Category: NBA

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The Spurs are caught in a major defensive dilemma regarding how to deploy Victor Wembanyama in Game 2.

Wemby was fantastic guarding the perimeter in Game 1, but it came at a price: removing him from the paint left the defensive glass wide open for the Knicks to feast on. 

Our Game 2 Knicks vs. Spurs predictions expect San Antonio to adjust by keeping their star big man near the rim tonight, betting they can live with New York’s outside shooting if it means shutting down those killer second-chance opportunities.

My NBA picks expect Wembanyama to ratchet up his rebounding on Friday, June 5.

Knicks vs Spurs Game 2 prediction

Who will win Knicks vs Spurs Game 2?

Spurs: The Knicks accomplished their mission and stole a win in San Antonio, flipping home-court on its ear. New York’s veterans never looked rattled in Game 1, even when falling behind big. And when the pressure built, the young Spurs crumbled late in the fourth quarter.

The Finals nerves are gone and I expect a tight San Antonio side to be much looser and shoot better than a dismal effort in the opener. I could see this being another close contest, but San Antonio is a great team off a loss (21-6 SU) and evens things up in Game 2.

Knicks vs Spurs best bet: Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds (-120)

The San Antonio Spurs need Victor Wembanyama to stay at home and clean the defensive glass. 

Not only does his rebounding spark the Spurs’ transition (which was a no-show in 2H), but giving up a Costco-sized pack of offensive rebounds to the New York Knicks is crippling to the defense after forcing a miss.

Wembanyama still wrangled 12 boards on 22 rebounding chances but only nine on defense, as he was closing out on shooters. 

His Game 2 rebounding total stays lower at 11.5 O/U with projections ranging from 12.5 to 15+ boards. My number is around 14 rebounds, which should have the Over priced at -185.

COVERS INTEL: Wembanyama spent most of Game 1 guarding Karl-Anthony Towns. Game 2 adjustments could see Wemby assigned more to Josh Hart, who shot just 1 for 5 for three points in Game 1. That allows him to play closer to the rim and stay in prime rebounding range.

Knicks vs Spurs Game 2 same-game parlay

I’m not running to lay the points with San Antonio, as New York doesn’t quit. However, I see the Spurs getting past the initial nerves and executing better offensively. Home teams coming off a loss in the NBA Finals aren’t great against the spread, but they are 24-16 SU since 2005-06.

With Wembanyama grabbing long boards and fueling the transition attack, San Antonio evens this series. He’ll stay closer to the rim and convert more of those rebounding chances, with models calling for as many as 15+ boards in Game 2.

Dylan Harper is a big part of that transition attack with his aggressive play getting to the rim for easy looks. With De’Aaron Fox struggling to score, there’s pressure on Mitch Johnson to give the rookie more run. Harper’s projected for as many as 13 points on Friday.

Knicks vs Spurs SGP

• Spurs moneyline
• Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds
• Dylan Harper Over 11.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Out of this World

After the Game 1 loss, Mitch Johnson told reporters the team needs to get Wembanyama going earlier following a quiet opening frame. With a focused effort on feeding the “Alien”, Wemby tops his scoring prop, with some bullish models above 29 points. On defense, staying glued to the paint has him picking up rebounds and sending back a ton of shots.

Knicks vs Spurs SGP

• Spurs -6.5
• Victor Wembanyama Over 26.5 points
• Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds
• Victor Wembanyama Over 3.5 blocks

Knicks vs Spurs odds for Game 2

• Spread: Knicks +6.5 | Spurs -6.5
• Moneyline: Knicks +190 | Spurs -230
• Over/Under: Over 214.5 | Under 214.5

Knicks vs Spurs betting trend to know

NBA Finals games with totals of less than 220 points are 36-60 O/U (62.5% Unders) since the 2005-06 season. The Game 2 total is at 214.5 O/U. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Spurs.

How to watch Knicks vs Spurs Game 2

Knicks vs Spurs latest injuries

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SAN ANTONIO – The NBA’s defending champions required five regular season games and seven Western Conference Finals bashfests to suss out San Antonio’s Spurs, failed.

The Knicks needed but three quarters. Another dynamite fourth quarter from Knick hero Jalen Brunson gave New York its first Finals lead in a over a half-century on Wednesday night, toppling San Antonio 105-95 in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals.

That previous Finals advantage, a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1973 NBA Finals, was celebrated by Knick reserve center Phil Jackson on a beach at Malibu with an unnamed actress, according to Phil’s book ‘Maverick,’ Jackson “gobbling LSD for breakfast.”

Brunson (and Knicks coach Mike Brown, for that matter) appeared to show little instinct toward toward Phil’s breakfast of champions after Game 1, giving every indication these current Knicks keep these sainted Spurs in sensible range.

And within the same level as previous combatants. We worried over the Knicks faltering against stiff Western competition after facing Atlanta, Philadelphia and Cleveland in the previous three rounds (Eh, Woof, and Whatever). We shoulda concerned ourselves with whether or not San Antonio was ready for the team that only needed 14 outings to escape the East.

