Wembanyama stars as Spurs trim Knicks' Finals lead
Victor Wembanyama scored 32 points as the San Antonio Spurs cut the New York Knicks' lead in the NBA Finals to 2-1 with a 115-111 win at Madison Square Garden.
US President Donald Trump, in the crowd as the iconic venue hosted its first Finals game since 1999, was booed when he was shown on the big screen during the national anthem.
He is the first sitting president to attend the championship series.
Wembanyama, whose errors cost the Spurs in game two, added eight rebounds and six assists.
He was supported by 23 points from Stephon Castle and 13 off the bench from Dylan Harper as the Spurs avoided going 3-0 down - a deficit from which no team has recovered in the Finals.
Defeat ended a 13-game winning streak for the Knicks - two short of the Golden State Warriors' 2017 record - as they chase their first championship since 1973.
Only five of the 37 teams who have led 2-0 have failed to win the Finals.
"We've done what we were supposed to do but the job is absolutely not done," said Wembanyama.
"We're not even halfway. The hardest is yet to come."
The Spurs trailed 64-57 at half-time but went ahead with a 35-point third quarter.
A three-pointer from Castle with one minutes 53 seconds left extended their lead to 111-104 and - unlike in game one, when they came unstuck against a late surge from the Knicks - the Spurs held firm.
Although OG Anunoby hit a late three-pointer to cut the Spurs' lead to two points, Castle scored two free throws in the final 10 seconds.
Anunoby finished with 28 points and Jalen Brunson 32 for the Knicks.
The best-of-seven series continues at the same venue on Wednesday (01:30 BST, Thursday) before the teams return to San Antonio for game five on Saturday (01:30, Sunday).
Victor Wembanyama found clarity drawing in New York park, then used it to beat Knicks
"I'm still very blurry. That's the whole problem."
That's how Victor Wembanyama described himself in the immediate aftermath of Game 2, trying to get his head around the disastrous final few possessions that put the Spurs in an 0-2 hole. He said at the time he needed to slow his mind down and get some clarity.
"The Playoffs, it's like a — I don't know how to say that word — a whirlwind. It's hard to put your head out of the water," Wembanyama said of his headspace. "Sometimes I don't even go to watch the game back right away. I need some time off, let my brain cool down, recover. Recover as much for the body as for the mind."
Wembanyama took that time off before Game 3 and found his clarity sitting in Gramercy Park in New York on Sunday, sketching a picture of a statue (of Edwin Booth, legendary Shakespearean actor of the mid-1800s, although unfortunately for him, he is better remembered as the brother of John Wilkes Booth).
Victor Wembanyama drawing with his sister in a park in NYC
— Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) June 8, 2026
(: hoopsnation on IG)#GoSpursGo#PorVidapic.twitter.com/FclI2m7TVv
"I drew the statue in that park..." Wemby said.
Was the drawing any good?
"Not bad. Pretty good," Wembanyama said with a smile.
His performance in Game 3 was more than pretty good.
A clear-headed Wembanyama went out and scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, had eight rebounds and six assists, plus three blocks. He was the best player on the court.
Because of Wembanyama — and 23 from Stephon Castle on a bounce-back night for him, too — the Spurs have their first win in this Finals series, beating the Knicks 115-111 on Monday night. New York still leads the series 2-1, and Game 4 on Wednesday night becomes massive.
"Wemby played great," Knicks coach Mike Brown said. "He had probably seven lob dunks because we didn't follow attention to detail and try to take that away."
Getting to the rim
Mental clarity was part of it, but for San Antonio, it was also something simple (but not always easy to do): Getting back to what they see as their style of basketball.
"I thought we made some strides in terms of the ball movement and playing with our teammates, setting screens, trusting the basketball would find the right guy for our shot," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "I thought we showed better poise at times."
San Antonio made a point of getting Wembanyama going at the rim early — his first four baskets came within four feet of the rim. However, it wasn't just him — Castle, Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox all were touching paint on drives.
