PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 24: The San Antonio Spurs poses for a team photo as part of the NBA Paris Games 2025 at the Eiffel Tower on January 24, 2025 in Paris, France. 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 (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The 2026 NBA Finals has received some of the highest viewership in recent NBA history. These Finals are a global event, and as the Spurs continue to connect with their growing international fanbase in their mission to grow the game of basketball throughout the world, they have added watch parties in international markets.
Already, viewership is up 123% from last year boasting 23.2 M viewers. Wednesday night’s matchup at Madison Square Garden was the most watched NBA Finals Game 4 was the most watched since 1998.
Having New York has increased the interest compared to 2025’s small market matchup. And the addition of Victor Wembanyama has added viewers in France. So it makes sense that there will be a Spurs watch party there.
Per a Spurs press release:
“The San Antonio Spurs announced the organization will host free watch parties across multiple international markets for Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday, June 13 as the team takes on the New York Knicks. The organization will activate free, comprehensive fan experiences for Spurs supporters in Paris, France, and Mexico City, Mexico to come together and root on the Silver and Black at local restaurants and bars in their city.”
Each watch party will feature giveaways, free refreshments and a chance to win Spurs Finals gear.
“Whether our fans are gathering in France, China, Mexico, Texas or around the world, we’re eager to welcome them into our Spurs family,” said RC Buford. “These watch parties create shared experiences that bring our global fanbase closer together and reflect the values of connection, community and belonging that have always defined our organization.”
Sunday, June 14 at 2:30 a.m. CET Belushi’s at Paris Canal 159 Rue de Crimée, 75019 Paris, France
Saturday, June 13 at 6:30 p.m. CST Pinche Gringo BBQ Warehouse Calle Lago Iseo 296, Cuidad de Mexico, Mexico
The organization will also support the NBA’s official watch party at NBA HoopPark, K11 Mall in Shenzhen, China.
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 12: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks talks to media during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 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 David Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Day has arrived, folks.
It’s win-and-chip for the Knicks in Texas.
Here’s the latest from San Antonio, half a day from the most-anticipated tip-off in Knicks history.
The impossible became reality at Madison Square Garden 🤯
Relive every twist, turn, and jaw-dropping moment from the Knicks' historic 29-point Game 4 comeback win in Chasing History presented by @MichelobULTRA before Game 5 tips off Saturday at 8:30pm/et on ABC! pic.twitter.com/2MktvcFQN5
On the need for staying focused with the title one win away:
“The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present. You have to be present. You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play. Sometimes you can think about the process, and it not work out. But when you’re playing against other great teams especially, that’s how you have to take it because anybody’s mind can start wandering when you think about the outcome.”
On the Knicks’ maturity keeping heads level:
“Their level of maturity. Obviously, we have some veteran guys on the team. But you can be a veteran and still have a little bit of immaturity about you, as we all know. From top to bottom, this group is pretty mature. That rubs off on the rest of the group. It makes my job easier. We’ve been preaching all year that it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession. We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation for your opponents increases, the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort.”
On avoiding complacency after the historic Game 4 win:
“It is hard. We’re all human. It was hard even in the series that we swept. You win two, three, four, five games in a row, there’s a tendency to relax a little bit. That’s just in life. In your job, you have success for 10 months straight, maybe you feel like, I got this, I know what I’m doing. You’re not as sharp then because everybody’s been patting you on your back and telling you how great you are. Trying to manufacture things to help guys lock in, trying to talk to guys individually so they can continue to talk to their teammates to lock in, all that stuff is huge. Having Pat’s presence around, Pat Ewing, so he can talk to guys to help them lock in from a different vantage point, is all huge, especially during this time and coming off a win like we did last time.”
On the Knicks’ closeout-game mentality:
“We’ve been preaching all year: It’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession. We understand anytime you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation for your opponents increases. The level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort, because even if you bring your best effort, it may not happen, especially on the road. That’s the only way you have a chance for it to happen.”
On preventing a Game 4 hangover:
“I can’t 100% say, ‘This is what I’m going to do to make them not have the hangover from the win two nights ago.’ The biggest thing is, continuing to preach 0-0. Continuing to preach, ‘Stay present.’ Continuing to preach, ‘Next possession, next possession, next possession,’ and hope the experiences they’ve gone through as a group already, and their maturity — as well as our standards, which they’ve really hung onto all year — will help us lock into this game. It’s going to be hard. San Antonio’s a great team. They’re desperate. I still think they believe. It’s going to be hard for us. But it’s natural for that to creep in a little bit. You just hope that it doesn’t creep in too long throughout the course of the game.”
On Jalen Brunson still not getting enough recognition:
“He definitely has not — or did not — get the attention that he deserved during the regular season. I think he’s a top-three MVP candidate. And when it comes down to those things, his name wasn’t mentioned much.”
On what he learned the most from Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich:
“I’ve been fortunate, blessed, lucky to be a part of some good coaching staffs and be with some great coaches, Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, they were guys that went deep into their bench. You keep guys engaged by doing that, and you do develop not just a bench but the team, as well, because guys get used to playing with other guys. I’ve seen it work in the past, and that’s kind of what I thought I wanted to do here.”
On lessons learned from Gregg Popovich:
“That’s a great question. I mean, I’d have to think about it. But, you know, you draw a lot from the people that you’ve worked with in the past—people that you’ve experienced things with. For me, working for Pop, I drew a lot. I feel like I drew a lot from a lot of the guys I’ve worked with, but he always used to say: during the regular season, that’s the time to get up, go crazy on the sidelines and all that stuff, because it’s just one game at a time—you practice and you move on to the next game.”
"Let's play basketball now. Be smart. Stick together. We've come back from worse. Chip away"
On the Knicks’ mindset entering Game 5 with a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals:
“Zero-zero.”
On turning the page after Game 4:
“Whenever you win or lose a game, that night, you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong, [but] I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page. Yes, we won [Game 4], but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again. But honestly, we still have to continue to have the belief that we’ve had. It’s really important from that aspect.”
On appreciating the opportunity ahead:
“I think I’ve been able to understand what a unique opportunity this is. When you’re doing the things that help you prepare for a game, prepare for moments, put yourself in routines that you’ve done your whole career, your whole life, when it comes game time, you’re ready to go because you put yourself, you put your mind in a position to be ready.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ career and teamming up with him:
“The narrative was placed on him by the outside world. You never really know a person until you meet them face to face, and you see what they say and what their actions are. And being the teammate that he is and seeing his sacrifices and seeing what he’s done his entire career puts him in a position to become a hall of famer. And honestly, I wouldn’t trade that for the world. And the things that he’s done have been extraordinary, and I’m not really sure how he’s going to respond to me saying all these nice things about him, but he’s one hell of a basketball player, but he’s honestly a better teammate.”
On the Knicks’ approach to Game 5:
“Obviously, when we practice, we have film, we talk about situations, what we have to do. You’re always preparing worst-possible-case scenario. If it happens, we have to prepare for this. Our mindset and focus is on one possession at a time, one play at a time, one quarter at a time. You’re thinking about the now, how you can be better the next possession, how can you turn the page, positive or negative. Regardless of what’s going on, our mindset and approach has to stay the same. I think we’ve done a very good job of that. It’s something that has grown over the season. It’s really important, especially obviously now.”
On not fearing failure:
“I think the one thing that stays constant is I’ve always told myself, and always been taught by my parents, ‘Never be afraid to fail.’ You put yourself in those positions in the summertime when you’re envisioning what’s going on the court, when you’re by yourself on the court. When those opportunities come about, you’re not afraid of the moment because you worked hard enough to where if you do fail, you’re going to learn anyway. You put the confidence you have in everything you do when the lights aren’t on, when no one’s watching.”