The visiting Knicks delicately primed past the restrictions of rust in the team’s first contest since May 25. New York was down 10 points in the second quarter and 14 in the third before colluding to surprise San Antonio in what the NBA calls “clutch minutes,” the final five minutes of a close game. Timing issues aside, it felt as if every second of Game 1 was crucially clutch, the utter and pristine picture of all-out NBA playoff basketball.

Brunson finished with 30 but was no angel on his way toward the mark, flinging lefty hopers over the arms of Victor Wembanyama, spinning out repeatedly on floaters and only using arms on in-and-out three-pointers. Those were practice legs, scrimmage flings, and Brunson (7-22 entering the third period, 5-9 from the floor in the final 12 minutes) needed every second surrounding him to re-locate his crouch.

Once the legs returned, though, over. Brunson’s corner three off a Mikal Bridges offensive rebound with 1:50 remaining gave New York a 97-95 lead, all the grasp it needed. Rust was absolutely an issue, for these visiting Knicks, now they’ll band together to earn a full endorsement deal with an anti-rust spray, we won’t name any brands because we’re not sponsored ourselves, but watch for “polyurethane resins” to be uttered by Jose Alvarado on an advertisement sometime this summer.

Alvarado helped keep the visitor’s wits throughout, his presence was badly needed in the second quarter when Brunson turned his ankle and left the game. Alvarado, perhaps buoyed by Brunson bounding over with both legs to complain to Scott Foster during the injury timeout, hit 3-of-3 from the field in his run, seven points, three defensive boards and an assist and a steal, because he’s Jose Alvarado.

Bothered by foul trouble, Josh Hart barely worked that second quarter. Josh made up for it.

In one of the finest three-point performances in NBA Finals history, Hart’s derring-do stole the home court advantage right out from Texas’ ten-gallon hat. Four steals and six assists from Hart, who covered all angles defensively while still sustaining his sniff for the passing lanes. His shot was off (1-5 from the field, 0-3 from deep) but he was in the right place in every other instance, a superior all-around performance, even if his jumper doesn’t go all the way around.

The home team failed to clasp past 100 points per 100 possessions, the Spurs missed three-quarters of their threes and wasted a four-turnover game, and 15-point first half from Julian Champagnie. Wembanyama was a force defensively but missed 16-21 field goal attempts on his way toward 26 points, a dozen boards and six turnovers, three blocks.

De’Aaron Fox clunked 3-13 from the field on one leg. The veteran developed good looks in the fourth quarter, missed, while Dylan Harper (16 points and seven rebounds through three quarters) watched from the bench. Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, cherished Spurs veterans but a little hype in Game 1, somewhat charged, possibly caffeinated, 5-15 from the floor combined.

It was a learning experience. Fans talked themselves into shouting “Spurs in five” on the way out of the building in Game 1 and, yeah, it ain’t hard to see what’s under that hat. San Antonio does have a seven-and-a-half-foot center with skills, after all.

Yet New York proved none of this counts if the center in question is centimeters removed from what matters, the best attempt available, a Knick splash. New York missed 25-36 three-pointers in Game 1, but its concentration and approach was apparent from the rafters. If Wemby is slightly out of focus, dive to the rim as if the season depends on it. The Knicks are to be commended for maintaining a straight line to the rim anytime Wembanyama was bothered elsewhere, held or held up, New York launching the millisecond his fingertips were no obstacle.

These moments usually require hours to develop, entire games. The Thunder ran out of time, the Timberwolves rarely earned the pause, the Trail Blazers never even caught up to Central time. Yet New York kept its principles in place throughout Game 1 until these fundamentals found paydirt. Until the legs returned, finally out of Connecticut’s practice sweats for the first time in over a week.

The Spurs understand what they have to do now, yet that knowledge was in place well ahead of Game 1. It’s the connection which counts the most, and San Antonio must find out who its conductor is.

New York knows. This is Brunson’s team, the Villanova cats with two battling bigs. Karl-Anthony Towns put himself on the floor throughout Game 1, 18 points and 18 chestbumps with Wemby while defending Victor. Front-to-front stuff, too, the awkward kind.

KAT and Mitchell Robinson’s mystery finger were, in spite of Victor’ 12-13 mark from the free throw line, a bruise-in-waiting for Wembanyama to push through. The Knicks are thick up top and soulful down below and full of brains and wit throughout the middle.

The Spurs are running out of time to define their own personalities, as the showcase in Manhattan draws nearer. The younger team is capable, but can they hold in the face of a crew which doesn’t crack?

Kelly Dwyer covers the NBA at KDonhoops.com

For the next month before the 2026 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at No. 22. Next up in this series is Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson.

After spending two years at St. Mary’s, Jefferson transferred to Iowa State. With the Cyclones, his college career truly took off. By his senior season in 2025-26, he was one of the best players in the country. He was named a consensus Second Team All-American and First Team All-Big 12. Unfortunately, Jefferson’s left ankle injury, suffered three minutes into the first round of the NCAA Tournament, cost Iowa State, which ranked as high as No. 2 in the country, a chance to make much noise during March Madness.

