Craig Porter Jr. hoped to take the next step forward as a consistent rotational player for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. How close did he get?

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Regular Season Stats

• 4.5 points
• 3.4 rebounds
• 3.2 assists
• 45% FG
• 35% 3PT FG
• 60% FT

Cleveland leaned on Porter during the first half of the season when injuries decimated their roster. He quickly made himself useful as an energizer off the bench who could pass, dribble, and defend. His improvements on the defensive side of the floor were especially helpful.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson challenged Porter before the season to get into the best shape of his life. Increased stamina and endurance became the priority. Porter aced those tests, accepting the challenge and entering the season in better shape than ever.

This helped turn Porter from a liability on defense into someone who could actually make an impact. Darting into passing lanes and picking pockets are examples of this. Porter finished this season with career-highs in block and steal percentage.

Coaches love when players heed their advice. Porter was rewarded for his hard work with more minutes this season (1,148) than in his first two combined (1,162). Injuries, of course, also helped open the door for Porter to play more often.

On offense, Porter’s experience is making him a more polished playmaker. He dished 205 assists to just 59 turnovers, placing in the 97th percentile for assist-to-usage ratio. Porter also made an impact on the offensive glass, ranking fifth on the roster in offensive rebounds behind only Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and Nae’Qwan Tomlin.

Still, some things will always work against Porter.

He’s an undersized point guard who isn’t impactful without the ball on offense. That’s because he’s a limited shooter who doesn’t feel confident in his outside shot. He took just 1.5 three-pointers per game, ranking in the 27th percentile for three-point volume relative to his position. He won’t be able to co-exist with Donovan Mitchell or James Harden until he can reliably space the floor.

Furthermore, positional versatility is king in today’s NBA. Porter might have multiple skills, but he lacks the size to truly maximize any of them. His defense, for example, can only be so impactful when he isn’t capable of switching onto bigger opponents.

I’d rate this season as a partial success for Porter. He should be proud of improving physically and taking a step forward on defense. He’ll need to continue working on his jumper, but he can find solace in knowing that his mechanics are not totally broken. He’s got a fine enough shot to believe that marginal improvements are possible for him.

Moving up from his current place in the rotation will be a challenge. But there are worse things than being a third-string guard in the NBA.

Grade: B+

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Now the NBA Finals get interesting.

Assuredly, the New York Knicks will respond with vigor after their first loss since April, but the San Antonio Spurs have their own adjustments to make.

My Spurs vs. Knicks props and NBA picks lean into a few playing-time adjustments for Game 4 on Wednesday, June 10.

Best Spurs vs Knicks props for Game 4

Player	Pick
Dylan Harper	Over 3.5 assists	+120
Karl-Anthony Towns	Over 1.5 threes	+160
Mikal Bridges	Over 12.5 points	+100

Game 4 Prop #1: Dylan Harper Over 3.5 assists

This may sound bold, but the San Antonio Spurs need to play rookie Dylan Harper more and star guard Stephon Castle and/or veteran De’Aaron Fox a little bit less. Play Castle and Fox plenty still, but Harper has been the best ballhandler for the Spurs in this series, while Castle and Fox have been loose with the ball and at times played with less of a plan and more pure aggression.

Harper has remained in control and is very much a mismatch for even the New York Knicks.

He dished out four assists in Game 3 despite lagging in minutes behind those two, nearly five minutes behind Fox and six behind Castle. More time watching the film should lead the San Antonio coaching staff to the same conclusion. Putting the ball in Harper’s hands more often will only help the Spurs.

Game 4 Prop #2: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 threes

Expect the Knicks coaching staff to lay into Karl-Anthony Towns a bit after Game 3. Not in a way of tearing him down, but in a way of encouraging him to be more liberal with his shots.

Towns simply cannot go the first three quarters without taking a 3-pointer, as he did in Game 3. While his drives helped dictate the first two games of this series, it is his shooting that turns Towns from a strong offensive piece to a walking mismatch.