“They come out with a lot of energy. They’ve been doing it all playoffs, and we’ve been very up and down with that a lot this year. We have to make sure we come in focus with a great attention to detail, and taking things a possession at a time. If we do that, and we play our style of basketball, we’re going to put ourselves in a good position to be successful. But we can’t keep getting into a hole and trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. We were fortunate to do that last game — all three of our wins. We’ve got to do a better job of starting games off.”
On representing New York:
“This city is built on toughness, grit, blue-collar people, and I feel like I’m the same person. They can look in the mirror and they can see myself, just because that’s how I look at myself and I just happen to hoop.”
On the Knicks’ belief in themselves:
“I just think we have a belief in ourselves and a belief in our team as a collection. We all had adverse situations independently in our careers and we made it through. And I think if we have that mentality individually and as a team, nothing else matters.”
On preparing for Game 5:
“We know they come out with a lot of energy. They’ve been doing it all playoffs. We’ve been very up and down with that a lot this year. So we’ve got to make sure we come in focused with a great attention to detail and taking things a possession at a time. We know if we do that and we play our style of basketball, we’re going to put ourselves in a good position to be successful. But we can’t keep getting into a hole and trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. We were fortunate to do that last game — actually, all three games, all three of our wins — but we’ve got to do a better job of starting games off.”
“We’ve got to go in there with the understanding of no comfortability, just really be desperate, execute at a high level. Game-plan discipline has to be at a high level. I’ve said this multiple times: The hardest game to win is the one that ends someone’s season. So we’ve got to be our best version tomorrow.”
On the approach to Game 5:
“We spoke about it multiple times. We’ve got to approach every game like it’s 0-0. We’ve got to have that kind of desperation that it is to win Game 1 of a playoff series. We’ve got to go in there with the understanding of no comfortability, just really be desperate, execute at a high level. Gameplan discipline has to be at a high level.”
On resetting after Game 4:
“Obviously that game is a hardwood classic, something that the NBA has never seen before. But I’ve also seen things, being in that situation, where the joy is at an all-time high and it could be at an all-time low pretty quick. So we understand the magnitude of locking back in, getting back to work. Of course that night, we all enjoyed the shell-shock of what happened, and obviously we were the ones that were part of it. But we all understood the next morning that we had to get back to work, and we had to lock back in, and get ready to find a way to win another one.”
On the Game 4 comeback and concerns going forward:
“Also, in that moment of jubilation [after Game 4], that moment of absolute joy, we have to talk about the elephant in the room — we just didn’t play well at all, and we put ourselves in that deficit. So while there is joy, there is also frustration that we even allowed ourselves to be in that kind of position, especially as much as the deficit was.”
On OG Anunoby’s Game 4 winner meaning within the New York sports fabric:
“You can’t spell God without OG. I tried to explain it to him, but you know OG barely gives you any reaction. So I don’t know if he’s understanding it or not. Like you said, it’s a great moment. It’s one of the best sports moments in New York history. But we’ve got to solidify it with one more win.”
"As players, we know our job's not finished. We're ready."
Mikal Bridges talks about the Knicks' success in close-out games and their mindset going into tomorrow's Game 5: pic.twitter.com/2uXC8wwVBI
“I think it’s pretty easy for us. I think that’s probably the most I can say. I think it’s pretty easy for us. As a player, we know our job’s not finished. Yeah, we’re ready.”
Mitchell Robinson
On the Knicks’ mindset entering Game 5:
“We’re still desperate. It ain’t over. Until it’s said and done, that’s got to be our mindset going into everything.”
On the Game 4 win:
“Getting that win the other night was truly amazing.”
On balancing the Game 4 celebration with staying focused for Game 5:
“You can enjoy it that night, that evening, obviously — soaking it up, with the magnitude of what happened. But quickly turning around and understand there’s more to be done. It’s a tough balance, but one that’s necessary, and I think our whole group’s done that.”
Who is the “most New York” on the New York Knicks?
The team weighs in… and the vote is pretty unanimous 😂
“It’s easy. We’re coming in and trying to win this game. This one is the most important game. It’s something — you know, we enjoyed it, it was a crazy game, and we love how we got the win. But at the end of the day, we gotta leave that behind us and come out here and worry about tomorrow.”
On Mike Brown’s trust in the bench:
“This bench is deep and he trusts everybody. Some days it’s my day, some days it’s somebody else’s day. … These are the times and moments you wait for.”
“That’s the key. Can’t have a hangover of winning a game like that. Obviously it’s special, but we don’t want to repeat it. We want to go out there and take care of business.”
On staying confident amid his shooting slump:
“I’m always going to stay confident, knowing I can impact the game in a lot of different ways. I’m going to make shots. I’m never worried about that. … Anybody is capable of it, 1 through 15 on this team. We’re pushing each other to be better. That’s how our team has been. We’re motivators. We want to uplift everybody. I think having a team like that, you can do a lot of great things.”
OG Anunoby was asked about having "OG Anunoby Appreciation Day" in New York:
“It’s really cool. Just everyone has been telling me how much it means, and obviously I can see how much it means. It’s just really cool to be a part of it, and I’m very grateful. Everyone’s been telling me how much it means. I obviously see how much it means. It’s just really cool to be a part of it, and I’m very grateful.”
Mitch Johnson:
"I don't get into social media. I think I've probably been fired 212 times, and we've traded Fox 72 times. People have their opinions. I don't care. De'Aaron Fox will have the ball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow and I have nothing but the utmost… pic.twitter.com/BOneKeoItn
“I think that’s what gives someone a lot of clarity on what went well and what didn’t, what led to it. There’s a lot of times (when) themes of the game that may not necessarily show themselves in a box score on the surface level, that when you start peeling back the layers, you start to understand the ripple effect, good and bad, of what you do or what you did.”
On the criticism of De’Aaron Fox’s Game 4 decisions:
“I think I’ve been fired 212 times and we’ve traded Fox 72 times. We still have to show up and play tomorrow, and I’ve got to coach. The people that matter, we bond together, we stick together through the highs and lows. De’Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow, and I have the utmost confidence he’s going to deliver like he’s done countless times for us.”
On what went wrong in Game 4:
“It’s a good question. I think every game takes on different personalities. A lot of times when you watch the games back, with the level of detail that I would guess all staffs do, but I can speak for our staff, there’s so much that starts to happen, whether on a certain play before you make the shot or before the runs happen. I think that’s what gives someone a lot of clarity on what went well and what didn’t, what led to it. … When you start peeling back the layers, you start to understand the ripple effect, good and bad, of what you do or what you did.”
On his own shortcomings in Game 4:
“There [were] a lot of things that we did, where it felt like we could have put our energy into the right spots in that third quarter. Some things that I could have done to help that, as well. I think that quarter probably was the most disappointing for me. There’s some learning things in every quarter, don’t get me wrong, some things we want to be sharper with, better at, finish games. We weren’t as connected and disciplined as we should have been.”
On the need for better management of Wembanyama’s energy:
“Looking back on it, I do believe that I have to make sure that I help him have the energy required to finish the game as strong as he needs to finish the game. I think I could have done better in that regard. That’s not a number of minutes. That’s not meaning he’s going to play this many minutes tomorrow. It’s looking back on the game, and that game in itself, I got to make sure that I help with that. I think I could have been better in that regard looking back from that game.”
“Everybody thinks—everybody knows—that we’re gonna do it.
On taking the series one game at a time:
“I feel like we need to isolate that one game and take it one game at a time. I think it would be a mistake to waste our energy on multiple games. It’s one game at a time.”