Profile

2025-26 Stats: 35 games, 30.9 minutes, 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 blocks, 47.1% FG, 34.5% 3P, 70.0% FT

Team: Iowa State

Year: Senior

Position: PF/SF

Height & Weight: 6’7.75” | 246.2 lbs

Born: November 21, 2003 (22 years old)

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Strengths

The biggest strengths for Jefferson are his basketball IQ, versatility and physicality. All of those traits manifest in different ways.

Spending most of his time at the four, Jefferson operated like a point forward for the Cyclones. In the half-court, he was featured as a playmaking hub at the elbows. He was excellent in the pick-and-roll and in DHOs, creating opportunities for others or getting downhill and finishing with strength and nice touch around the rim. He also got to the free throw line plenty (6.1 attempts per game as a senior). He frequently started the break, grabbing the ball off the rim and pushing it for transition opportunities. For a player at his size, Jefferson is a smart and accurate passer, finding cutters and shooters for easy baskets.

Jefferson is a strong rebounder overall, especially on the offensive glass, where he averaged nearly two a game. His off-ball defense was great for the Cyclones as he averaged 1.9 steals a game over the last two seasons and generally wreaked havoc. While he isn’t the greatest rim protector, he does well to wall drivers off and challenge without fouling. Jefferson’s best assets on the defensive end are his NBA-ready frame and IQ. The frame and physicality are likely genetic — his father, Ben, was an offensive lineman in the NFL, as was his oldest brother. His middle brother played defensive line at the D-1 level.

Jefferson is a Swiss Army Knife-type player. He can do a little bit of everything, even progressing as a three-point shooter in his four college seasons. While he might not have star potential, he has the traits of an excellent connective piece at the next level.

Weaknesses

The reasons Jefferson is a fringe first-rounder are his age, inconsistency with his shot and lack of high-end athleticism.

Jefferson will be 23 in November, making him an older rookie. While the experience clearly helped him improve his game, he didn’t truly dominate until his senior season. The question for NBA evaluators will be whether Jefferson is on a track to continue improving or has already plateaued.

While shooting 34.5% on 3.1 attempts per game is solid for a player with Jefferson’s varied skillset, it’s fair to wonder if he can carry that over to the NBA level. He shot below 30% from beyond the arc in his previous three seasons combined. The improvement on higher volume is encouraging and he’s a solid free throw shooter (72.2% for his career) with good touch inside the arc, but shooting could be a swing skill — as it is for so many forwards.

The athletic testing portion of the combine did Jefferson no favors. He tested poorly in just about every athletic metric. Not historically bad like Johni Broome, but not great. The film shows a player who looks functionally athletic against some high-level competition, but he’s not the fleetest of foot and it’s hard to know until you see him against NBA athletes.

Positional Fit

The theoretical best version of Jefferson is a dream fit for the Sixers.

You could slot him in at the four right between Joel Embiid and Paul George. He could be an excellent connector for the starting group and occasionally take on a bigger offensive role when the stars are inevitably out. Rebounding and passing are two of the Sixers’ biggest needs and Jefferson checks both boxes. His ability to create turnovers and get loose balls would endear him quickly to Nick Nurse. Again though, the shooting will need to continue to improve.

He also fits both timelines. He could potentially be a rotation player now, while making himself into a key cog next to Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe for the future. It’s not hard to envision Jefferson pulling the ball off the rim and finding Edgecombe for easy transition lobs. Again, Jefferson likely doesn’t have star upside, but finding good, smart, versatile, rotational-level players is also important.

Draft Projection

SB Nation mock draft: No. 24, New York Knicks

With so many players deciding to go back to school and cash in on NIL money, a deep draft has thinned out quite a bit. Many of the more popular names we’ve seen linked to the Sixers could come off the board before we even reach the 20s. Depending on how it shakes out, selecting Jefferson at 22 might not be a reach.

Watching him go to the Knicks might suck.

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BetMGM’s well-known ladder bettor won nearly a quarter of a million dollars by backing the New York Knicks over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The anonymous user, who is believed to have profited approximately $2 million during the NBA Playoffs, cashed a range of bets from Knicks +8.5 to Knicks +4.5.

Key Takeaways

• The bettor added $85.8K to their growing profit from betting on the NBA Playoffs.
  
  
• BetMGM revealed bettor won about $1.2 million by backing the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
  
  
• This is the first time all season the Knicks are favored to win the Finals.

BetMGM News posted on X shortly before tip-off that the sportsbook had accepted $150,000 worth of tickets, the largest of which was an $80,000 wager on the Knicks at +8.5 (-210).

A few hours later, and after the Knicks upset the Spurs on the road, 105-95, all of the bets were graded as winners. BetMGM paid the user $235,787.55, or $85,787.55 in profit. The largest individual win was $118,095.24 for the $80,000 stake on the Knicks +8.5 at -210 odds. 