And yet, he took only six total shots in the first three quarters on Monday, and none of them were 3-pointers.

Towns has hit 46.3% of his threes this postseason. At the risk of overcorrecting from his reluctance on Monday, New York should encourage him to heave at least once per quarter in Game 4.

Game 4 Prop #3: Mikal Bridges Over 12.5 points

Of New York’s six players to see at least 15 minutes of action in Game 3, only two had positive integers in the plus/minus column of the box score: Towns (+11 in 38 minutes) and Mikal Bridges (+6). Yet, of the Knicks’ starters, only Bridges played fewer than 35 minutes, falling short of 29 minutes.

It was only one game, but it seems worth noting that Landry Shamet played 23 minutes off the bench and posted the worst plus/minus of those six players, logging an ugly -20.

Not to be too blunt, but hey, Mike Brown, perhaps play Bridges more.

His 1-of-5 shooting was ugly and, frankly, not aggressive enough. That needs to be the adjustment included within this adjustment. But a look at Monday’s tape makes it clear: Mikal Bridges helps the Knicks win.

After all, he cleared this prop in five of his previous six games and in nine of New York’s 13 straight wins.

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.

He’s public en-Wemby No.1.

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is now the most hated man – or “alien” – in the Big Apple after his dirty, ref-boosted big night spoiled the Knicks’ first NBA Finals home game in 27 years.

The handsy San Antonio big man’s shove of beloved Knicks captain Jalen Brunson in Monday’s Game 3 went viral on social media and was seen by seemingly everyone in the world but the referees — leaving hometown fans incensed and Manhattan’s top prosecutor joking that no jury trial was needed for a verdict.

“It doesn’t take a seasoned prosecutor to know Wemby crossed the line and is guilty of a flagrant foul,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told The Post.

Fans meanwhile wondered how the 7-foot-5 center known as Wemby or “The Alien” got access to the exclusive Gramercy Park, which can only be accessed with a key.

The Spurs bully was captured on video sitting on a park bench and sketching a photo of a statue depicting Edwin Booth, a well-regarded Shakespearean actor best known for being the brother of John Wilkes Booth.

“I absolutely hate the way he treats our players, he fouled Brunson yesterday and they didn’t call it,” longtime Knicks fan Joey Amado, 28, fumed on Tuesday as the Game 3 blues set in for hopeful Big Apple residents.

“We can’t have any love for him in this city right now.”

Disdain for the 22-year-old, French-born player was rampant after his 32-point performance buoyed the Spurs to a crucial win inside Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

The Knicks still have a 2-1 game series lead over San Antonio ahead of Wednesday night’s primetime contest at the Garden.

But disgruntled New Yorkers weren’t optimistic after Knicks Coach Mike Brown ripped the imbalanced officiating in Game 3, with the Spurs given 34 free throws to the Knicks’ 22.

“It’s not personal but it is personal. We have a mission to accomplish,” Knicks fanatic Fidel Maldonado, 26, said. “Get the f–k out of the way.”

“He had a legacy game, but he be doing some dirty s–t,” Gabriel Ramos, 31, added.

Other New Yorkers called him the “villain” and “antagonist” of the Knicks-Spurs matchup.

“I think he’s the series villain for sure,” said 25-year-old Queens resident Mario Mendez, adding, “New York loves villains. The fans just need it.”

Teen Dylan Demuro even had a four-letter message for the Wicked Witch of the Western Conference in front of his father David, who brought his son from their Florida home to take in the excitement.

“F–k Wemby,” the 16-year-old said flatly, echoing a chant that broke out in the Garden on Monday.

Even a Spurs fan thought Wembanyama’s push of Brunson was downright ugly.

“It didn’t look good and I hope it doesn’t turn him into a villain,” said Sarah, 36, as she waited to ask for his autograph outside the Ritz Carlton, where the Spurs were staying during their city visit.