On moving past Game 4:
“We’re very confident. I wouldn’t say it was so hard to, like, shake it off. Harder than any other game before, by far, for sure. I mean, now we’re over it. It’s the playoffs. There’s no time to regret things for too long.”
On the Game 4 collapse:
“Of course, there were 1,000 ways that we could have not lost that game. But it feels like there was a time to process that and really dwell on it, but not anymore.”
On what went wrong:
“Absolutely, greediness was [an issue for us]. I guess the general thing would be giving them less opportunities rather than [us] doing something incredible.”
On his showing fatigue:
“Definitely a factor. But it’s the playoffs. Everybody’s just as tired. I mean, it shouldn’t even be a factor in the game. I mean, now we’ve got two days between games. It’s not going to be a factor.”
On the egg-throwing incident:
“I don’t dislike it. Obviously, it’s not good at all. But it doesn’t bother me.”
On Mitch Johnson’s coaching:
“He understands people very well and knows how to speak to them. I am no exception. He knows how to speak to me. In-game, it feels like non-verbal communication as much as verbal because sometimes it’s loud, sometimes we’re far away. He knows what I need. He knows what I need to get to. I also know what he needs, what signals he needs. We’ve grown very much in that sense.”
On the wave of Knicks fans set to invade Frost Bank Center:
“No, it’s not a concern. I mean, we got good defense here in the crowd.”
De’Aaron Fox on the criticism he got after game 4:
"It's not like people have my phone number and can call me. I don't watch those shows. It doesn't matter. It is what it is. You can't change it now. We're trying to move on from that" pic.twitter.com/hRMBMWliWj
On dealing with outside criticism after his endless Game 4 errors:
“It’s not like people have my phone number and can call me. I don’t watch those shows. It doesn’t matter.”
On believing in a Finals comeback:
“We still have this belief because we’ve seen it. We’ve seen it be done, that teams have come back from 3-1. I think even with those series, the games that they lost, they were losing by double digits. The games that we’re losing have all been close games. We still have that belief that we have a chance to win. But we’re taking this one game at a time. We’re not looking at it as we need to win three games. We need to win tomorrow, and then we give ourselves a chance to play another game. Then you look at that next game.”
On Knicks fans buying tickets in San Antonio and what to expect:
“People are making money. It’s the economy we live in. It’s the world we live in. Am I upset about it? No. Do I understand it? Sure. I don’t think that changes what happens on the court.”
"You have to start off going 1-0."
Devin Vassell sounds off on the mentality of the Spurs as they look to extend the series.
“Just not executing [is what we saw on the film]. There were a lot of defensive mistakes that we made, just not communicating. Then, offensively, just staying in our game plan and not steering away from it. We got some good looks. But with our guards, with Fox and Steph [Castle] just putting pressure on the rim, we feel like when we put pressure on the rim it opens up everything. We’ll be all right.”
"All of the other antics, whatever they decide to do it's on them… We locked in."
On the Spurs’ confidence after the Game 4 collapse:
“It’s a tough one, a tough pill to swallow. I feel like we got comfortable, and things happen. But I think the main thing is that belief is there. We believe. Our belief is as high as ever.”
Stephon Castle on whether they can come back from 3-1:
"I feel like we've made history all year. We've proven that with our backs against the wall that we can step up. I don't really expect this to be any different" pic.twitter.com/Ta01QqtaEb
“I feel like we’ve made history all year, and we’ve proven that with our backs against the wall that we can step up. So, I don’t really expect this to be any different.”
On why the Spurs remain confident:
“I think just our confidence. We’ve had a 10-plus point lead in every single game. Just trying to stay poised throughout that and try to keep our foot on the gas really. I feel like once we get those leads, we start to play a little bit different, take our foot off the gas defensively. I just feel like we have to stay aggressive but be smart through it.”
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 13, 2026
Shaquille O’Neal
On the NBA’s next face of the league:
“You have to take it. If [Wembanyama] wins a championship, yes. If [Jalen] Brunson wins a championship, it’ll be Brunson. Face of the league ain’t something you pass on. You’ve got to go take it.”
On the fantasy scenario of facing Victor Wembanyama:
“Oh, stop it. Let’s talk desserts. He’s too light in the cakes for me. Stop it. But I’m not known for defense, so he probably would’ve scored a few points also. There’s no guarding me one-on-one, so you can’t ask me that question. He’s a great player. This is his time now. This is not about me.”
On enjoying Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns in the Finals:
“I love [Wembanyama] and I love KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns], so for me this is really good. Two big men battling it out. Let the best big man win. Usually in the Finals it’s all about guards. But these Finals are about two big men, so I have an affinity, a love, for both of them. So whoever wins, I’m happy for them both.”
Magic Johnson
On believing in the Spurs despite trailing 3-1:
“In NBA Finals history, one thing about the Spurs, they’re young, and I think they’re going to be okay. I think this series is going back to New York for Game 6. Listen, it wasn’t that they played bad. We have to understand that this team played great. They just gave the game away, and the Knicks took it.”
On why San Antonio should remain confident:
“So all you have to do is play like you did and not make the mistakes that you made, and you’re going to be okay. This team has played four great games. It’s just that the Knicks have a 3-1 lead because they executed in winning time. The Knicks have executed better than the Spurs. So if I’m the Spurs, I’m feeling good. Yeah, I lost, but I’m going home.”
On the Spurs’ mindset heading into Game 5:
“We correct some mistakes that we made, and we can win and make it a 3-2 series and come back to New York. They should be down about the fact that they didn’t execute in the fourth quarter.”
On Victor Wembanyama’s workload:
“And Coach Johnson made a huge mistake. When you’re up 20 at the end of the third quarter, he should have taken Victor out and said, ‘You get this timeout.’ Like Pat Riley used to tell me, ‘You’re going to get this timeout, and you’ll get another three or four minutes. Then I’ll put you back in to end the fourth quarter and the game.’ He should have taken Victor out because they had a big lead. You can rest him and bring him back in. Because he played so many minutes, he couldn’t take over the game.”
On Mike Brown and Jalen Brunson:
“And I think that’s why Mike Brown has been excellent for this team. He has not worn out Brunson. Brunson was able to finish the game, and it was just beautiful basketball. That shot will be remembered. But people better remember the block he made first. Because that block was a game-saving block as well. The point guard should have pulled it back out. De’Aaron Fox should have pulled it back.”
On the Knicks roster:
“I don’t want to hear no talk about Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or no other player coming to [the Knicks]. This is a great team. I’ve watched a lot of basketball — the way these guys love each other, they play for each other, pull for one another — you’re not going to see this anywhere else. They don’t out-talent you. Grit. Toughness. That’s how they beat you. And togetherness. That’s how they beat you.”
Melo wanted Jeremy Lin to stay … but the contract the Rockets offered would've hurt the Knicks 😳 @FDSportsbook
Melo: "Did he deserve the match, yes … what was ridiculous was the jump."
Lin: "My exit from the New York Knicks crushed me … I would've done anything to… pic.twitter.com/wM6yN6EqgZ
“Basically I asked every last question I had: ‘did that happen? What happened there? What happened here?’ But it was honest. It was direct, it was honest and we were able to definitely clear the air. Obviously perception is reality in certain situations… And that’s the thing about that whole stretch was there was a lot that I was unsure about. And so the narratives come, but to be able to talk it out, I appreciate that.”
On how he wants his story remembered:
“And so my biggest thing was when I think back on my career, because I recently retired, I’ve never wanted my story to be me versus anybody else, which we had talked about. And I think at the end of all of this, if my name comes up or my story comes up and it’s me versus Melo or if we’re ever at a point where someone has to choose sides, then I think we failed.”