"Just us playing to our strengths, not allowing [New York packing the paint] to stop our aggressiveness getting to the paint," Johnson said. "Just understanding when we're being aggressive and touching the paint, it's not always for us to score. I feel like that opens up passing lanes and puts them in rotations. I feel like when we change sides and move the ball like that, especially after a paint touch, I feel like we're pretty hard to stop."
AREA 51'S FIRST NBA FINALS WIN
— NBA (@NBA) June 9, 2026
Wemby: 32 PTS
Castle: 23 PTS
First teammates, age 22 or younger, to score 20+ PTS in an NBA Finals game! pic.twitter.com/hv50OVlSSR
Where Wembanyama really took over was in the fourth quarter, when he scored 10 points and had a key block on Landry Shamet at the rim.
Jalen Brunson has dominated the court quarters in this series, and he had a dozen in the fourth in this one, but the difference in Game 3 was that Wemby had help, and Brunson did not. De'Aaron Fox had six points in the fourth quarter and hit the dagger jumper with 12.2 seconds left, while Dylan Harper scored five points and hit clutch free throws. For the Knicks, OG Anunoby scored six in the fourth quarter, but the rest of the team shot 1-of-15.
With his clear head and big game, Wembanyama earned a vulgar chant from the Knicks faithful, one usually reserved for the Knicks' biggest villains, including Reggie Miller and, more recently, Trae Young. Is that now becoming Wembanyama?
"I guess," he said with a shrug, and then joked, "I'm nowhere near Trae Young level, though."
Another clear-headed performance like this one and another win on Wednesday night and Wemby will reach Young's lofty level, and more.
Donald Trump fires back at ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith
President Donald Trump made an appearance at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks hosted the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, which the Spurs won 115-111 on Monday, June 8.
It was a spectacle with the secret service and heightened protocol with Trump in the building. He was showered with boos when his face was shown on the arena jumbotron during the national anthem.
If that didn't anger New Yorkers enough, the Knicks losing surely did it. And one particular individual is casting the blame on Trump for showing up.
ESPN television personality Stephen A. Smith said during an episode of his podcast "The Stephen A. Smith Show" that he would blame Trump for his attendance at the game.
He explained how Trump going to the game would cause a stir with the added security and procedures in place that disrupted the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden.
"This is about an indivual engaging in a level of narcissism that really rakes my freakin' nerves. He's got no businesss here tonight. It has nothing to do with politics," Smith said. "It was everything to do with the ferver that exists around the New York Knicks and he is disrupting everything the Knicks have been vibing with."
After Game 3, Trump was asked about the game, the boos he received and particularly Smith's comments on the podcast.
"I think mostly cheers, it was loud and it was very enthusiastic," Trump said.
He continued after being asked about what Smith had to say about his attendance.
"I think he's a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high IQ. I'm not sure that Stephen has that. I don't think he does actually," Trump told reporters.
New York hosts San Antonio with 2-1 series lead
San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 216.5
NBA FINALS: Knicks lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Spurs won the last meeting 115-111 on Tuesday, led by 32 points from Victor Wembanyama. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 32.
The Knicks are 30-10 in home games. New York has a 9-4 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Spurs are 30-12 on the road. San Antonio is second in the Western Conference with 47.0 rebounds per game led by Wembanyama averaging 11.5.
The Knicks average 14.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 13.0 per game the Spurs allow. The Spurs are shooting 48.3% from the field, 2.3% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brunson is averaging 26 points and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. Landry Shamet is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
De'Aaron Fox is scoring 18.6 points per game and averaging 3.8 rebounds for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie is averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 9-1, averaging 115.6 points, 45.6 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 102.2 points per game.
Spurs: 5-5, averaging 110.3 points, 46.1 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 8.3 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.4 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.
Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Windhorst: ‘I have not heard that Boston is on Giannis’ list’
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst spoke with CLNS Media’s and CelticsBlog’s Bobby Manning about the Celtics offseason and where everything stands with this summer’s most intriguing possibility.
On the Celtics potential pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Windhorst said, “the big question the Celtics would have is Giannis prepared to sign an extension in Boston? I don’t know the answer. Also, do you feel good about signing a guy that, I would say, has had chronic injuries to a $275 million contract when he is in his thirties. Does everyone feel good about that?”