Wemby appeared to lean into the hate, saying at a postgame press conference Monday night he doesn’t think he’s as repudiated as other hated sports figures in New York.  

“I’m nowhere near Trae Young-level,” he said with a menacing smirk in reference to the guard who helped lead his former team, the Atlanta Hawks, past the Knicks in five games in 2021. Young remains a favorite target of vulgar chants from Knicks fans at MSG even when he’s not in the arena.

Members of the Spurs earlier Tuesday received a chorus of boos — with some of the loudest reserved for Wemby — when they left their hotel for the team bus.

And New Yorkers were also ready to swat down the slender man after he was spotted relaxing and drawing in Gramercy Park, apparently clearing his head before Game 3 and having been keyed into the park by an unknown accomplice.

“That pr–k should have never come in here in the first place,” said park regular John Little, 33. “He should have never come in here in the first place.”

He said during Game 3’s postgame press conference he didn’t even know the name of the famous green space.   

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“Who let him in? Whoever gave him the key needs to be doxxed,” said Knicks fan Mario Mendez.

A worker at the park speculated he might have had a pal let him into the park.

“Everybody is talking about it,” the worker said. “A lot of people who come here don’t have a key and they have a friend. They said he was taking a lot of pictures.” 

The Big Apple has been a buzz during the Knicks’ magical and dominant postseason run, leaving New Yorkers to embrace the Knickerbockers – and direct their ire at everyone else.

A worker at the Midtown Manhattan NBA Store on Tuesday afternoon warned a customer holding a Wembanyama jersey, “I hope you don’t plan on wearing that, this is New York City.”

“It’s not his time,” she added.

Shouts out to everybody who reads and enjoys and comments on the Knicks Bulletin pieces at P&T.

Y’all keep it going even though my Kindle died in the making of this, the longest-ever edition of it.

You bet karma will make up for it tonight. Knicks in five!

Mike Brown

On returning to their winning offensive principles after the Game 3 loss:

“We have to play to what our concepts or play to what our strengths are. It’s been pace, it’s been space, it’s been getting the ball reversed, it’s been touching the paint, and more importantly it’s been making quick decisions. There were a lot of times where the decisions weren’t made quick last night. One guy caught, held, held, held, held, held. Now the defense settles in. Now you’re in trouble.”

On addressing execution and spacing after Game 3:

“Just telling the guys the truth. Not just verbally, but doesn’t matter if it’s Jalen, KAT, OG, Mikal, we’ll show them what we feel we need to show them on film. Then we’ll walk through certain things to make sure that the spacing’s right, the timing’s right of our execution.”

On the Game 3 offensive stagnation:

“There were a lot of times where the decisions weren’t made quick last night. One guy caught, held, held, held, held, held. Now the defense settles in. Now you’re in trouble. Making quick decisions while doing all those other things can help us out a lot, on top of me trying to help make sure that these guys are organized a little bit better.”

On getting Karl-Anthony Towns more involved going forward:

“It’s extremely important that [Towns] is getting touches, that he’s involved, not just in the fourth quarter, but obviously throughout the ballgame. I got to continue trying to do a better job of getting him involved throughout the course of the game, as well as late.”

On the team’s response to the Game 3 loss:

“We have a veteran group. Nobody is quote-unquote ‘panicking’ or anything like that. Everybody is disappointed that we didn’t go out and execute and play to what we feel our standard is. That’s not taking anything away from San Antonio, but we feel like we can play a lot better than what we did.”

On pace, space and quick decisions:

“It’s been pace, it’s been space, it’s been getting the ball reversed, it’s been touching the paint, and more importantly, it’s been making quick decisions. There were a lot of times where the decisions weren’t made quick last night. One guy caught, held, held, held, held, held. Now the defense settles in. Now you’re in trouble.”

Jalen Brunson

On taking accountability after the Game 3 loss:

“Most importantly, [I have to] not turn the ball over, give my team an opportunity. Kind of in the middle. I’ve played better, but also I’ve played worse.”

