, and seating is otherwise limited and on a first come, first serve basis, so be ready to stand. Below is the information for the event. Will you be there?
Bill Schoening & Friends
Featuring: Bill Schoening, Jeph Duarte, Jacob Tobey
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: The sneakers worn by Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Stephon Castle had his head turned back toward Victor Wembanyama as if he was ready to catch an outlet pass from the big man and push the ball up the court before Wembanyama threw the ball off Castle’s back in the final seconds of Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
A new video angle shows what Wembanyama was seeing Friday night after he grabbed the defensive rebound of Jalen Brunson’s missed shot with the score tied at 104-104 and 11.8 seconds remaining.
With the Spurs foregoing their timeout, Wembanyama took a step, a dribble and another step before passing to Castle.
By that time, Castle had turned his head forward and was running up court past the Spurs bench and near the scorer’s table under the assumption that Wembanyama was going to dribble across midcourt.
Victor Wembanyama’s errant pass and foul cost the Spurs in their NBA Finals Game 2 loss to the Knicks. Jason Szenes for The New York Post
Brunson’s eyes were locked on Wembanyama and he read the miscommunication perfectly, jumping forward to grab the loose ball before Castle even knew what hit him. Literally.
Brunson corralled the ball on the sideline just as Wembanyama caught up to the pass and bumped Brunson to the ground for a foul with 9.5 seconds to go.
“I threw that one away,” Wembanyama said. “I messed up. It’s like the body reacts quicker than the mind. 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 fuel us to the next game? Absolutely.”
Victor Wembanyama fouls Jalen Brunson late in the fourth quarter of Game 2. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Castle’s first instinct as Wembanyama corralled the rebound was to get skinny, a slowed-down version of the video shows.
“I didn’t see him throw it to me,” Castle said. “I see Vic has the ball, tie game. I was just trying to give Vic space.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 5: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
You don’t want to make declarative statements midway through a series.
The job is nowhere near finished, even if history and all logic suggests that a team who’s had the most dominant 13-game winning streak in the history of basketball won’t suddenly go 1-4 with three remaining games at home.
Knicks fans have waited 53 years for this, they can wait another week or two to fully celebrate.
You always look for defining plays, stretches, or sequences to describe a series. Not everyone is going to be tuned into these games, and future generations will only have highlights to go off of. So naturally, we look for compelling moments and stories to tell the story to future generations to come.
What will it be for this series? That’s not entirely set in stone, but the final minute of Game 2 showed you everything you need to know about why the Knicks are in firm control of the NBA Finals, heading into potentially the greatest atmosphere in sports history at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Monday.
To set the stage, the Knicks led by 14 points with just over six minutes to go. They were one point away from the game being mathematically over, by Knicks standards. Since the 2023 playoffs, the Knicks are 124-1 when they lead by 15+ points in the second half, the best record in basketball. The one loss… we don’t have to talk about.
But hitting the 14-point glass ceiling couldn’t protect them. The Spurs went on a remarkable 14-0 run that put the vice grip on the Knicks’ offense, scoring on 9 of 10 possessions. At one point, they even held a two-point lead on a go-ahead and-1 layup by Victor Wembanyama.
The comeback was complete. The crowd was alive. The Knicks and their fans were stunned. In almost every other circumstance, the Spurs win that game.
But they didn’t, and that’s why we’re here. Experience matters.
The Knicks have lived through this game before. Multiple times.
Game 5 against the Sixers in 2024.
Game 3 against the Pacers in 2024.
Game 6 against the Pistons in 2025.
Game 1 against the Pacers in 2025.
Game 2 against the Hawks less than two months ago.
They know what it’s like to be in the shoes of a favorite who’s bottling a big lead in a potential series-defining game. They’ve won some, they’ve lost some.
They also know what it’s like to be the Spurs in that spot. The way it felt to come up short on brilliant late rallies in Game 6 against Miami in 2023 and Game 3 earlier this year. To have your heart ripped out at the last second.