“I have not heard that Boston is on Giannis’ list,” he continued. “I have not heard that Giannis is prepared to sign an extension with Boston. So frankly, the Jaylen Brown part is moot to me.”
When asked about the Celtics ability to get back to the Finals, Windhorst said, “I thought Boston was going to win the East this year. They looked great. They’re not that far.”
“I think everybody would agree they need more big-man depth. Do you believe that Queta is your franchise center? Do you honestly look yourself in the mirror and (ask), ‘can you beat Karl (-Anthony) Towns, can you beat Victor Wembanyama (in a series)’ because that’s the standard. Maybe they believe he can, I’m not saying he can’t but that’s the question they need have to consider.”
Windy also went on to talk about the ways the Celtics can use the $27 million trade exception they got in the Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic trade in February.
“The Simons trade exception is a big asset. Team’s are going to be looking to get off contracts, that’s where we are in the apron era and the Celtics have decent control of their first round picks. They have those things two things to add a nice player. That’s probably at the front of mind.”
“Now if they get a call from Giannis’ agent in ten days and says he wants to be a Celtic, then let’s have a different conversation,” Windy continued. “Until I hear about that, I think they should focus on using the Simons trade exception and hitting on their draft pick.”
Spurs bounce back to win game 3 in New York
The Spurs have bounced back and shown their resiliency all season long, and that was no different Monday night, resulting in a 115-111 victory to cut the Knicks’ series lead down to 2-1.
The good guys were on fire to start. They prioritized paint touches and got Wemby going early, throwing him lobs and opening up the lane for drives. There was always an extra pass to find the open man, resulting in an early 7-0 run that soon turned into a double-digit lead. Defensively, San Antonio threw different coverages at the Knicks, sometimes matching Wemby up with KAT and at other times allowing him to roam off of Josh Hart. As a result, New York struggled to get anything going, turning the ball over and forcing up bad shots.
Similar to games 1 and 2, though, the Knicks mounted a comeback — using their bench no less, in the non-Brunson minutes. New York finally started running their offense more through KAT, who overpowered every Spur not named Wemby. Clarkson, Alvarado, and Shamet energized the crowd and the home team through their relentless effort, helping them knock down shots while the Spurs went cold. Steph Castle was the only one consistently scoring for the good guys, capitalizing on turnovers and attacking the basket fearlessly.
Then, things went from bad to worse in the blink of an eye for San Antonio. Josh Hart made a number of wide-open threes, and the Knicks’ ball movement was always one step ahead of the visiting team. After a slow start, Brunson started knocking down shots too, and New York suddenly turned a deficit into a 7-point lead going into halftime, outscoring the Spurs 42-24 in the second.
As has been the case all season long, the Spurs wouldn’t give up. They played methodically to start the third, regaining the lead. Wemby found his stroke from deep, making two threes that quieted the raucous MSG crowd. The bench logged key minutes too, keeping San Antonio above water while giving Wemby a breather. Then, both teams tightened up, playing some sloppy basketball at both ends. The Spurs started throwing the ball all over the gym while New York rushed shots, and the scoring dried up.
Then, the biggest play of the game happened. Up seven with eight minutes left, Wemby made a deep three that included a foul on Mitchell Robinson, potentially leading to a four-point play. However, the Knicks won a challenge to overturn the call after noticing that Keldon Johnson had pushed Robinson into the Alien. What could’ve been an 11-point lead was then cut down to five after Brunson made a quick bucket on the very next play, setting up another exciting finish.
Fortunately, that did not disrupt the Spurs’ focus. San Antonio continued to play good defense and capitalize on their chances at the other end, maintaining a two-possession lead until the final minute. Then, the Knicks’ magic surfaced again, but it didn’t last (for once). Brunson and Anunoby hit two straight threes (with a Fox bucket in between) to cut it down to a one-possession game, before Castle iced the game with two clutch free throws.
Game notes
- The Carter Bryant minutes remain a mystery to all of us at PtR. He’s had flashes of brilliance, even in this game, but it’s not a coincidence that the Knicks have made comebacks in all three games starting in the second, when he usually checks in. It’s absolutely baffling that Mitch insists on playing him against a veteran New York team that feasts on inexperience, when there are more minutes to be given to a guy like Harper.