On sticking together for Game 4:

“No matter what the situation is, we’re going to stick together. We’re going to execute, we’re going to be better. That’s just how our mindset has to be going forward. You never really know what the situation’s going to be. You never know how the script is going to play out. As long as we have each other’s back and we keep fighting, that’s what we hope for.”

On growth through adversity:

“Each game, no matter what the situation is, we’re growing as a team. I think we’re learning and we’re getting better. Obviously, before last night. No matter what the situation is, we’re going to stick together. We’re going to execute, we’re going to be better. That’s just how our mindset has to be going forward. You never really know what the situation’s going to be. You never know how the script is going to play out. As long as we have each other’s back and we keep fighting, that’s what we hope for.”

On the need for staying disciplined against San Antonio:

“There’s a way for us to do things we have to do, the things that we’ve done throughout these playoffs. They’re just game plan discipline. I don’t think the discipline we had in those situations was good enough. We just got to be disciplined in those moments.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns as a teammate and person:

“He’s been a great teammate. He’s been a very great teammate. But most importantly, the person he is is fantastic. Like, he’s a person who is willing to do whatever to kind of help out, whether he knows you well or not. That’s just who his character is, that’s just who he is. That translates on the court. I didn’t really know him as well back then. Getting to know him now, it’s an unfair narrative of him, but I truly love that dude and everything he’s done for this team, this city and as a friend. He’s been fantastic.”

On tightening up offensively:

“Our attention to detail needs to be better.”

On his relationship with Rick Brunson:

“Our family relationship is awesome. I know when to decipher when he’s being a coach and when he’s being a dad. When we’re on the court, that’s coach. I still call him dad, but he’s a coach then. As soon as we get off the court, that’s obviously my father. Our relationship is very unique. It’s interesting how people perceive that, perceive us. I wouldn’t change anything for the world. My dad being a journeyman in the NBA, us living in South Jersey most of my childhood while he played. So being able to see my dad for the last four years consecutively is probably the longest it’s ever been. I don’t take this for granted at all. I love this relationship and this opportunity. I don’t take it for granted.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On executing better late in games:

“We have a game plan, and we want to execute it. So just trying to execute our game plan, especially when we get in the fourth, is vital, and just doing what I can to execute it at the highest level.”

On restoring ball movement to the one from the 13-game winning streak:

“Execute our game plan and get back to what’s made us special — that ball movement and getting the ball zipping around the court, and allowing it to judge who shoots the ball. So I think we have to get back to the details and our fundamentals that made us special in the 13-game winning streak.”

On the lack of execution in Game 3:

“I just saw us not executing the little details that made us special. The game they brought to MSG yesterday, we didn’t meet their level. The details that made us special, we were too relaxed in them, and we didn’t execute them at the level that you guys are used to seeing. So doing that and also just the fundamentals of what our team is and how we play, we didn’t do that for 48 minutes. It’s something that has got us that 13-game winning streak. Playing around with the game against a great team, you’re asking for a disaster, and that’s what we got.”

On failing with fourth-quarter execution and ball movement in Game 3:

“I think it’s a combination. We have a game plan, and we want to execute it. So just trying to execute our game plan, especially when we get in the fourth, is vital, and just doing what I can to execute it at the highest level. We’ve got to pick up the ball movement, for sure. We have to. Two, we have, what, 13 games in a row, 50 days of film to show what it looks like when we’re at our best. So we’ve got good film. We’ll get back to our fundamentals, what makes us great, what made us great, and get back to work tomorrow.”

On friendship with Brunson:

“Did he say that with Josh around or no? Ooh, Josh is going to be jealous. I think our friendship is built off of respect. We’ve had so much respect for each other as opponents, and now to be teammates, spending true time with each other as teammates. I’ve always said, we spend more time with each other than our families, our kids. So to see who we truly are on a day-to-day basis and how we truly treat people and the things that the media says, is it true, is it not, and you’re getting to see firsthand what the truth really is. I’m glad I’ve been able to not only earn his respect even more as a basketball player, but as a man. For him to appreciate the advice I give him on the daily, in daily life and things I see, it means a lot.”