A bettor at @BetMGM wagered $150,000 on @nyknicks to cover in Game 1:

▪️ $80,000 on Knicks +8.5 -210 ✅
▪️ $30,000 on Knicks +7.5 -175 ✅
▪️ $20,000 on Knicks +6.5 -150 ✅
▪️ $10,000 on Knicks +5.5 -130 ✅
▪️ $10,000 on Knicks +4.5 -105 ✅

Knicks beat Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 🤑…

— John Ewing (@johnewing) June 4, 2026

The bettor behind these, and other ladder wagers, remains unknown. However, the consistency and uniqueness of their approach make it appear as if the same individual was behind a series of related bets throughout the playoffs.

The user made nearly $1.2 million by backing the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals alone. That included $466,718 in profit from $775,000 in wagers during the Knicks’ historic Game 1 comeback, which saw them recover from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to win in overtime.

.@nyknicks were down 22 points in the 4th quarter

New York comes back to win 115-104 in OT.

A bettor at @BetMGM had $775,000 on Knicks to cover in Game 1:

▪️ $75,000 on Knicks -2.5 -210 ✅
▪️ $350,000 on Knicks -3.5 -185 ✅
▪️ $185,000 on Knicks -4.5 -160 ✅
▪️ $95,000 on…

— John Ewing (@johnewing) May 20, 2026

That said, the $150,000 in total wagers was on the smaller end of the bettor’s bankroll. They never risked less than $300,000 in the Eastern Conference Finals and had six figures of ladder bets in other series, including the Western Conference Finals and the conference semifinals on both sides of the bracket.

Spurs still favored in Game 2

The Spurs were a consensus 4.5-point Game 1 favorite before Wednesday’s tip-off. They were also BetMGM’s series favorites at -190, giving them just below a two-thirds implied chance to win the championship.

After just one game, the Knicks are now the team in the driver’s seat. They shortened to -140 in NBA Finals odds (58.3% chance), while the Spurs are now +120.

The odds flip put the Knicks in pole position to win the Finals for the first time all season. They opened the season at +700 title odds, but were only +2200 by the time they entered the playoffs. 

The Spurs garnered more national respect in recent weeks, although they would still make history with a series win. Their +2500 preseason odds to win the championship would be the second-longest in SportsOddsHistory’sdatabase, which extends back to the 1984-85 season, only behind the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors. 

Despite the Game 1 loss, oddsmakers are firmly predicting a Spurs bounce-back in Game 2. Odds for Friday’s rematch have the Spurs at a 5.5-point advantage, meaning they’re even larger favorites than they were in the series opener. They also have -235 moneyline odds (70.2% chance) to the Knicks’ +195 (33.9% chance).

Finals MVP odds and outlook

While the Knicks haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973, they are doing everything they can to rewrite history. Their ongoing 12-game winning streak is tied with the 1999 Spurs, who beat the eighth-seed Knicks in the Finals, 4-1. The record 15-game winning streak belongs to the Golden State Warriors. 

Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama are in a bit of a two-horse race in NBA Finals MVP odds, with both receiving odds just above one-to-one. Karl-Anthony Towns is the only other player in close contention.

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

The NBA will investigate the behavior of fans who sat courtside at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio and allegedly directed profanity towards New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, reports Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime and NBATV.

According to the report, the remarks concerned Brunson "flopping," and Brunson, who scored 30 points in the 105-95 win, met with official Scott Foster after the game to discuss the fans' remarks.

The NBA Code of Conduct clearly states the behavior they expect fans to adhere to when attending a game.

"Guests will enjoy the basketball experience free from and without engaging in disruptive behavior, including foul or abusive language, betting-related or other harassment directed towards players or other game participants, and obscene gestures," part of the code reads.

The penalties for fan misbehavior at NBA games are severe; the Code of Conduct states that anyone who violates it could face "ejection without refund, revocation of their season tickets, and/or prevention from attending future games. They may also be in violation of local ordinances, resulting in possible arrest and prosecution."

Jalen Brunson IMMEDIATELY going after Scott Foster and a fan as soon as the clock hit zero 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/aqMTRsuJlz

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) June 4, 2026

Caleb Wilson has been a busy guy over the last month, to say the least. One recent stop that he made was to NBA Today, where he was asked about the NBA Draft, and whether or not he felt like he should be drafted #1 overall.

Here is what the now former Tar Heel had to say:

”I definitely do. I played against everybody else, and I won. And I played better. It’s just that simple for me. … You can check the film, you can check the tape.”

Hard to argue against that.

Whether you believe Wilson has what it takes to jump over AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer in the draft, there is no doubt that Wilson may be the most interesting player of the group as far as his ceiling goes. As he stated, he did beat Peterson and Wilson during the regular season, and he at least outplayed Dybantsa during the exhibition against BYU. By no means does any of this mean he is destined to be the better NBA player, but it is at least something that NBA teams should make note of.