- Another thing I don’t understand? The hesitancy to tweak the starting lineup and play Harper over Champagnie. The rookie has arguably been the best Brunson defender, while Jules is his favorite target to attack. Yes, the Spurs will be giving up shooting, but that’ll be offset by the added defense and ballhandling, and Harper hunting Brunson was one of the catalysts of San Antonio’s comeback in game 2.
- The Spurs changed their coverage on KAT: Wemby played him straight up at times, and he was guarded by smaller players on other possessions. It effectively shut down Big Purr, who had 11 points on 10 attempts, but it allowed Hart to go 4-7 from deep and score 16 points. If this scheme can limit KAT that much, I’m willing to bet on Hart’s shooting falling back down to earth. That’s a big if, though.
- Wemby had by far his best game of the series. He finished with 32/8/6 on 11-18 shooting and was aggressive from the tip, setting the tone for the rest of the team. We’ll need to see a similar performance in game 4 if this series is going back to San Antonio tied at 2.
Play of the game
More Fox-Wemby two man game, please!
Next game: @ New York on Wednesday
The Spurs will look to even the series on Wednesday at 5:30 central time.
Knicks fans clash with cops in chaotic scene outside Bryant Park Game 3 watch party
Rowdy Knicks fanatics clashed with cops outside Bryant Park’s Game 3 watch party Monday night – including at least one who hurled a bottle at an officer.
The sea of fans was already teetering over the edge just one hour after tip-off, as many didn’t make it inside the official watch park of the Knicks-Spurs game in the Midtown park.
Huge brawls broke out and cops in riot gear rushed to control the unruly crowd, deploying pepper spray.
Rabblerousing fans started vaulting onto parked cars while chanting “We want Wemby!” One daredevil set fire to a Spurs t-shirt, while a mob chased a San Antonio fan across the street.
The troublemakers, who largely appeared to be young people, even knocked down a metal bus sign and broke off large tree branches.
Unruly youths took it in turns to try and knock over a bus sign near Bryant Park, wild video obtained by Freedom News shows.
The circular sign eventually fell off after the pole had been rigorously shaken – and the moment sparked jubilant scenes.
Cops in riot gear rushed to control the unruly crowd and deployed pepper spray, while fans tossed bottles at the officers.
But another shocking video showed the sign being used as a weapon during a brawl on 42nd Street.
One lunatic was seen smashing the sign off the heads of others in the chaotic scenes.
More Coverage on the Knicks during the 2026 NBA Finals
- Spurs’ surprising Victor Wembanyama strategy is backfiring
- Meet the Knicks superfans who spend thousands on season tickets, host massive fan meetups and have ‘Knicks Nooks’ full of old-school memorabilia
- The underlying fuel that’s propelling the Knicks through historic postseason run
- MSG’s electric Knicks atmosphere will be on full display as NBA Finals makes ‘really special’ return
Stray punches and kicks were hurled right in front of cops before they rushed to break apart the brawlers.
“Back up,” one officer was heard shouting repeatedly before several rabble-rousers were detained.
Some were even pinned to the ground before they were cuffed.
Rowdy youths also climbed NYPD barricade trucks and chanted “suck my d–k,” according to video shared by journalist Oliya Scootercaster.
Fans surrounded iconic yellow cabs, hitting windshields with lightsabers as cops tried to disperse crowds on 42nd Street.
Multiple individuals were arrested, a NYPD spokesperson told The Post.
Landry Shamet brought back to earth in NBA Finals Game 3 after heroic run
The NBA Finals returned to Madison Square Garden.
And Landry Shamet returned to earth.
Entering Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Shamet had been one of the postseason’s best stories, riding the best eight-game 3-point shooting stretch in playoff history after being booted from the rotation in the first round.
But Mike Brown’s most trusted reserve finally collided with the law of averages, scoring just three points while shooting 1-for-8 from the field in the Knicks’ 115-111 loss to the Spurs on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Shamet, who made 1-for-7 on 3-pointers, had shot nearly 68 percent from the perimeter in the previous eight games and scored at least 13 points in his previous four games.