On the violence in the streets of NYC after Game 3:

“The game is built off of respect and passion. We want everyone to respect each other. We want everyone to enjoy basketball at its purest state. It’s the NBA Finals. There’s no better place to watch basketball. Leave the physicality to everyone on the court.”

Josh Hart

On adjusting defensively against San Antonio’s guards:

“I’m sure we’re going to change some things and switch up some schemes to protect the paint. Obviously, those guys are very dynamic when they touch the paint.”

On Game 3 being a battle:

“We knew this was gonna be a battle. They played very well, and you gotta give them credit for that.”

On learning from the loss:

“We didn’t play to the best of our capabilities, and I think that’s the frustrating part because we knew we didn’t play our best basketball. We learned from film today, and we’ll be better tomorrow.”

On the value of watching film:

“You wanna watch kind of as much film as you can or get as much information as you can to then go out there and play to that. Obviously, you want to play with your instincts as a basketball player that you’ve been playing the game for such a long time, but certain situations, you want to have that information so certain plays you can try to deter them from getting to their spots.”

On the team’s shortcomings in their first Finals loss:

“We didn’t play to the best of our capabilities, and I think that’s the frustrating part because we knew we didn’t play our best basketball. We learned from film today, and we’ll be better tomorrow.”

On adjusting schemes and watching film to fix errors in Game 4:

“I’m sure we’re going to change some things and switch up some schemes to protect the paint. Obviously, those guys are very dynamic when they touch the paint. You wanna watch kind of as much film as you can or get as much information as you can to then go out there and play to that. Obviously, you want to play with your instincts as a basketball player that you’ve been playing the game for such a long time, but certain situations, you want to have that information so certain plays you can try to deter them from getting to their spots.”

On why Jalen Brunson fits New York so naturally:

“Because I don’t think he came in that way. He doesn’t care about it. He just wants to win. When you have that humility, all the other stuff takes care of itself.”

On what defines Knicks basketball:

“Toughness, grit, physicality, energy, clutch plays — I think that’s what you think of when you think of Knicks basketball. That’s something that we want to do. We want to come out with energy. We want to come out with physicality and be focused on the game plan. Especially with the guys that we have in the locker room, we’re going to make plays. We’re going to make big plays. We’re going to do those kind of things. That’s kind of our brand — playing fast and having fun.”

OG Anunoby

On the Game 3 turnovers and sloppiness:

“Our attention to detail needs to be better. We were making turnovers that were uncharacteristic of us, just being sloppy with the ball, not being on the same page. Throughout the course of a game stuff like that happens, so we’re just gonna try and clean it up.”

Mikal Bridges

On hearing fan criticism:

“There might be times — I’ve been here for two years, and I feel like they’ve been on me a little bit. But the thing is, obviously, some can be extreme, but the real fans, there’s nothing else you want more [than to hear from them] because I know personally … if I’m going through some struggle, I know I’m trying to do whatever in my power to be better. They stand on me and they want better, so they’re going to demand it. I’ve got nothing wrong with tough love.”

On his Game 3 performance:

“I played a terrible game, not playing defense well, fouling, being in foul trouble. I know, personally, I’ve got to be better. I know I’m going to do whatever it takes to be ready for Game 4.”

Jose Alvarado

On Victor Wembanyama’s no-call in Game 3 and making up for it:

“I think that’s not basketball. That’s something that they gotta look at. But [Wembanyama] got away with one. That’ll be the last one.”

Deuce McBride

On former Knicks sharing in the current run attending home and road games:

“They’ve been with us, you know, my whole five years here — it’s not just showing up when we’re winning. They’ve been with us through a lot. So shout out to them and obviously everything they did. We just want to get the job done for them.”