They also have the experience of getting the job done in the Spurs’ shoes. Games 1 and 2 in Boston, Game 3 in Indiana. They’re battle-tested for any experience you throw them into.
Meanwhile, for San Antonio, how much experience do they have at this stage? Outside of De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes, pretty much nothing.
They overcame big first-half deficits in a weird series against Portland. They overcame 0-1 and 1-2 deficits against Minnesota. They outexecuted OKC in two clutch games to open and close that thrilling Western Conference Finals. But in terms of clutch situations, they didn’t have nearly enough experience there.
It took the Knicks several dozen games of playing every single type of series, matchup, and game against a multitude of opponents for them to gain the composure they currently have. Young teams like the Spurs rarely have that fortitude.
Every generational talent has to go through adversity. LeBron didn’t make the Finals until 2007 and was swept. Michael Jordan paid his dues against the Celtics and Bad Boys Pistons before breaking through in 1991. Shaq ran into Hakeem in 1995. Even when Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in their early 20s, they did it with a tremendous veteran co-star.
Back to the game itself, the 2025 Clutch Player of the Year finally snapped out of whatever had been tormenting him by casually nailing a Dirk fadeaway to tie the game back up at 104. The Spurs came back down and Wemby threw up a brick on a long two on the baseline.
Back with the ball, Brunson once again tried to isolate on the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year… and missed. With 14 seconds left, the Spurs had the ball. The game was in their hands.
Wembanyama looked off Stephon Castle initially, leading to the second-year guard believing the 7’5” behemoth was going to call his own number as he did in Oklahoma City. Instead, he felt the basketball hit off his back, resulting in an instant blooper of a turnover that resulted in Brunson going to the line for free throws (the only time in the second half by the entire team, excluding Anunoby’s, which needed to be overturned by replay, btw). Oh yeah, did I mention that Mitch Johnson elected not to call a timeout?
Brunson only went 1-for-2, meaning the Spurs would have eight seconds to make one shot and tie the series up. Fox, who was in a real groove in the second half, got the inbound and drove, but instead of shooting, he kicked it to Wemby.
It could’ve been as easy as a Fox mid-range with the 7’5” French native crashing the glass for a putback at the buzzer, but instead, Wembanyama pulled up from the elbow and missed again. The hubris, the inexperience, the lack of late-game awareness.
All of it had the Spurs staring down the barrel of a 0-2 deficit going on the road. They walked into the locker room not only dejected, but laboring. Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper all got banged up in the fourth quarter. Wemby has been visibly gassed all series long after playing a career-high 120 minutes over his last three games.
The biggest obstacle for the Spurs might not even be the deficit and the circumstances; it might be their body clocks. You can have all the youth in the world, but when you’re heading into your 103rd game of the season, you need to have the callouses to survive.
Harper and Castle are one or two years removed from playing 35 games a year in college. All the other important players, even if they are conditioned to 82-game seasons, have never experienced a deep playoff run. When the best-case scenario now has you playing 4-5 more physical games while suffering from a conditioning, experience, and fatigue disadvantage, that’s not a good sign.
You know who it is a good sign for? The Knicks. Good thing we’re all Knicks fans, right?
Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles the ball against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half during game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
I don’t particularly care for people who say, “I’ll be honest with you,” after I’ve had an hour-long conversation with them about their family, work, or the car they’re trying to sell me. So you were lying this whole time? You don’t have two kids, and this car has NO WHEELS? But that being said, I’ll be honest with you: I was fully expecting the San Antonio Spurs to win Game 2 so that on the heels of the overreactions from Game 1, I was hoping to careen in the complete opposite direction and declare this Spurs team the greatest team to ever walk the Earth if that final shot from Victor Wembanyama went through the hoop.
But. We’re here, and I’m committed to the bit. Let’s panic some more.