“Great process, got some great looks, had a few that were down and out,” said Shamet, who finished with a team-worst minus-20 rating. “Process over outcome. I’m more upset about some of the things defensively that I’ve been priding myself on. I had a few possessions where I didn’t do my job like I needed to. That’s fixable. Sometimes the gods give you in and outs and the ball doesn’t go in.”
While Jordan Clarkson (10 points, three rebounds) and Jose Alvarado (four points, three rebounds) provided energy off the bench, Shamet and Miles McBride (scoreless in nine minutes) contributed to the Knicks’ first loss since April 23.
Shamet’s lone make came on a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to pull the Knicks within two, but the veteran struggled down the stretch, missing three attempts in the fourth quarter, including an ugly, forced 3-pointer that induced groans from the largely electric Garden crowd.
“They came out, they made adjustments, they were more physical,” Shamet said. “They kicked our ass and we’ve gotta bounce back.
“We gotta look in the mirror and get better and we’ll do that. I feel good about knowing we can clean some things up. We’ll be better in Game 4.”
It is another chance to leave his mark on one of the biggest games in Knicks history. It is another chance to add another chapter to his unlikely tale.
“The city was crazy, you could feel it from Mars, I’m sure,” Shamet said of the Game 3 atmosphere. “New York was buzzing. A lot of energy. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a win from the home fans, but we’ll respond and we’ll be better.”
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs punish Knicks in paint as key Finals advantages dry up
The tone, ominous for the Knicks, was set immediately.
The Spurs forced the ball inside to Victor Wembanyama.
Dunk and dunk.
It would be 48 minutes of San Antonio feasting in the paint, led by Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. The Knicks defense, so strong throughout this postseason, was a weakness Monday night.
They couldn’t slow down the Spurs’ young guns in a 115-111 loss at an electric Madison Square Garden.
“We weren’t as connected as we normally are,” OG Anunoby said after the Knicks allowed their most points in 17 playoff games this spring. “We had some mental mishaps and allowed some easy buckets, and also our transition defense wasn’t what we wanted it to be.”
So, basically, everything.
In the first two games, the Spurs averaged 14.5 turnovers. They only committed eight in Game 3. So they had more possessions by cutting down on their mistakes and took advantage of it.
But the biggest issue was the interior defense, allowing Wembanyama and Castle to combine for 55 points on 19-for-32 shooting.
They crushed the Knicks on the interior. The Spurs piled up 44 points in the paint and attempted 32 free throws.
More Coverage on the Knicks during the 2026 NBA Finals
- Spurs’ surprising Victor Wembanyama strategy is backfiring
- Meet the Knicks superfans who spend thousands on season tickets, host massive fan meetups and have ‘Knicks Nooks’ full of old-school memorabilia
- The underlying fuel that’s propelling the Knicks through historic postseason run
- MSG’s electric Knicks atmosphere will be on full display as NBA Finals makes ‘really special’ return
“I give San Antonio, their staff and their players a lot of credit. They just stayed with it, stayed with it, tried to execute, tried to execute, tried to execute, and we did not do a good job with the details,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I think it’s a combination of both because they had to execute their actions, and then we had to make sure that we tried to execute our defensive responsibilities, and we didn’t do a really good job with it.”
The Spurs shot 35 percent from 3-point range in going 12-for-34. They did hit some big 3s. But that wasn’t what bothered Brown about his team’s defense Monday night.
“We allowed them to get to the paint, and we did not pay attention in detail to what we are supposed to do defensively,” Brown said.
There is no mistaking what Victor Wembanyama became in Game 3
Victor Wembanyama is known for many things.
He’s the next face of the league. He’s an “alien.” He’s a 7-foot-4 sensation who can make 3-pointers.
But he may have just added to his lore.
His newest act?
Knicks villain.
He played spoiler on a night when Knicks fans paid over $11,000 to get into Madison Square Garden. He ruined the team’s first Finals game on home soil in 27 years. He sent President Donald Trump, Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee and Ben Stiller home disappointed.
Right now, Wembanyama is New Yorkers’ No. 1 enemy.