On wanting to stay with the Knicks:
“I’ve actually never spoken publicly about my exit from New York until today. And the only reason why is because now we have had that conversation. And so for me, it’s like I’m sitting there like, ‘I got to go back to New York. We got to find any which way.’ And New York, they could have offered me three years, nine million, but I didn’t even get that.”
On Houston’s contract offer:
“So I go to Houston, Houston gives me this offer and I’m like, I swear to you, I get on the phone with my agent and I’m like, ‘I don’t want to take it.’ He’s like, ‘You don’t have a choice.’”
“Forget being jealous of what he’s doing, I want him to keep going.”
Melo gets real about the narrative that he envied Jeremy Lin's rise to fame 👀 pic.twitter.com/BVmTEpUImL
“I had to figure my s***. I was injured. I was hurt. I had to think about how fast I’m going to come back, what I’m going to do, how the f*** I’m going to go help this team, how I got to lead this team. I’m in a different position than Lin is. So I got to deal with a whole bunch of s***. Forget being jealous of what he’s doing. I want him to keep going. Game win in D.C. Yo, keep going. Toronto. Yo, keep going.”
On answering Jeremy Lin’s questions:
“These was questions that was built up for 14 years that other people probably was adding on to your pressures and your mindset and your perspective. It took me to go through what I went through to have the time to come back and be at peace with being able to answer all your questions with actual facts.”
Knicks team buses in San Antonio with heavy police escort today
On Victor Wembanyama dealing with more physicality than anyone on the court:
“Wemby has been the victim of some of the dirtiest s–t ever. I mean, people are grabbing and holding him. With Wemby, we’re allowing people to grab and hold him, knock him down. They literally have him locked up. With his demeanor, they’re lucky he hasn’t turned around and popped one of them in the face real quick. Big men, normally you don’t get to be this aggressive with them without them having the ability to retaliate, hold their temper and all of that.”
"When you see the fans and how they get crazy like that, it always motivates you to be at the top. It's impressive, it's motivating… It was really cool to see"
Juan Soto talks about his reaction to seeing fans rally around the Knicks in the NBA Finals: pic.twitter.com/FtRJaeUGox
“We still have a shot. We’re still here, and all the guys that are hurt are really close to being back, so I think it’s not as far as people think. I think it’s closer than what everybody is thinking or expecting.”
On attending the Knicks Finals games:
“It was a great feeling from the fans — how crazy they went, how loud they can get. It was impressive. It’s just a different feeling to be in there, you know, I felt like part of them. Those fans were paying attention to every little detail of the game, the back-and-forth, and that’s one of the things that made it special.”
On chasing another championship with the Mets:
“For me, I’m all-in, trying to get back to those big moments. It’s definitely not easy when you’re going through times like these, but we got to keep our heads up and keep going.”
“Hey, OG Anunoby, happy for your success. Proud that you’re a Mets fan. The Mets and I would love to invite you to Citi Field to throw out a ceremonial first pitch. All the best, Jose Reyes.”
Here you have 9 hours and 50 minutes of New York bangers. Game 5 is 15 hours away. You know what to do. No skips and replay.https://t.co/X6rpXFU6Rm
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 3: NaeQwan Tomlin #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on before the game against the Toronto Raptors during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 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 Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s emergence as a helpful fill-in rotation player was a pleasant surprise for the Cleveland Cavaliers. This led to his two-way deal being converted to a standard contract midway through the season.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” represents that player meeting their standard.
Regular Season Stats
5.8 points
2.9 rebounds
0.8 assists
47.8% FG
23.5% 3PT FG
77% FT
64 games
Making the jump from a two-way deal to a standard contract doesn’t happen as often as you’d think.
There are 90 NBA two-way slots available, and far more than 90 players who occupy those positions throughout the season. Since these are non-guaranteed deals, teams are pretty quick to cut and sign players to these deals.
This year, only 31 players had their two-way contracts converted to a standard deal for at least the rest of the season. Tomlin was among that group.
Tomlin’s journey to this spot was unconventional to say the least. He didn’t play organized basketball until college, and then played for four teams in five years. Three of those years were spent at smaller juco schools.
He made the Cleveland Charge’s roster heading into the 2024-25 season, but wasn’t a regular rotation at the start of the year. He eventually worked his way into the rotation, then became a starter, and ended the year on a two-way deal.
That progression continued this season. Tomlin worked his way up after the Cavs were decimated with injuries. He made the most of those opportunities as he became a fixture in the rotation throughout the season, and was even a spot starter in three games.
Tomlin’s athleticism and hustle stood out on a team that needed both of those qualities. He was an impactful offensive rebounder and an explosive finisher in the paint when given a runway to do so.
The increased playing time also exposed some of the shortcomings in Tomlin’s game.
First of all, the outside shooting is an issue. Tomlin spent many of his half-court possessions stationed in the corner, but was mostly a non-threat as a shooter. He finished last among qualified forwards in corner three-point percentage as he knocked down just 24% of his corner triples.
This was an issue because Tomlin showed that he doesn’t have the handle or playmaking capabilities to be an on-ball creator. It’s difficult to find a consistent half-court role if you can’t either pass, dribble, shoot, or be a vertical threat at an average to high level.
This left Tomlin as mostly someone who could attack in transition or finish off cuts from the corner. Both are useful, but not ideal as the basis for an offensive package.
Defensively, Tomlin fouled far too much. He had the worst foul percentage among forwards in the league, translating to 4.5 fouls per 36 minutes.
Fouls for a forward usually come from being out of position or selling out for blocks. Tomlin’s issues came from both. He struggled to keep wings in front of him defensively. And even when he was in the right position, he was too susceptible to pump fakes.
Tomlin will need to figure out how to play defense without fouling as much as he did this year if he wants to be a rotation-caliber player. It’s difficult to justify playing someone who fouls this much, who also isn’t a rim deterrent in a meaningful way.
Despite the need for improvement, it’s undeniable that this was a successful year for Tomlin. Every player on a two-way deal in the league’s entire goal for the year is to earn a standard contract. Tomlin did that.
The next step is refining his game on both ends so that he can earn a second NBA deal.
ABU DHABI, UAE - OCTOBER 3: Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics speaks to the media during media availability as part of 2024 NBA Global Games Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena on October 3, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, The United Arab Emirates. 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 2024 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Joe Mazzulla could have been anywhere.
He could have been back home in Rhode Island, decompressing after a Celtics season that started with everyone lowering expectations because of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear and ended with everyone furious because those lowered expectations had somehow turned into 56 wins and a blown 3-1 lead to Philadelphia.
He could have been holed up in the Red Auerbach Center, watching film of a missed weak-side rotation from February with the emotional urgency of a man solving a murder. He could have been in Costa Rica again, walking barefoot through the jungle with a chess prodigy, because apparently the rest of us have been going about vacation all wrong.
Instead, he was in Portugal with Neemias Queta.
☘️ Da NBA à Luz!
Neemias Queta e Joe Mazzulla visitaram hoje a nossa casa e receberam a camisola oficial do Benfica 26/27 🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/AuS5DItq60
— SLBenfica Modalidades (@modalidadesslb) June 9, 2026
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston wrote a great piece this week on Mazzulla’s offseason travel, reporting that the Celtics head coach was spotted in both Omaha, Nebraska, and Lisbon, Portugal during the first week of June while spending time with Baylor Scheierman and Queta. Forsberg noted that the trip from Omaha to Lisbon is roughly 4,400 air miles, with no direct flights.