10. Even the Knicks alums outnumbered the Spurs alum. I saw the great George Gervin sitting behind the great David Robinson, and I saw my personal G.O.A.T. Manu Ginóbili stop by the Inside the NBA booth. But then I also noticed former Knicks players in attendance like Walt Frazier Jr., Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, and Billy Baldwin. Sure, Billy Baldwin wasn’t a Knick, but there’s so many Baldwin brothers that you can’t tell me that at least one of them suited up for the team at one point or another. And yes, I know (as the graphic below illustrates), apparently there were other notable Spurs alums like Tim Duncan and Danny Green in attendance, but we’re overreacting remember? So facts and evidence or any reasonable arguments have no place here.
9. The average price of gas in the United States is $4.22 per gallon. This particular overreaction is related to basketball because as number 10 above suggests, even millionaire celebrities and former professional athletes are flocking down to San Antonio because the cost of living is so high in New York.
“I threw that one away. I messed up … Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I gonna use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
Yes, Victor Wembanyama, we hope you do use that to fuel you and fuel your team for the next game. But I suggest a rewards card, coupons, or something because gas prices are more insane than that almost comeback down 14 points with about 6 minutes remaining.
8. Luke Kornet has too many jobs on this team. Let’s list them out: official pregame salsa dancer, grab any and every single rebound that ever existed, did exist, will exist, and might exist (yes, even theoretical rebounds) whenever his feet touches the floor, block every shot in his orbit, beyond his orbit, even ones in black holes (yes, we expect him to defy physics and reach into a super compact astronomical body where even light cannot escape—but he better come back out with a block or a steal). And he’s supposed to do all of this in 5 – 7 minutes per game. Got it? Good. Do it again!
7. The NBA needs more father/assistant coaches of players getting into on-court ruckuses with opposing team players. I’m not saying there’s not enough distractions during a Finals game, but given the entertainment value and to help cope with big losses, I feel like we could use more drama during these games. There’s a certain uncle I remember from the Spurs’ past who would might be suited for such a kerfuffle between relatives adjacent to their family members who happen to be professional athletes and other professional athletes.
6. The nuns are back in. I would like to apologize for what I said about not needing the nuns after Game 1. Our boys are down 0-2. At this point, we need more nuns, more monks, more Jedi, whatever divine intervention or universal power that will will this team back to the victory column. Baby Yoda (Grogu) is only 53 years old? So that means he’s too young to have allied himself with an NBA team yet. Let’s play the celebrity card against the Knickerbockers and recruit Pedro Pascal (who grew up in San Antonio!) to influence Grogu to swear allegiance to the Spurs before those evil Sith Lords from Madison Square Garden sink their claws into him.
I’m waaay past shock, panic, and anger. I’m at the bargaining stage where if “The Force” can get the Spurs two wins on the road in NYC then sign me up for a lifetime of dressing in robes and living in mud huts in the swamp. I mean, I’ve been to Florida—I can handle it.
5. The Spurs are not spoiled enough.
We’re kind of like spoiled kids,” he said. “For some of us, it’s our first season and we’re already in the Finals. We don’t fully realize it yet. And to me, the team that appreciates the position we’re in the most will be the one that wins.”
Three straight lottery picks that are panning out so far? Boring. Five titles in six finals trips that span over a consistent-never-miss-the-playoffs, multi-decade benchmark of excellence? Wake me up when we win ten titles in row. Wembanyama is wrong here. We need to be more spoiled. It’s not enough if the other fan bases become extremely annoyed with us, it needs to extend to other sports like football, fútbol (soccer, for you domestic heathens), cricket, and other species like dolphins, crickets, and penguins. They all need to be annoyed at how much winning the Spurs are obtaining.
4. Playoff scars are too gruesome. Yeah sure, the Oklahoma Thunder (the latest version) went through it in 2024 when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks before breaking through last year. But the Mavericks made it to the Finals that year with a young team! And they (checks notes) lost to the Boston Celtics (the latest version), who had their own long list of heart-breaking playoff losses. For every young team that magically made it to the Finals or close to getting to the finals on their first run with a specific squad and superstar (e.g., Thunder, Mavericks, Pacers, these Spurs), there was another team with their own playoff scars that were either more experienced or had better injury luck (like the New York Knicks).