As of right now, most outlets still have Wilson going fourth overall to the Chicago Bulls, but a couple of outlets think that teams are starting to consider Wilson as a top 2-3 pick. CBS Sports has Wilson getting drafted second overall by the Utah Jazz in their latest mock draft, which would be an interesting move to say the least. The last thing that the Jazz need is another big, but perhaps Wilson’s upside would be enough to not resign Walker Kessler.

We are just a couple of weeks away from finding out who will ultimately draft Caleb Wilson, but now we want to hear from you. Do you agree with Wilson? Do you think he could/should go #1 overall? Let us know in the comments below.

Tony Parker won four NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs alongside Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili, and Gregg Popovich. Parker is a Hall of Fame inductee and one of the defining point guards of the ‘00s. There are a million images of Parker celebrating after championships, yet ESPN and ABC chose to run a photo that was clearly doctored with AI during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals.

ESPN showed this image as it cut to commercial. It’s supposed to be Tony Parker, but fans quickly pointed out that it looks nothing like him.

What’s so weird about this is this is a famous photo of Parker, the network just chose to use AI to enhance his facial features. In doing so, it completely distorted his face and made him look like an entirely different person.

Here’s the original image of Parker that ABC/ESPN chose to alter. Was it really worth it just to put a bigger smile on his face?

AI Tony Parker just adds insult to injury to a rough Game 1 loss for the Spurs that showed some real problems they have to overcome in this series. This is going to be such a great NBA Finals with so much history on both sides. Please don’t use AI to alter our perception of reality as we watch it.

Oh, the good, old days. Back when things were so much better, and the sun was shining brighter, and the ocean was less polluted. Back then, Luka Doncic was a Maverick and constantly managed to carry his team further than expected, and we talked about how the team as a whole was better than the sum of its parts. 

But you know what wasn’t better in the good, old days? Jalen Brunson. Luka’s sidekick, who was a decent playmaker back then, but nothing extraordinary next to Luka Doncic. The two were drafted together in 2018 and learned the ropes of the league together. They grew up together in a way, until Jalen Brunson signed with the New York Knicks as a free agent in 2022. 

The failure by Dallas to retain Brunson was highly criticized by many at the time and remains a sore topic for many Dallas fans. It didn’t help when he started winning with and leading a Knicks team, slowly and steadily built around him. Brunson became an All-Star in 2024 and received All-NBA Team selection for the first time that same year. He went on to become a three time NBA All-Star, three time All-NBA Second Team and Clutch Player of the Year in the 2024/25 season.  

Because, as it turns out, Jalen Brunson’s ceiling was much higher than we’d seen in Dallas. His potential to lead was clear from his Villanova days, but in reality he was not a real factor next to Luka Doncic. 

Sure, there were signs. Jalen Brunson averaged 32 points in the three playoff games he played without Luka Doncic during his time in Dallas. He led – and I mean led – the Dallas Mavericks to victory in two out of those three games in the First Round of the 2022 playoffs against a Utah Jazz team that had had a very good season. It stood out how Brunson rose to the occasion back then. 

And after he had departed from Dallas, it became very clear that there was a void on the team, a type of leadership void that was hard to pinpoint. But the fact was that something was missing, lacking, on a team still with its best player around in Luka. 

I wrote a piece back then, calling him the shadow leader we took for granted, and how he had clearly been a much needed support and fixture for a young superstar in Luka. Brunson helped Luka Doncic carry the team and he helped him thrive in Dallas as he had from day one. 

Without Brunson things got murky. Until Kyrie Irving came along and provided some of the same support, things seemed harder and the joy and energy of the team and its superstar had waned a little. Even the best of superstars and generational talents to ever see the sport have needed a second guy, a number two to help carry the mental load, the burden of lifting and carrying and locker room leadership. Jalen Brunson was that along the way for Luka Doncic. 

But for Brunson to reach his own full potential, he needed more possessions, more space, a different way of playing. They both have a heliocentric style of playing, him and Luka, needing touches and time to thrive. The other thing they have in common is the clutch finishing. Both players step up when needed, thrive under pressure and enjoy the challenge and responsibility of closing a game.

In Dallas, it was Luka’s team, it was his job and his pride to close games. In New York, with a roster built around him, Jalen Brunson is the guy with the final touch. The guy who takes responsibility for the game with seconds left. And he is good at it. 

We saw that play out once again last night in the first game of the NBA Finals, where the Knicks stole the win against the San Antonio Spurs. In the fourth, Brunson took charge and led the team to victory. That is how you can tell the difference between who is a superstar and who is just a very good basketball player.Are you able to take over a game when it matters the most? Brunson did it in the biggest game of his career yet last night. 

But Jalen Brunson is not Luka Doncic. Comparing the two is not worth our time. Both are great players in their own right, however, and unlike Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson has a roster that fits him. It was built around him, from best Villanova buddy Josh Hart, who can read his mind because they know each other so well (same can more or less be said of fellow Villanova alumni Mikal Bridges), to OG Anunoby, who’s the team’s leading scorer after Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who playing more like an offensive hub during the playoffs to create looks for his teammates. 

Connection and cohesion over a longer period of time matters in team sport. Building a roster that fits together matters. You can’t just put a couple of superstars on the same team and assume that it works out like in a computer game. 