Wembanyama led the Spurs to a 115-111 win Monday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, dealing a blow to the most populated city in America with 8.4 million residents who were foaming at the mouth to celebrate being one win away from their first championship since 1973.
Not so fast.
Wembanyama had 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the field, 2-for-4 from deep, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocked shots to put the series at 2-1.
In a tight fourth quarter in which the Knicks cut the Spurs’ eight-point lead to 113-111 with 9.4 seconds left, Wembanyama was the best player on the court. He had 10 points. He had a blocked shot. He was aggressive on the defensive end, helping hold the Knicks to 3-for-10 shooting in the paint over that period.
It was nightmarish for New Yorkers, who are used to Jalen Brunson playing the hero in those types of tight situations.
Wembanyama not only played spoiler, but earlier in the game he shoved the King of New York, firmly embracing the villain moniker.
With under five minutes left in the first quarter, Wembanyama pushed the back of Brunson’s neck. The Knicks star fell onto his hands. Richard Jefferson said on the ABC broadcast that he should’ve been assessed a flagrant 1 foul.
But there was no whistle on the play.
Knicks fans weren’t pleased. In the second quarter, a “F–k you, Wemby” chant erupted as Karl-Anthony Towns shot free throws. Knicks fans also took to X to voice their displeasure. One Knicks fan wrote, “Wembanyama is turning into a punk.” Another added, “All my homies hate Victor Wembanyama.”
Welcome to a very elite club, Wemby.
Trae Young is its president. To this day, fans chant “F–k you, Trae Young” following games after he tormented them during the first round of the 2021 playoffs, including shushing the crowd after he hit a game-winning shot in Game 1 and then taking a theatrical bow after clinching the series in Game 5.
Tyrese Haliburton also recently joined the club when he wore a hoodie featuring Reggie Miller’s 1994 “choke” gesture after eliminating the Knicks in Game 7 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
Miller and Michael Jordan were also proud card-carrying members of that club during their battles against the Knicks in the 1990s.
When Wembanyama was asked if he’s now a Knicks villain, he flashed a smile.
“I guess,” he said. “I’m nowhere near Trae Young level, though.”
More Coverage on the Knicks during the 2026 NBA Finals
- Spurs’ surprising Victor Wembanyama strategy is backfiring
- Meet the Knicks superfans who spend thousands on season tickets, host massive fan meetups and have ‘Knicks Nooks’ full of old-school memorabilia
- The underlying fuel that’s propelling the Knicks through historic postseason run
- MSG’s electric Knicks atmosphere will be on full display as NBA Finals makes ‘really special’ return
For Wembanyama, this is an honor. It means he’s doing something right.
We all knew this type of performance was coming for him.
There was a change in Wembanyama after Game 2 when he threw the ball off Stephon Castle’s back with the score tied at 104-104 and 9.5 seconds left, leading to a 105-104 loss. Wembanyama took responsibility for that blunder. He blamed himself for the loss.
Wembanyama spent the next few days trying to reset. He went to Gramercy Park in Manhattan to sketch a statue. After the Spurs fell into a 2-0 hole, legendary coach Gregg Popovich advised the team to forget the last two games. Wemy took those words to heart.
In Game 3, Wembanyama was a different player.
He went from waiting for the game to come to him to playing with a sense of urgency from the moment the ball was tipped. He was physical. He was him.
And he did it in New York, under the brightest of lights, under the most crushing pressure.
“At home it really feels like playing six against five,” Wembanyama said. “Here it feels like five against six. … It really shows what teams are made of.”
Now Wembanyama is currently the most hated man in New York.
And there’s nothing that could make him happier.
Which Top Prospect Would Survive Utah Twitter Best?
The Utah Jazz will have the opportunity to draft a generational player regardless of who the Washington Wizards pick at #1. Two of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer will be there to pick, depending on what the Wizards do.
But of all those three prospects, who will survive Utah Twitter the best? Let’s take a look.