That is not a “swing by if you’re in the area” itinerary. That is multiple flights, time zones, airport coffee, stiff necks and at least one moment where you wake up in a hotel room with no idea what continent you’re in, let alone country.
And yet, there he was.
The more you look at these trips, the harder it becomes to treat them like irregular offseason moments. The point is not that Joe Mazzulla owns a passport or knows how to find Terminal B. The point is that connecting with his players on a human level seems to be an integral part of how he coaches.
The version of Joe we see is not the whole person
For most fans, Mazzulla is still understood through the strangest parts of his public personality.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu practice with his sensei in the depths of the Celtics practice facility. The seemingly strong desire to one day execute a bank heist (either as the mastermind or safecracker). The refusal to answer simple questions in a simple way.
It’s funny, and a lot of the shtick is probably intentional. Mazzulla has never seemed especially interested in making himself easier to understand from the outside.
In some ways, the weirdness has become the package. You see the vacant stare, the deadpan expression, the quote that sounds like it was translated from English to Latin and back again, and you think, yep, that’s Joe.
But there is another version of him that keeps showing up in the way Celtics players talk about him.
That version seems to be much quieter and more grounded. He spends time, listens, and shows up in places he does not have to be.
Brad Stevens once told NBC Sports Boston that a player who had been around Mazzulla for individual and small group work said, “That guy can say anything to me because of the amount of time he spends with me.” That line gets at something coaches can sometimes pretend is more complicated than it is. Players usually know when someone is only showing up because the job requires it. They also know when someone is showing up because they care enough to understand the full person standing in front of them.
Mazzulla seems obsessed with that part.
Not in a soft, sentimental way. After all, this is still Joe Mazzulla we’re talking about. I’m not expecting him to start every practice with a group hug and a guided meditation unless the meditation somehow involves combat breathing and clips of the 2008 Celtics defending the strong-side corner.
But his approach seems rooted in a pretty human idea: you cannot demand everything from people if you are not willing to meet them where they actually are.
The miles are the message
Mazzulla’s approach off the court helps explain why the trips matter.
Going to Portugal with Queta is more than a coach supporting a player during the offseason. Mazzulla wanted to see the places that shaped his starting center before he became a rotation piece in Boston. The journey is about understanding what basketball looked like for Queta before TD Garden, before the NBA, before he became part of the Celtics’ nightly calculus.
The same goes for Scheierman at Creighton. Mazzulla is not just checking in on a player’s jumper or making sure Baylor didn’t trim that stunning mullet. He’s walking into the environment that helped make the player make sense.
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla flew to Omaha to spend time working out with Baylor Scheierman on Creighton’s campus. 💚⁰⁰Scheierman just finished year two with the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/gOEoLG1WTf
Those moments have the ability to change the texture of a relationship.
As fans, we spend a lot of time talking about schemes, rotations and late-game decisions because those are the things we can see. Fair enough. Mazzulla should be judged on those things too. The Celtics’ offense got stagnant at times. The playoff loss to Philadelphia deserves real scrutiny. There are fair questions about how Boston evolves next season, especially with Tatum working his way back and Brown coming off the heaviest leadership burden of his career (on top of the onslaught of trade rumors to start the offseason).
But the relationship piece is not some decorative side dish that sits next to the actual coaching. It is the coaching.
When Mazzulla challenges players, his words land differently down the road if they know he has invested in them beyond the box score. When he asks Queta to defend without fouling, Queta knows his coach cared enough to fly across an ocean and see where his basketball story started. When he asks Scheierman to sharpen the details of his game, Scheierman knows Mazzulla took the time to show up in the place where his confidence first became tangible.
That doesn’t read like performative culture-building to me. It feels like someone taking the human part of the job seriously.
It’s also probably exhausting. I don’t know what Joe Mazzulla’s sleep schedule looks like, and I’m not sure I want to. There is a nonzero chance he views jet lag as a weakness leaving the body. But even if he is wired differently than most people, at the end of the day, the choice to keep showing up for his players is still a choice.
The caring part is easier to miss
Al Horford has talked about the caring side of Mazzulla before, saying players can see that he cares about them as people and that his genuineness is part of why they respect him.
Horford also shared the story of Mazzulla returning to a neighborhood in the Dominican Republic to run a clinic for kids, with no cameras and no desire for credit. That story is more revealing than a thousand press conference clips. That type of Joe is not one we ever really get to see when the cameras are rolling and the mics are hot. It’s simply a coach doing something decent because he wanted to be there.
Spreading the love & knowledge of the game 🇩🇴 🏆
Al Horford was joined by Joe Mazzulla at his basketball camp in La Romana, Dominican Republic! pic.twitter.com/rbLQVBJKXz
Maybe Mazzulla prefers for that side to stay quieter.
Perhaps it’s easier for everyone to focus on the odd quotes and the intensity and the killer whale metaphors. Maybe that lets him keep the more sincere parts of his coaching style protected. It would be very Joe to hide the softest part of himself behind the least normal possible packaging.
But the pattern is getting harder to miss.
He goes to the Dominican Republic for Horford. He asks to attend Chris Boucher’s baptism in Montreal. He spends time with Scheierman at Creighton. He travels with Queta to Portugal.
At a certain point, these stop feeling like isolated anecdotes and start looking like the foundation of how he leads.
Trust is built before anyone needs it
Mazzulla doesn’t have to earn trust with speeches in the huddle or locker room. He is earning it with presence at times when basketball isn’t the primary focus.
The Celtics need plenty from him next season. As Stevens noted in his end-of-season presser, tactical adjustments must be made. The roster needs better answers when playoff possessions get tight, especially with the New York Knicks establishing themselves as a legitimate threat heading into next season. Mazzulla must help Brown, White, Pritchard and the rest of the roster navigate a year that may once again require a different kind of identity while Tatum comes back for his first full season after the Achilles tear.
They also need the locker room to keep believing in him when he pushes, prods, challenges and occasionally says something that makes everyone in the room wonder if they accidentally walked into a philosophy seminar being held inside an MMA gym.
That is what the trips help explain.
The strange quotes get noticed. The care for his players tells the story.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 10: Mikal Bridges #25 and OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks celebrates after scoring a game winning shot during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. 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
Through four games, the 2026 NBA Finals have been even in just about every way.
The Knicks may lead the series three games to one, but as many pundits and salty NBA fans will tell you, all of these games could’ve gone the opposite way with a few different possessions or calls going differently. Unfortunately for them, you don’t get extra points for almost winning, just ask Kenny Atkinson.
Both teams have made massive runs; they’ve had massive quarters. Even in the Spurs’ case, they’ve had a dominant half of basketball. But it’s all added up to the two teams being close enough that all four games have been decided at the death.
But, while much of the discourse surrounding Game 4 has been focused on the Spurs’ unbelievable 29-point choke, not enough has been about the Knicks playing perhaps the best half of basketball, context included, in franchise history. For some reason, people believe that winning the first quarter matters more than any other. Odd.
So what had to happen for the Knicks to suddenly flip the script and outscore the Spurs 58-30 in the final 24 minutes?
The first thing we have to acknowledge is shooting luck. After the greatest shooting half in NBA Finals history by a Spurs team that has just two above-average three-point shooters in their rotation, they cooled off significantly after halftime, going just 3-for-17. A lot of these looks weren’t totally different than the ones they chucked up in the first half in a persistent heat check, but the attention to detail was also better by the Knicks.
The Spurs went 9-for-13 on wide-open threes and 5-for-12 on open threes in that first half. In the second half, it dropped off to 3-for-10 and 0-for-7. While the drop off from 14-for-25 to 3-for-17 is truly immense, it still averages out at 40.5%, which is well above the postseason average for the Spurs.