Jalen Brunson is a great example of how roster construction can make or break a career. If you never end up in the right – or just a good – situation that can help you reach your ceiling, you may never reach your potential. 

What would have happened if Brunson had stayed in Dallas? I don’t want to speculate about that, it’s not a nice thought. But it does show how many players, who may seem washed or mid, could have a huge hidden potential in the right situation. 

And if they had the right people around them, who could help them get to an environment which is better for them, there’s a good chance they might thrive and blossom into stars, which most of us never saw coming. 

Hidden gems are all over the league, all over the world. The trick is to see the signs of their potential before it’s too late. 

And in the name of hoping for the best basketball possible, of course we cheer for old Maverick JB, who went through so much to finally find his home in New York. Too bad it wasn’t in Dallas, though. 

Let’s hope all potential stars get the chance to end up in a similar situation.

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

As noted, New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee said in one of the Nike commercials he directed in 1988, starring Michael Jordan, "it's gotta be the shoes."

Even Mars Blackmon, who was played by Lee in the spot, has to admit that Knicks guard Jalen Brunson changing his sneakers at halftime worked wonders in the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

Brunson started the game wearing Nike Kobe 3s and had 11 points at halftime on a dreadful 5-for-15 shooting.

The 2025 Clutch Player of the Year came out of the locker room sporting Nike Kobe 6s, but it didn't pay immediate dividends. Brunson was still throwing up bricks in the third quarter with a 2-for-7 performance.

But in the last eight minutes of the game, Brunson took over, scoring 13 of his game-high 30 points in that time span as the Knicks snatched home court advantage from San Antonio. Game 2 is Friday, June 5.

Guess it was the shoes.

What a frustrating game. Even though San Antonio wasn’t shooting well as a team throughout, for 2.5 quarters it really felt like they had a firm command of the game, and were always ready to punch back when the Knicks went on a run. However, that confidence seemed to fade in the late 3rd, and although San Antonio continued to fight hard, it often felt like they weren’t fighting in a particularly smart way. Be that as it may, the optimistic viewpoint is that this game was yet another necessary experience on the road to glory, so that the pain we feel now is just the price to pay for future triumph. In the meantime, let’s review some box score stats:

Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of June 3, 2026, this group include 1,201 games.

Factors that decided the game

• Setting aside offensive efficiency for the moment, this was a relatively balanced game. Although it didn’t feel like it, San Antonio actually had more offensive and defensive rebounds, which (all else equal) could have translated into an edge in offensive opportunity. However, they also had four more turnovers.
• Both teams committed 23 fouls, but the Spurs’ were better timed, so San Antonio shot seven more free throws. Unfortunately, because the Knicks earned a FT% margin of +8.89 percentage points, the Spurs’ FTM margin was just +4.
• By far the most significant issue in this game was shooting efficiency from the field. Neither team was good, but New York’s percentages enjoyed a strong relative edge, including FG% and 3P% margins of +5.53 and +4.97 percentage points, respectively. Consequently, the Knicks outscored San Antonio by 14 from the field.

Rare Box Score Stats

• Neither team was efficient from the field tonight, but relatively speaking New York’s advantage from the field was substantial. In fact, the Knicks became just the 13th postseason winner since 2012-2013 to log FG% and 3P% values of just 41.49% and 30.56% (respectively) and still have POSITIVE FG% and 3P% differentials.
• To further underscore how unusual the offensive efficiency mix was in this game, winners with poor shooting percentages from the field often have a significant edge at the charity stripe. New York did not in this game; in fact, the Knicks recorded just the 9th winning postseason performance since 2012-2013 that included FG% and 3P% values at least as bad as theirs and a FTA differential of -7 or worse.
• The Spurs’ paltry assist total of 16 isn’t all that uncommon in the NBA; in fact, this was the 49th case of 16 or fewer assists across all NBA games in the 2025-2026 season. However, it is extremely uncommon for the Spurs, who last had an assist total of 16 or less in a regular season contest against the Jazz on March 11, 2022.
• Wemby had a unique stat line, but it was mostly bad or mixed news on the offensive side of things. For example, he was fantastic at the getting to the free throw line and converting those opportunities, but his offensive efficiency from the field was dreadful. In fact, he logged just the 93rd playoff performance since 1996-1997 that included 12+ made free throws and no more than 26 points. For reference, the average point total for a player making 12+ free throws in a playoff game during this period is about 33.

What are Team Graded Box Scores?

Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).

Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.

The San Antonio Spurs were comfortably in control against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The Spurs held a 14-point second half lead by flummoxing what was a high-powered Knicks’ offense all postseason. The game started to change in the third quarter when Victor Wembanyama headed to the bench for a breather, which allowed Jalen Brunson to catch a rhythm and his teammates to find their confidence. The game was tied going into the fourth quarter, and that meant New York had the Spurs right where they wanted them.