It happens, but I don’t want it happen. It’s mentally taxing. Instead of playoff scars, can we just get playoff “boo boos,” orange slices, and maybe a birria taco? Are we still at the bargaining stage? In exchange for two wins on the road in NYC for the Spurs, can we send all the birria tacos to Manhattan AND I’ll move to Florida?
3. Victor Wembanyama might need contacts, goggles, LASIK, or is still suffering from that concussion from round 1.
“I’m still very blurry, and that’s the whole problem. I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”
Blurry? Sir, what do you need because I know people who know people who can get you giant sports goggles so big that it would make Horace Grant blush. I mean Wembanyama did shoot 52% from the field, which was a marked improvement from Game 1’s 29% field goal percentage. So I guess when he meant “blurry” he was talking about poise and control over the game, the very thing he elaborated on in the second sentence of that quote. No one said reading comprehension was important outside of the SATs anyway. That would be insane.
2. The Spurs are too mature for their age. Speaking of insanity, that late turnover by Wembanyama was complete bonkers. What made it more crazy for me was how quickly Wembanyama accepted responsibility, apologized, and also how calmly Stephon Castle dapped him in the chest and (presumably) told him it’s OK, or to presumably tell him that it was actually his fault. It matters whose fault it is because it was a huge blunder, but it also didn’t matter because the game wasn’t over, and they almost won it anyway. ALMOST BEING THE OPERATIVE WORD. But. You get what I’m saying.
I mean what, I’m supposed to believe that with about 10 seconds left in Game 2 of the NBA freakin’ Finals that a 22 year old and a 21 year old handled that big of a turnover during the most crucial part of the most important game they’ve ever played (so far) in their professional lives with the maturity of Van Halen and David Lee Roth reuniting after decades of animosity?
Where’s the yelling? Where’s the blame game? Where is that photo of LeBron James with two arms outstretched as he incredulously gawks at J.R. Smith during the 2018 Finals?
If the actual players on the floor are more poised and calm even in the face of mistakes, why couldn’t us fans be as zen? Because that’s what we do: we’re freaking out, man.
1. Desperate times call for desperate mentalities.
“It’s not the first to win two … We just have to come out with a mentality of just being more desperate.”
OK so I really like this quote not because Dylan Harper said it but because Dylan Harper said it as convincingly as his play on the court has been. The fans seem pretty desperate. I’m told no car horns were honked throughout the burrows of San Antonio. At least Spurs-related honking. There’s always honking on 1604 because it’s more of a mosh pit for cars than a major highway.
At least the players are saying the quiet part out loud. They have to be desperate because us couch riders are already there.
“Sick,” McCollum wrote on X early Saturday. “Knicks have been a different team since this moment.”
McCollum taunted the Madison Square Garden crowd with big shots and gestures as the Hawks stole Game 2 of their series against the Knicks. Then he hit the game-winner in Game 3 in Atlanta to give the Hawks a 2-1 series edge.
Karl-Anthony Towns dunks during the Knicks’ Game 2 win. Jason Szenes for The New York Post
The Knicks haven’t lost since, winning three straight to close out the Hawks, sweeping the 76ers and Cavaliers, and taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals with back-to-back wins in San Antonio.
McCollum faded in the final three games of the Knicks-Hawks series. Josh Hart, his former Trail Blazers teammate, took the main assignment of defending McCollum, whose averages dipped to 11.3 points on 39.5 percent shooting from the floor over three straight losses.
McCollum had been bargaining to join the likes of Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, P.J. Brown and Trae Young as Knicks’ playoff tormentors.
The Knicks are now two wins away from winning the NBA Finals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostCJ McCollum of the Atlanta Hawks fights for the ball during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks’ last possession of their most recent loss ended with a turnover by Jalen Brunson. In the Finals, Brunson has shaken off two poor shooting games to become the first player since at least 1971 to score the final go-ahead points in the last two minutes of back-to-back games, per ESPN.
De’Aaron Fox tried to get in Brunson’s head late in Game 2 with a face-to-face staredown after committing a foul along the sideline, but Brunson didn’t take the bait. His father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, wasn’t having it.