Darryn Peterson
Twitter: https://x.com/Darryn_P1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrynp1
Peterson doesn’t post much on his socials. They tend to be self-promotion and team-related tweets, and some Instagram stories about his puppy, Denim. His Instagram profile pic is Kobe Bryant, and his Twitter profile pic is Edward Scissorhands. There’s not a lot you can derive from these about Peterson, but that’s not a bad thing. Peterson is very much focused on basketball, based on his profiles, and it doesn’t look like he’s spending much time interacting. Overall, this is a very good sign for the future. I’m also a fan of his posts relating to Kobe Bryant. If that’s the player the Jazz are getting if they get Peterson, there’s a lot to be excited about for Jazz fans.
AJ Dybantsa
Twitter: https://x.com/AJ_Dybantsa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aj.dybantsa
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@aj.dybantsa
Dybantsa is much more active on socials and gives a broader window into his life and basketball. Dybantsa also documents his basketball life on YouTube. If a dynamic social presence is what you want from your superstar, Dybantsa is your guy. This is definitely something that could help Dybantsa become an iconic player in the league.
Having a big social presence can be a double-edged sword. Will Dybantsa be satisfied in Utah if he’s not getting all the endorsement deals of a bigger market? Chances are he’ll be fine. He did choose to come to Utah for college, after all.
Cam Boozer
Twitter: https://x.com/CameronBoozer12
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronboozer
Boozer is similar to Darryn Peterson but probably gives a little bit more of a window into his life and his family. On Twitter, he promotes his basketball life as well as his twin brother Cayden Boozer’s.
It’s clear he isn’t spending a ton of time on his socials and uses it for promotion and basketball and not much else. The Boozer family has strong ties to Utah, which makes his socials really fun for Jazz fans. It’s also a bonus for Boozer that he has no connection to one of the colleges in Utah, which would help him avoid any issues with the local rivalry.
The Verdict?
The player most likely to survive Utah Twitter?
Darryn Peterson
Because Peterson almost never posts on Twitter, he has almost zero potential problems. Dybantsa will have a lot of BYU fans, but you can bet you’ll have some rivalry-related tweets coming his way. Boozer is very similar to Peterson on socials, with it being mostly milquetoast tweets. But with Peterson posting less, he gets the edge.
Congrats to Darryn Peterson, who clearly is all about basketball and not much else.
It’s not clear if social media will play into who goes #1 in the NBA Draft. Right now at FanDuel, AJ Dybantsa has the edge at -450 and Darryn Peterson is the second most likely at +380.
Mikal Bridges pulls another mysterious disappearing act that gets him benched by Knicks
It was April 23 — all over again.
It had been more than six weeks since the Knicks suffered a loss, 45 days since Mikal Bridges was benched in a scoreless effort that led to the Hawks taking a 2-1 lead in the first round.
But after six-plus weeks as one of the driving forces behind the second-longest win streak in postseason history, Bridges reverted to the indecisive wing prone to disappearing acts, scoring just two points, before getting benched for much of the fourth quarter in the Knicks’ 115-111 loss in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
“We gotta be better,” said Bridges, who shot 1-for-5 from the field. “I gotta be better for next game.”
Bridges, the only player on the Knicks roster with significant NBA Finals experience before last week, looked overwhelmed under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, needing just 29 minutes to lose the aggressiveness and confidence he’d built during the team’s previous 13 games.
Barely three minutes into Monday’s game, Bridges was on the bench after committing two fouls, and he never gave himself a chance to get in rhythm, repeatedly looking away from the rim when the ball hit his hands.
Though Bridges was brilliant in the Game 2 win in San Antonio — scoring 20 points, with six rebounds and six assists — he took just six shots in Game 1, the fewest he’d attempted since the first round.
In the 2021 NBA Finals with Phoenix — when the Suns blew a 2-0 series lead — Bridges scored 27 points in a Game 2 win, then averaged just over four shots per game in four straight losses to the Bucks.
“Offensively, we got a little stagnant,” Bridges said. “We just gotta keep moving and spacing. … They just played harder than us, more physical. … It starts with me defensively. I think I did a bad job defensively. They scored a good amount of times when I was in throughout the game. For me, it starts with defense and feeding off of that.”