Brunson took over down the stretch to deliver the Knicks a 105-95 Game 1 victory in San Antonio. It didn’t matter that the Spurs led for most of the night, because the Knicks have the best clutch player in the game, and he again willed them across the finish line with spectacular shot-making on a night where he had to briefly go to the locker room after injuring his knee.

The Knicks have stolen homecourt advantage. The Spurs are suddenly in a must-win situation in Game 2 before the series heads to Madison Square Garden. Here are our Game 1 overreactions after a fantastic start to the 2026 NBA Finals.

Jalen Brunson can’t be stopped in closing time

If you want to beat the Knicks, you better have a big fourth quarter lead, because if it’s close, Brunson is taking New York home. The Knicks have fantastic spacing with three knockdown shooters around their star guard, and it allows him to work one-on-one in the biggest moments. Brunson is about as small as NBA players get, he’s not particularly fast, and he hasn’t dunked the last two seasons. It doesn’t matter: he gets to his spots better than anyone in the league, and he has both the courage and the touch to consistently hit shots from a variety of angles.

Brunson has a lifetime of practice in these clutch situations. I vividly remember his high school heroics in suburban Chicago leading Stevenson to three Finals Four appearances and one state championship. He was a role player on one national championship team at Villanova as a freshman, and the driving force on another as a junior. He’s built for these moments. If the game is tight late, the Knicks know they have the ultimate closer.

The Spurs blew it by not playing Dylan Harper down the stretch

Rookie guard Dylan Harper might have been San Antonio’s best player in Game 1, but head coach Mitch Johnson pulled him out of the game with four minutes left, and he never returned. Johnson chose to close with De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie. You can quibble with who you think should have been on the bench out of that trio, but there’s no doubt that Harper should have been on the floor.

Fox just hasn’t been at his best all season, and it’s likely that he’s still playing hurt after missing games in the Western Conference Finals with an ankle injury. He was pretty bad all night in Game 1, finishing with seven points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. Fox missed a nine-foot jumper that could have tied the game with 90 seconds left, then he bailed out the Knicks by fouling Mikal Bridges late in the shot-clock on the next possession. That swing lost the Spurs the game.

Harper was outstanding in the first half before cooling some in the second. Still, he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting. It’s worth noting that Harper was -5 in his 28 minutes, while Fox was even through his 38 minutes. I just feel like Harper is the Spurs’ best backcourt shot-creator at this point, and without him creating advantages, San Antonio’s offense bogged down late.

Karl-Anthony Towns is a matchup nightmare for Victor Wembanyama

Brunson will get most of the credit for the Knicks’ Game 1 win, but Towns was every bit as important. He got it done on both ends of the floor in his marquee matchup with Victor Wembanyama, and it leaves the Spurs scrambling for answers on how to unlock their 7’5 alien for the rest of the series.

Towns is one of the best shooting big men ever, and he naturally pulls Wembanyama out of the paint when the two are matched up on each other. Towns isn’t just a jump shooter, though: his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive hard to the hole puts Wemby in difficult situations where he has to slide his feet and can’t rotate to help his teammates.

KAT also guarded Wembanyama for most of the game, and did a great job denying him deep post position. His Knicks teammates were crashing down for digs every time Wemby put the ball on the floor, but Towns was the first line of defense. In addition to continually pushing the French superstar to the perimeter, Towns also did a great job on the defensive glass. His box score numbers were solid but unspectacular with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists on 7-of-15 shooting, but it’s no coincidence that he finished +14 in 34 minutes. Towns swung the game, and I’m not sure the Spurs have an answer for him.

Josh Hart is the ultimate glue guy

It’s been easy to blame Josh Hart when the Knicks have struggled over the last few seasons because he’s a shaky shooter and doesn’t have much creation ability. Still, there’s a reason New York continues to stick with him, and Hart rewarded them with a gutsy role player performance in Game 1. He only scored three points in 27 minutes on 1-of-5 shooting, but Hart still helped swing the game with his rebounding (15 boards), defense (four steals), and connective playmaking (six assists). He finished the game +22 in 27 minutes. You feel Hart’s presence whenever he’s on the floor, and his selfless nature is part of what’s elevated this Knicks team to such great heights.

Victor Wembanyama needs a post game

Wemby is probably the best player in the world at age-22, but he still has a lot of room to get better. Game 1 showed some holes in his offensive skill set on a cold shooting night when the Knicks weren’t letting him get all the way to the basket. Wembanyama just doesn’t really have a plan of attack inside the arc yet, so much so that it often feels like his best bet is just throwing the ball at the rim and trying to get his own rebound. What he really needs his a mid-range bag or a post-up game to help settle the offense in tense moments.

His shot chart from Wednesday night shows how much room he has to improve inside the arc but away from the rim. Wemby was 1-for-7 on non-rim two-pointers. That’s a hard way for any star player to live when the game slows down in the playoffs.

The Knicks’ chemistry is something special right now

The Knicks have now won 12 straight games since the Atlanta Hawks took a 2-1 series lead against them in the first round. New York has a +19.1 net-rating for the playoffs. If the Knicks finish this thing off, it’s one of the most dominant playoff runs ever.