So while their shooting drop-off in the second half was a big catalyst behind the comeback, think of it as more of a regression to the mean by a team that doesn’t have the shotmaking to do it for a full 48.
And this is where youthful arrogance sinks in. The heat check bled into the third quarter, where the Spurs repeatedly chucked up shots early in the shot clock, expecting them to go in. When you lead by such a large margin in the second half, you’re fighting the clock as much as the opponent. Refusing to use it on their side enabled the Knicks to get back into it:
Michael Wilbon says the Spurs played sustain stretch of the dumbest basketball he’s ever seen:
“I’m going to give you one stat, they go 14 for 26 on threes in the first half. They built this enormous lead on three point shooting but they have to know they can’t sustain that. And… pic.twitter.com/CCujQjKUba
Despite employing a 7’5” alien, the Spurs became the first team in this postseason to go an entire quarter without scoring in the paint in that third quarter, going 0-for-5 in the restricted area. Yes, none of the teams that got wiped off the face of the earth by the Thunder or Knicks in the early rounds even reached this futility.
SPURS 3RD QUARTER LAST NIGHT
0 points in the paint
First team this postseason to go an entire quarter without scoring in the paint
But that’s enough about the Spurs shooting themselves in the foot. What did the Knicks do to chip away and seize the game at the very end?
They generated better looks on offense, for one. The Knicks had just nine open/wide-open three-point attempts in the first half, making four of them.
In the second half? They went 10-for-18. They never had a problem making their open threes, they just weren’t able to get to that easy offense in the first half.
A large part of that was being able to space the floor with Karl-Anthony Towns being freed from Zach Zarba’s foul trouble prison cell. After playing just nine minutes in a first half that featured brief cameos by Ariel Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan, Towns played 17 minutes in the second half. As such, he was able to finish a game-high +17 in 26 minutes.
While he himself didn’t do too much, he continued a trend that has existed all throughout this series. When he shares the floor with Victor Wembanyama, the Knicks steadily outplay them. When he’s forced to sit while Wemby’s out there, the Spurs dominate.
Wemby + KAT on: Knicks +30 (116:27) Wemby on, KAT off: Spurs +41 (44:19) Wemby off: Knicks +19 (31:14)
Plus/minus per minute: Wemby + KAT on: Knicks +0.26 Wemby on, KAT off: Spurs +0.925 Wemby off: Knicks +0.61
It also doesn’t help ol’ Vic that the Knicks were taking advantage of his wind slowly catching up to him. He’s played a staggering 203 minutes over his last five games, the most by a country mile that he ever has. He’s exceeded his career high in total minutes by over 450 minutes, with, in a total best-case scenario for him, three games to go. That’s 10 additional full games of basketball.
It’s not surprising, then, when the Knicks hunted him on the perimeter in multiple types of action in the second half.
The Knicks had a second half offensive rating of 180 (1.80 ppp) on possessions with Wemby defending in isolation, pick n roll, or close outs
Knicks’ built their historic comeback on Wemby’s defensive weaknesses in drop coverage, over-help and late close outs… pic.twitter.com/QPIY7A2RVg
The big worry I had watching the first half was allowing the Spurs to coast to a victory and allow their stars to rest, not accruing the extra mileage that has slowly worn them down as games progressed. Fortunately, the Knicks never fully let go of the rope in this tug-of-war battle, dragging their tired bodies over the line for a win.
There were also some bold moves made by Mike Brown with his rotations. Jordan Clarkson didn’t have it. Deuce McBride continued not to have it. Landry Shamet struggled for the second straight game. Needing someone to plug in during the fourth quarter, he elected to play Jose Alvarado with Brunson for the first time in several weeks. It worked like a charm.
NYK scored 1.727 points per possession with these two on the court in G4.
The Knicks’ best offense has been when they use off-ball movement, spacing, and real ball movement to put the Spurs into the blender. This disrupts their strategy of playing Wemby as a free safety in the paint and allows them to create quality looks on possession after possession.
What you saw in the second half wasn’t just a young team fundamentally failing in terms of execution for an entire half, but it was a perfect 24 minutes for the team that had to climb out of an impossible deficit.
The inexperience showed one more time in a big way on the final possessions. The Spurs had no idea how to defend the Knicks’ final possession, and you could see it happening in real time.
Unreleased footage that shows the Spurs in utter confusion coming out of the timeout before the OG tip in. MUST watch, sound up. Link to full breakdown below 👇🏀 pic.twitter.com/E7tz0st2LO
Through four games, the Spurs have not been the better team, because this kind of stuff is what goes into what decides which team is better or not. Just because one team has the flashier stars, the better personalities, the generational talents gifted to them by Adam Silver and the lottery gods, doesn’t mean they should be ordained without having to play the games.
With Game 5 coming later today, David will have a chance to take Goliath off life support.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks attempts a shot while being fouled by Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 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
How do you recover after one of the worst losses in NBA history? The San Antonio Spurs are going to have to figure out the answer to that question quickly in Game Five of the NBA Finals, or their season will be over.
After blowing a 29-point lead in Game Four, the Spurs are back in San Antonio down 3-1. The Spurs are 4-0 in elimination/series-clinching games this postseason, but are 0-2 on their home court in the Finals. With rumors of New York Knicks’ fans flooding the Frost Bank Center, the Spurs may not be facing such a friendly home crowd. It’s just another hurdle for this young team that has struggled to rise to the moment in this series.
Game Five will be a real test of who the Spurs are. Will they fold after the embarrassment of Game Four? Will Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox come out swinging, looking to make up for crucial mistakes in the game prior? So far this postseason, when San Antonio found itself with its back against the wall, the team has typically responded.
On the flip side, the Knicks are hungrier than ever. A championship is within their grasp, and they have to feel like anything is possible after their miraculous comeback at Madison Square Garden. Despite the 3-1 lead, these Finals have been extremely close. The Spurs need to bring the same level of desperation to survive as the Knicks have to crown themselves the champions. If they don’t, they’ll likely see an opposing team lift the Larry O’Brien trophy on their home court for the first time in franchise history.
Spurs Injuries: Luke Kornet – Questionable (illness)
Knicks Injuries: No injuries to report.
What to watch for:
Wembanyama’s response
These Finals will forever be etched into Wembanyama’s legacy. He’s had moments of brilliance followed by devastating mistakes. The pass off of Stephon Castle’s back in Game Two and the crucial missed free throws in Game Four may haunt him for a while. He will catch a lot of flak for his “arrogant” demeanor on and off the floor, especially if San Antonio loses dramatically in Game Five. Wembanyama has to lead the way for the Spurs at home. It starts by setting the tone at the basket. He’s thrived when San Antonio has gotten him the ball around the rim. He has to live in the paint against New York for the rest of the offense to shine.
These are the moments where the true greats step up. If Wembanyama wants to be considered one of them, he has to play great and lead the team to victory.
Attacking the basket
The Spurs got away from what made them great in the second half of Game Four. They started playing around the perimeter and didn’t attack the basket with the same force they did in the first half. It gave the Knicks an opening, and they seized it. San Antonio’s aggression getting downhill could very well decide this series. When they play fast and put pressure on the rim, New York has a hard time stopping them. It’s the settling on offense that has gotten them in trouble.
Backup center
Luke Kornet is questionable in Game Five due to illness. If he can’t suit up, the Spurs are in a tough position at backup center. Wembanyama has already looked exhausted playing over 40 minutes a night. Without Kornet, he will likely have to take on a similar minute load. San Antonio’s best option may be to play Carter Bryant as a small-ball center, but he has also looked outmatched in this series. Mitch Johnson may need to get creative to find a solution that gives Wembanyama a breather without leading to massive Knicks runs.