Two years of inconsistency and anger over the five first-round picks traded for Bridges had been forgotten when Game 3 began, when Bridges received a hero’s welcome during introductions.
When the final buzzer sounded — crushing the thousands who spent thousands on one of the most anticipated games in the Garden’s history — Bridges was back in a familiar place, trying to make sense of a night to forget.
“We’re gonna be all right,” Bridges said. “We’re gonna regroup and learn from our loss.”
NBA Finals schedule, results after Game 3: How series shapes up after Spurs' win
We have a series!
The San Antonio Spurs snatched Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals from the New York Knicks 115-111 on Monday, June 8, raining on the parade of the first championship matchup at Madison Square Garden since 1999.
Victor Wembanyama had 32 points and eight rebounds in redemption from throwing a bad pass that turned into the Knicks' winning point in Game 2. The Spurs earned their first victory of the series cutting into New York's lead 2-1 and did so in front of President Donald Trump.
According to the NBA, this is only the second time in NBA history the first three games of the championship series were won by the road team. The only other time was in 1993 when the Chicago Bulls ultimately beat the Phoenix Suns in six games.
The NBA Finals stay in New York for Game 4, which tips off on Wednesday, June 10.
Here's the NBA Finals scores and schedule after Game 3:
2026 NBA Finals schedule
Every game of the NBA Finals starts at 8:30 p.m. ET. All matchups will be broadcast on ABC and can also be streamed on Fubo.
*- if necessary
- Game 1: Wednesday, June 3 | New York Knicks 105, San Antonio Spurs 95
- Game 2: Friday, June 5 | New York Knicks 105, San Antonio Spurs 104
- Game 3: Monday, June 8 | San Antonio Spurs 115, New York Knicks 111
- Game 4: Wednesday, June 10 | San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Game 5: Saturday, June 13 | New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- *Game 6: Tuesday, June 16 | San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- *Game 7: Friday, June 19 | New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals schedule, results after Spurs beat Knicks in Game 3
Why Karl-Anthony Towns has gone from Knicks’ offensive focal point to non-existent
Karl-Anthony Towns’ strong NBA Finals has hit a roadblock.
Suddenly, he’s not nearly as involved in the offense. In his last five quarters, Towns has attempted 11 field goal attempts and tallied two assists, and all of a sudden the Knicks’ path to their first championship in 53 years isn’t quite as clear.
Towns was mostly a non-factor Monday night, as the Knicks’ franchise-record, 13-game playoff win streak came to a close in a 115-111 setback to the Spurs at the Garden.
“It was the way we played and the things that we were doing offensively,” coach Mike Brown said. “We were just coming down and just basically playing ‘drag.’ We’d get the first screen, and then we literally just stood and watched.
“There was no movement. Like, sometimes KAT has to flash to the elbow. Sometimes he’s got to post up. … They are junking the game up by just putting [Victor Wembanyama] in one of the two corners. So if they junk the game up, I can call a play.
“But sometimes you’re going to have to just move and cut and pass the ball quicker and drive the ball quicker, because it’s almost a zone that they are in to a certain degree, and we didn’t do a good job of attacking it.”
Towns was held to 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting, after attempting just a single shot in the Game 2 victory in San Antonio.
For so much of this postseason, the Knicks were getting Towns’ best, as a scorer and playmaker.
He was terrific in Game 1, tallying 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. And he was on his way to a monster Game 2 before foul trouble. Since then, he has had trouble getting back into a groove.
Brown, though, thinks Towns’ lack of involvement of late is a symptom of the Knicks getting stagnant and relying too much on their individual talent. It wasn’t a Towns problem — it was an everyone problem.
“We just wanted to stand and watch one guy dribble a ton. And then when the ball got passed, there were no quick decisions by the guy receiving the basketball,” Brown said. “So we have actions we can get into that we didn’t do a good job of getting into, first of all, but it’s OK because you’re not going to be able to run plays all the time, especially with how physical they are playing defensively. Sometimes you’ve just got to go by guys.
“But you’ve got to be smart. You have to take care of the basketball. You have to space right. You have to move the ball. You have to move bodies. … We’ve done that quite a bit, and we didn’t do a good job of it tonight.”