Jordan Clarkson

On the team’s lack of execution in Game 3:

“I think it was maybe just a little bit of, you know, antsiness — us trying to make plays faster. I think as a team, it’s just something we look at and we change […] I just think it was us, you know? Coming back home. Playing this game. A lot of energy.”

Monty McCutchen (NBA Head of Officiating)

On admitting the refs missed Wemby’s flagrant foul on Brunson:

“I think we can all agree that a foul was missed on that play. A big part of our job is on-ball, off-ball exchanges between referees. We did a poor job of that here, where we got two people on-ball, and we don’t see the screening action. If we break down in our fundamentals, in even the smallest amounts, we have the opportunity to miss a clear foul, as we missed here.”

Mitch Johnson

On the Spurs’ strong mentality despite their youth:

“I understand the discourse around it, but that’s not an age thing or an experience thing, that’s a makeup and a personality thing.”

On forcing late-clock shots:

“We’ve forced them to take a lot of shots at the end of clock. They’ve made a lot of those shots. There’s some give and take there. I think we’ve shown that we can be impactful when we’re connected and doing it the right way.”

De’Aaron Fox

On the Spurs simply playing physical playoff basketball:

“If you get hit, you hit back. That’s life. If life hits you, you need to figure out a way to get on your feet and hit it back. Every time he rolls, he gets tagged, he gets hit. If he’s trying to go set a screen, box out, whatever it may be, he’s getting grabbed, he’s getting held. It would be crazy for him to think he’s going to get open by not hitting somebody. You know that team’s going to be physical with you, so you go out there and you try to hit first.”

On defending late-clock shots:

“If you’re playing 21, 22 seconds of great defense, they make a shot, tap ’em on the butt, good job. That’s where we want to live. We want to live in the area of them trying to take tough shots at the end of the shot clock. If they’re making them, so be it. Usually the numbers are in our favor if we’re getting them to play that deep into the shot clock.”

On Victor Wembanyama’s response in Game 3:

“I would say it’s the way that everybody would think a great player would react. Obviously, he was upset with himself. It’s not even, like I said, about the missed shots. He would get on himself more about the turnover at the end of the game. Those things happen. There was definitely no inkling that I thought he wouldn’t come out here and respond the way that he did.”

Victor Wembanyama

On Knicks-Spurs fans’ altercations:

“We’re just playing a game out there. I’m all for passion, but to the respect of each other. My thoughts of course [are] that we can’t forget it’s a game. We’re just playing a game out there. I am all for passion, but [with] the respect of each other. It’s unacceptable.”

Julian Champagnie

On fan behavior following Game 3:

“It’s just not necessary. No one should be coming to the game and getting assaulted like that. It’s not what we’re promoting. It’s not what we’re playing for. I feel we’re here to play a basketball game. That’s the main thing. I feel like for the fans, it should never be that serious where you have to jump people, beat people up, follow people home. Whether we win, they win, it doesn’t really matter. Everybody should be able to come and enjoy the game, no matter who they’re rooting for.”

Stephon Castle

On dictating pace and control being key for their Game 3 win:

“For the most part, we kind of dictate where we . want to go on the courtI think that’s a skill that me and [Harper] both have, and it’s very useful. We’ve just got to keep continuing to use it. I don’t think we’ve let the defense force us to do anything all year.”

Dylan Harper

On his shooting struggles in Game 3:

“I feel like every night is not going to be your night. [In Game 3], I couldn’t make a shot. That’s just the reality of the game. I’m going to keep on shooting them because the confidence I have in myself, the confidence the team has in me. I can’t really hang my head too much because we’ve got a lot more basketball to be played.”

On the MSG environment:

“It’s my first time in New York, walking out and getting booed. I can say that. It’s kind of been every series. I think [in Oklahoma City during the Western Conference Finals, we got booed a little bit. Not really much in Minnesota and Portland. But I feel like it’s New York, [a] hostile environment. I don’t think it would feel the same if it wasn’t this hostile.”