SAN ANTONIO — OG Anunoby is having a moment, birthed from a moment that will outlive us all. The national recognition is long overdue for the Knicks’ best two-way player, who could soon be named the NBA Finals MVP.
But Jalen Brunson remains the leader in the clubhouse for the award, uniquely built to crush whatever will the Spurs have left, looking to lead the Knicks to their first title in 53 years, eight years after leaving San Antonio with his second national championship.
“I think the one thing that stays constant is I’ve always told myself, and always been taught by my parents, ‘Never be afraid to fail,’” Brunson said Friday at Frost Bank Center. “You put yourself in those positions in the summertime when you’re envisioning what’s going on the court, when you’re by yourself on the court …
“When those opportunities come about, you’re not afraid of the moment because you worked hard enough to where if you do fail, you’re going to learn anyway. You put the confidence you have in everything you do when the lights aren’t on, when no one’s watching.”
Jalen Brunson #11 sinks a three-point shot over San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama #1 to bring the Knicks within one during the fourth quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brunson is 48 minutes from forever, coming off a brilliant effort in the record-setting 29-point Game 4 comeback, when he had 36 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals, including a key 3-pointer over Victor Wembanyama — bringing the Knicks within one with 2:21 remaining — and the go-ahead shot to put the Knicks in front for the first time with 1:22 left.
Brunson has played the hero multiple times this series — scoring 13 fourth-quarter points in Game 1, then recording a steal in between his game-tying and game-winning shots in Game 2 — but he has been uncharacteristically inefficient, struggling with the speed and physicality of a defense hellbent on bumping and blitzing him at every opportunity.
Through three games, Brunson scored 82 points on 81 shots, had as many turnovers as assists (13) and recorded a minus-13 rating. In Game 4, he looked most comfortable, getting space, and getting to his spots, shooting 12-for-25 and becoming the first Knick to record three 30-point games in a single NBA Finals.
“Whenever you win or lose a game, that night, you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong, [but] I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page,” Brunson said. “Yes, we won [Game 4], but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again.
“We still have to continue to have the belief that we’ve had.”
Since Brunson’s 40-point masterpiece in the first round in Detroit last year — capped with his series-ending 3-pointer in the final seconds — the Knicks haven’t needed his heroics in clinching opportunities.
They beat the Celtics by 38 to finish last year’s second-round upset. This postseason run has seen the Knicks win by 51 in Atlanta, by 30 in Philadelphia and by 37 in Cleveland.
Each game of the NBA Finals has been decided in the final minute.
Enter Captain Clutch, the former second-round pick, the supposedly undersized and overpaid free-agent signing, who has become the city’s most beloved athlete — and has one more hill to climb.
“I think I’ve been able to understand what a unique opportunity this is,” Brunson said. “When you’re doing the things that help you prepare for a game, prepare for moments, put yourself in routines that you’ve done your whole career, your whole life, when it comes game time, you’re ready to go because you put yourself, you put your mind in a position to be ready.”
The Celtics star said he was not rooting for either team in the NBA Finals. Getty Images
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum on watching the Knicks in the NBA Finals:
"I'm not rooting for anybody, I'm also not rooting against anybody. I think it does help that I've won a championships already, so helps me sleep a little better at night." pic.twitter.com/7l0A2VnMRK
— Front Office Sports News (@FOS_News_) June 11, 2026
“I’m not rooting for anybody, I’m also not rooting against anybody,” Tatum told Front Office Sports Thursday about the series, which the Knicks now lead 3-1.
After trailing by 29 points on Wednesday, New York staged a historic rally to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, capped off by OG Anunoby’s tip-in with one second left in regulation.
The Knicks have been a thorn in Tatum’s side recently, as New York eliminated his Celtics in a thrilling six-game Eastern Conference Semifinals last season.
The series also carried heartbreak for the six-time All-Star, who suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 4, ending his season and keeping him out for a significant portion of the 2025-26 campaign.
Tatum played in 16 regular-season games this season after rehabbing from a torn right Achillies tendon. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Tatum helped lead the Celtics to the franchise’s NBA record 18th championship against the Mavericks in 2024.
“I think it does help that I’ve won a championship already,” Tatum added. “So it helps me sleep a little better at night. I just enjoy watching good basketball games.”
A calf injury kept Tatum out of the Celtics’ Game 7 matchup against the Sixers, which Boston lost 109-100 – which denied him an opportunity for an Eastern Conference Semifinals rematch against New York.
Mike Brown talks to the media before the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
SAN ANTONIO — Mike Brown has never won a championship as a head coach. Before this spring, he hadn’t won a playoff series in the role since 2012.
But he has been part of two dynasties, collecting one ring with Tim Duncan’s Spurs, three with Stephen Curry’s Warriors and the memories of the supporting casts that helped immortalize those stars.
“I’ve been fortunate, blessed, lucky to be a part of some good coaching staffs and be with some great coaches, Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, they were guys that went deep into their bench,” Brown said earlier in the postseason. “You keep guys engaged by doing that, and you do develop not just a bench but the team, as well, because guys get used to playing with other guys …
Mike Brown talks to the media before the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
“I’ve seen it work in the past, and that’s kind of what I thought I wanted to do here.”
Brown’s trust in his reserves ranks among the most significant changes from his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau.
But who will the Knicks coach be able to count on in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, with a chance to win the team’s first title since 1973?
Mitchell Robinson went 1-for-5 on shots at the rim in Game 4 and is shooting 30.8 percent on free throws. Landry Shamet has followed the best eight-game 3-point shooting stretch (67.6 percent) in postseason history by making 1-of-11 shots in the past two games. Jordan Clarkson had 10 points in Game 3, but has two points in the other three games combined. Miles McBride’s “Deuuuuuuce” chants continue to end with disappointment, as he’s shot 4-for-20, with 2.8 points per game, in the series.
The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last June. Getty Images
“I’m always going to stay confident, knowing I can impact the game in a lot of different ways,” McBride said Friday. “I’m going to make shots. I’m never worried about that. … Anybody is capable of it, 1 through 15 on this team. We’re pushing each other to be better. That’s how our team has been. We’re motivators. We want to uplift everybody. I think having a team like that, you can do a lot of great things.”
Jose Alvarado was the latest example, recording eight points, three assists and two rebounds in the final 10 minutes of their miraculous Game 4 win.
But who will Brown turn to next?
“This bench is deep and he trusts everybody,” Alvarado said. “Some days it’s my day, some days it’s somebody else’s day. … These are the times and moments you wait for.”
SAN ANTONIO — Shaquille O’Neal won four championships and an MVP Award over his 19 seasons in the NBA, and has since studied it closely as an analyst.
So whom would he select if he were a general manager and could choose any player — past or present — with the No. 1 pick?
“Me,” O’Neal told The Post.
Excluding himself?
“I’d probably go with [LeBron James] because Bron — and I know this is a Kobe [Bryant] comparison — Bron had it when he came in,” O’Neal told The Post. “It took Kobe two or three years to get it. Bron had it when he came in, so I’d probably go with Bron.”
You know who else has it too?
Victor Wembanyama, who has reached the NBA Finals in his third season, faster than many of the all-time greats, including James, Bryant and Michael Jordan.
This postseason Wembanyama has seemingly quieted any talk about who’s the next face of the league, if he hasn’t already snatched that ceremonial title from James, who has held it for two decades.
Or has he?