I’m interested to see how the Knicks respond if they ever lose a game. Will they slip into the bad habits they showed earlier in the year? At this point, it feels like this team has counters for everything, and they’re playing with an incredible amount of unselfishness. That’s what championship teams are made of.

Jaxson Dart gave fans insight into his NBA Finals experience.

The Giants’ quarterback was in a suite at Frost Bank Center for Game 1 between the Knicks and Spurs on Wednesday night, as seen in an Instagram story that featured Giants teammate Brian Burns and comedian Pete Davidson.

From the suite, Dart starts the video by recording the court during a fourth-quarter play that saw Jalen Brunson drive to the rim for a pull-up jump shot.

It sent Knicks fans into a frenzy, including Dart, who turned the camera toward the suite where a bunch of fans were jumping up and down and screaming.

He went on to find the three-time Pro Bowler Burns, who was yelling and flexing, and then the video flashes to a smiling Davidson.

The jumper pushed the Knicks’ lead to 101-95 as they were on their way to a 105-95 win to take a 1-0 series lead.

Dart, Burns and Davidson witnessed Brunson’s fourth-quarter magic.

The three-time All-Star led the Knicks as they erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit to mark their 12th straight win in this playoff run.

Dart, who is prepping for his second year with the Giants, attended the Finals on the heels of an eventful few weeks.

He received pushback after introducing Donald Trump to an audience at Rockland Community College in Suffern in late May, even from his own locker room.

In a since-deleted post, Abdul Carter took to X to say “Thought this s–t was AI, what we doing man.” He then followed up with a post to say the two settled the dust after speaking “as men.”

Dart later held a locker room meeting to explain his decision, yet Carter did not attend due to family obligations related to the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha.

Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jameis Winston also addressed the team.

A week later, Dart called it a “unique opportunity.”

“I also understand in this world, politics can be a sensitive matter, a sensitive topic,” he said “I also understand that I’m the quarterback of the New York Giants and that involves a lot of responsibility.”

The Spurs host Game 2 on Friday night before the series heads to New York.

The Houston Rockets have a new look — sort of.

On Thursday, June 4, the Rockets unveiled new branding that reintroduces the iconic "ketchup and mustard" color palette made famous by the franchise's 1994 and 1995 NBA championship teams.

The Rockets will debut three new uniforms — one white, one red and one black, all with yellow highlights — for the 2026-27 season. The team also added a yellow outline to its primary "R" logo, recreated its global logo as a triangle shape inspired by space mission patches, and brought back the popular Dunkstronaut as a permanent secondary logo.

While the colors and some aspects of the uniform redesign capitalize on nostalgia for the '90s era of Rockets basketball, including a slanted font and lowercase "T" mimicking the retro logo, other details reflect the franchise's modernization.

One giant leap for new threads. pic.twitter.com/Aj0OmxTsnw

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) June 4, 2026

Subtle vertical stripes on the "Association" and "Icon" uniforms are inspired by a rocket's rotation as it launches into space, while the stripes on the black "Statement" uniform are inspired by a quasar, an ultra-bright galactic nucleus. Each jersey features a "Clutch City" tag framed by two quasars. The waistbands on all three uniform shorts feature the Dunkstronaut, which became immensely popular with fans after it was used on City Edition uniforms during the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons.

The Rockets worked for three years on the new logos and uniforms, a process that involved adjusting to feedback from the NBA and Nike. From the start, however, the Rockets were sure they wanted a callback to the championship team colors.

"If you're going to update something and do it, to not bring back the iconic colors — it was obvious the decision we were gonna make," said Rockets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr. "Tying back to the nostalgia and the legacy of what this franchise has been for 60 years was very important, but also being very clear that we are going big places and we have a bright future."

Rockets players first saw the uniforms at a photo shoot in early April, and according to Sheirr, they were hyped about the new threads.

The Rockets teased the reveal earlier in the week with a "Rudy T's Diner" video. Shot at Tel-Wink Grill, a classic diner in southeast Houston, the spot featured cameos from Hall of Fame coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Hakeem Olajuwon, Vernon Maxwell, Ralph Sampson, Calvin Murphy and Steve Francis, alongside Houston celebrities Slim Thug and Mo Amer.

“We heard our fans…Ketchup and Mustard is back!” said Patrick Fertitta, Vice Chairman of the Houston Rockets and Comets, in a statement. “From the time my family bought the team in 2017, we’ve heard from countless fans about how deeply those colors are tied to their memories of Rockets basketball. We wanted to create something that celebrates the generations of fans who built Rockets basketball while inspiring the next generation of Rockets fans.”

Ketchup and mustard are back on the menu! 🔴🟡

Reservations open June 4. pic.twitter.com/DhCkLQLeIV

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) June 3, 2026

The team is already selling new apparel on its website, with jerseys available for preorder, and fans in Houston can check out gear in person at a retail pop-up shop on Friday, June 5 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston Rockets new uniforms, logos capture 1990s nostalgia