Keldon Johnson

On fan safety:

“We don’t want to sacrifice safety over a game of basketball that we love. We go out there and compete every night and we value safety, and I feel like that’s one through 15 on this side and one through 15 on that side. We don’t want to see people get hurt. We don’t want to see any type of violence coming into the game of basketball. This is a beautiful sport, we put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it, and it’s not what we want to see. We don’t want to see violence. We want to see everyone healthy and happy. Obviously have passion for the team you’re rooting for. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I feel like when health and safety comes into the balance, you’ve got to draw the line.”

Harrison Barnes

On safety concerns:

“Safety for everyone involved is the most important thing, right? Nobody’s trying to have any type of altercation or any type of serious injury outside of the floor. For the respect of the game, for the respect of why we’re all here — to witness great basketball — I don’t think fans attending games, fans going to watch parties or anything like that, should have to fear for their safety.”

Latrell Sprewell

On seeing Brunson as a kid around the Knicks:

“They used to let the kids run around on the court and just take over after the game. So I remember Jalen running around with my son and Little Pat.”

On Brunson being built for big moments:

“Jalen’s made for these moments. None of these moments are too big for him.”

Jamal Crawford

On why Brunson thrives in New York:

“He’s comfortable there. They empowered him. They believed in him. He’s got guys on the team from Villanova that he knows and who fit his play style. He’s got his dad on the bench who knows exactly what buttons to push to get him going. He knows Leon. So with that comfortability, I think you’re going to get the best of him.”

Patrick Ewing

On what it takes to succeed in New York:

“The thing about this city, Jalen. It’s not just about what you accomplish here. But how you accomplish it. Like a true New Yorker, you dare people to doubt you – and go about your business.”

Walt Frazier

On the atmosphere at MSG:

“It’s like a family reunion with what the Knicks are doing at home games. It’s very rewarding that they appreciate what we’ve done in the past and what we have meant to the team. They are not forgetting us with the team success. They’ve made us a part of it. All the decades are represented. And they know the struggle.”

Channing Frye

On Mike Brown sharpening the entire roster:

“What Mike Brown has done, is he’s sharpened every tool in the shed. Previous coaches have only sharpened one and said, ‘Hey, this sword has to be the sharpest.’ He said, ‘Nope, I’ve got a sword, knife, spear, shield, fork, spork. I got everybody.’ Right? Look at the team. Landry Shamet comes in and you would think he’s the second coming of Steph Curry in some games.”

On Brown having counters off the bench:

“So now, Mike Brown has counters to counters. If you want to do this, guess what? I got the green light for Landry Shamet right here. Oh, you want to change the pace of the game? I got Jose Alvarado right here. Oh, you want to get us in the bonus? I got Mitchell Robinson, a great offensive rebounder. And you keep going down the bench, and everybody is activated and ready and accepting of their role. Where before — it’d be like, ‘What am I going in for like a minute? To do nothing?’ It’s impossible to ask people to do that. All season long it’s impossible to ask people to do that.”

On Brown being the fall guy in Sacramento:

“I think coaches get hired and fired 1,000 times. Look at the dysfunction in Sacramento. You could have Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach on the bench with Popovich, you’re not getting anything out of that team. They’re just not built like that and he was the fall guy. Looking back at what he did, Mike Brown was crazy successful in Sacramento.”

On the Knicks’ culture and Brown fitting Brunson:

“The Knicks front office went and got guys that understand [the] heartbeat of New York, that understand the fans, they understand the pressure that it is to play as a Knick. So they establish culture. Then you establish an alpha male in Jalen Brunson. Then you bring in the talent, which is Karl-Anthony Towns. I’ve gone on the record saying he’s the second- or third-best big in the NBA if Giannis [Antetokounmpo] is playing or not playing. And when they went on Mike Brown — he’s been around the league, but he’s the best coach to get if you have a 6-[foot-]5-or-under point guard to put him in a system where him and everyone else has an opportunity to play. And don’t feel like they’re watching him. And that’s because they’re starting to run a lot of Golden State sets. Nobody is thinking about that.”