“You have to take it,” O’Neal told The Post. “If he wins a championship, yes. If [Jalen] Brunson wins a championship, it’ll be Brunson. Face of the league ain’t something you pass on. You’ve got to go take it.”
Victor Wembanyama #1, with his head down, walking down court during the 4th quarter. The Knicks beat the Spurs 107-106. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
After blowing a 29-point lead to the Knicks in a 107-106 loss in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Spurs trail the series, 3-1.
Wembanyama is averaging 27.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.2 blocks over the past four games. Brunson is averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Brunson has skyrocketed into the national consciousness this postseason after barely being a blip on the radar.
Knicks coach Mike Brown hopes the world will now see what New York has known.
“He definitely has not — or did not — get the attention that he deserved during the regular season,” Brown said. “I think he’s a top-three MVP candidate. And when it comes down to those things, his name wasn’t mentioned much.”
Meanwhile, Wembanyama won Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting.
Shaquille O’Neal looks on before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks during Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Regardless of whether this is Wembanyama’s time to claim the league’s ultimate throne, there’s no doubt that the 22-year-old will become an all-time great if he stays healthy.
He was the most highly touted prospect since James entered the league in 2003, and he has already blown past his expectations. He’s able to patrol the paint with his size and agility, while also being able to shoot from anywhere on the court. He’s unlike anyone the league has seen.
He’s an alien.
So, how would he have matched up against The Big Aristotle?
“Oh, stop it,” O’Neal told The Post, flashing a smile. “Let’s talk desserts. He’s too light in the cakes for me. Stop it. But I’m not known for defense, so he probably would’ve scored a few points also. There’s no guarding me one-on-one, so you can’t ask me that question. He’s a great player. This is his time now. This is not about me.”
O’Neal has been closely watching the NBA Finals as an analyst for ABC/ESPN, alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.
He finds this series particularly exciting because there’s so much emphasis on the teams’ big men.
“I love [Wembanyama] and I love KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns], so for me this is really good,” O’Neal told The Post. “Two big men battling it out. Let the best big man win. Usually in the Finals it’s all about guards. But these Finals are about two big men, so I have an affinity, a love, for both of them. So whoever wins, I’m happy for them both.”
Towns has turned heads for his great defense on Wembanyama, especially in Game 1 and the first half of Game 2. He has made a huge impact on both ends of the court for the Knicks, who are one win away from their first championship since 1973.
As for Wembanyama, he has astounded the world with his greatness during his first postseason run, such as when he had a 41-point, 24-rebound and 3-block performance to stun the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
But he has also shown his inexperience at times, such as when he threw the ball off of Stephon Castle’s back with 12.7 seconds left in the Spurs’ 105-104 loss in Game 2 of the Finals.
Now comes his biggest test yet.
The Spurs are against the wall. After being on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in Finals history in Game 4, Wembanyama said the Spurs will either wave the white flag or come together stronger than ever.
Apparently, he now has his answer.
“Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we’re going to do it,” Wembanyama said at Spurs practice Friday.
Regardless of the outcome of the Finals, Wembanyama has undoubtedly lived up to the hype. He carried the Spurs past the reigning champion Thunder in the Western Conference finals, outplaying two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And he has been a force in his debut on the championship stage.
But, according to O’Neal, when it comes to becoming the next face of the league, nothing is promised.
O’Neal would still choose James to build a team around.
This is either the most hopeful or depressing statistic for Spurs fans watching the NBA Finals: Through four games, the point differential is Knicks +8.
It may be a little of both. This has been an intense, close NBA Finals, with three of the four games decided by four points or less. Yet San Antonio finds itself down 3-1 and on the verge of its season ending due to a combination of the Knicks' grit and maturity in the clutch versus the Spurs' self-inflicted wounds and mistakes of youth.
"There's no avoiding what's happened," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "There's no avoiding all four games have been winnable games. There's no avoiding we're down 3-1. There's no avoiding ways that we could be better. There's nobody that's going to be harder on ourselves and accountable to ourselves than the people in the locker room and each other. That's what helped us get to where we are, and how the group is built. There's no circumstance that will change that."
Will the NBA Finals end Saturday night in San Antonio, where the party from 7th Ave. in Manhattan would overtake the Riverwalk — there are going to be a lot of Knicks fans at the game — or can the Spurs finally win a game at home? There are two key things to watch in Game 5.
Can Spurs rebound emotionally?
I have a theory about NBA playoff series: There comes a point in nearly every series when one team realizes they are beaten, usually long before Game 6 or 7. They don't have the answers to the questions the other team is posing. The players and coaches never say it out loud — players don't make it to this level without being fierce competitors — but you can see it in body language and their eyes. They know.
The Spurs had that look after Game 4, a gut-punch loss in which they blew a 29-point lead (and, more disturbingly, a 20-point lead with 9:30 left in the game).
Usually, after a loss like that, the end comes pretty quickly, as it could for the Spurs in Game 5 on their home court. However, these young Spurs have shown a genuine resilience this postseason — they won Game 7 on the road in Oklahoma City. They won a game in Madison Square Garden. If you told me these Spurs showed that resilience on Saturday night and bounced back with a double-digit win, it would not be shocking. If San Antonio lost by double digits, that's not shocking either.
I've seen one team turn things around after having that defeated look: LeBron James and the Cavaliers against the Warriors in 2016. The Spurs are saying all the right things, exactly what you expect them to say, about following in the Cavs' footsteps and forging their own epic comeback.
"Absolutely. Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we're going to do it," Victor Wembanyama said, almost as if he was trying to manifest the outcome. "One game at a time. Just one game at a time..." Devin Vassell said. "So we need to go 1-0, and whatever we need to do for that to happen, we've got to do that."
Saying the right thing is one thing, doing it on the court — especially when adversity hits, as it inevitably will — is something else entirely. These Spurs have shown toughness and resilience throughout the playoffs, but can they do it when the Knicks smell blood in the water?
Because these Knicks have the feel of a team of destiny, a team on a historic run. On the other side of that coin, can the Knicks avoid human nature, which is to relax a little after a win, especially knowing they can head home for a potential coronation in Game 6? Like the Spurs, they are saying all the right things.
"The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present," coach Mike Brown said. "You have to be present. You can't think about the outcome. It's about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play."
We'll see which team shows more emotional maturity on Saturday night.
Touching the paint
There has been one defining factor in all four games: The team driving the lane, touching the paint or getting it inside to their big men, then scoring (and drawing fouls) or spraying the ball out to shooters is the team that takes control.
There was no better example than Game 4, when the Spurs scored 24 points in the paint in the first half on their way to a 27-point lead. Then they became less aggressive in the second half, settled for far too many 3-pointers and pull-up jumpers, Wembanyama became tentative after picking up a flagrant foul on Towns (leaving him one flagrant from a suspension), and the Spurs scored just four points in the paint in the second half. Meanwhile, it was the Knicks behind Jalen Brunson who got downhill and into the paint in the second half, sparking their comeback win.
By Game 5 of a series, there are not a lot of technical adjustments left to be made. Both teams know their opponent, the game plan and what they need to do. It's just that doing it against an elite defense in a very physical series is something else entirely. Both teams will execute their game plan for stretches, then not for others.
"I think what you can do when you do move the ball and allow the IQ to flow and the ball to flow is you allow great shots to happen, especially when you're touching the paint or having movement on the offense and allowing the defense to make a mistake, instead of us having to make a tough shot or a great shot," Karl-Anthony Towns said.
Which team touches the paint, moves the ball and plays to their strengths on Saturday night will determine whether the Finals head to another game in New York or whether the Knicks' destiny can wait no longer.