John Starks

On former players sitting courtside:

“I sit down there, Larry sits down there, and a few guys sit down there when they’re in town. The excitement we were generating down there going back to the Indiana series, I think everyone kind of picked up on that. TV picked up on us getting up, cheering the team on, and it kind of grew out of that. It showed that these guys are still valuable to the organization. [So the Knicks] keep bringing them back.”

On Jim Dolan providing courtside seats:

“You got to thank Jim [Dolan] for that because those are some expensive seats down there that he’s giving up for the players. But he sees what it means to the Knicks fans and players in general, so he is like, ‘OK, let’s roll with it.’ And we’ve been rolling with it ever since. [Dolan] could have said, ‘Here is some seats up here.’ No. He has us front and center. It’s been good.”

On other teams trying to replicate it:

“You see it all around the league now, which is good. But they can’t look like ours. I notice that [other teams] don’t sit [former players] baseline. They sit them in the stands somewhere.”

Larry Johnson

On “Alumni Row” and reconnecting:

“Marcus [Camby] and ‘Spree’ [Latrell Sprewell] I hadn’t seen in 20, 25 years. And even Kurt Thomas, I hadn’t seen in 20-25 years. I saw Marcus and Spree last year. Same goes with Chris Childs, started coming back this year. And we got Charlie Ward at a couple games this year.”

Carmelo Anthony

On the Knicks’ alumni presence:

“For one, I don’t think nobody else could do it. I haven’t seen no other organization do that. It’s only in New York where I’ve seen them bring back the legends of the game. Once a Knick, always a Knick. Everybody is sitting there. You got Clyde at the table calling the game. P.E. [Patrick Ewing] to Starks to my generation watching the new generation. It’s super fun. You become a fan. You become a fan of the [former Knicks]. You become a fan of Bernard King sitting next to Pat and talking about when he used to play, sitting next to [Stephon] Marbury talking about when he used to play. That camaraderie. You can’t buy that.”

Iman Shumpert

On the MSG environment:

“It’s sort of like a family vibe that happens at MSG. You don’t get it in other places.”

Stephon Marbury

On the Knicks alumni culture:

“There is nothing on earth like what the Knicks alumni does for the players who have worn this jersey, whether they started their career here or ended it elsewhere. Once you’re part of this family, that legendary slogan becomes real, because it’s true, it’s authentic, and it’s alive. No matter who you are, Dolan makes sure you stay in the family. And in this family, it’s one family, always family. Once a Knick, always a Knick.”

On Victor Wembanyama’s shove of Jalen Brunson:

“Wemby is an international player, okay, (and) they play dirty overseas, just so you know. We’re not used to playing dirty in America the way how Wemby just now threw Jalen Brunson. Now, if I’m watching film and I see Wemby throw somebody like that on my team… the next game, I’m gonna pop him in his rib cage so hard with my elbow that he’s going to fall and drop to the ground and he’s going to wish he never put his hands on me. So next game, I guarantee you, after y’all watch film what he did to Jalen Brunson… you better make sure you put that knife in his neck. That’s where it’s at. [Wembanyama] said he was going to come in and win Game 2. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. So make sure you take know and next game you bring that same energy, alright?”

Jeremy Lin

On this Knicks run:

“I don’t think I know enough about the history of the older teams to fully know. But forget the Knicks, this is one of the most dominant runs we’ve seen in NBA history.”

On Jalen Brunson:

“He is starting to get [the attention] now and definitely deserves it. I don’t think enough people are talking about him giving up $113 million to build a team full of players that want to win. I think that speaks volumes. That’s also historic. It’s not talked about enough. Now he’s starting to get some of the recognition he deserves as a player, but he’s the consummate teammate and professional.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns:

“It’s huge because, one, he’s rising to the occasion. Two, he’s doing it on the defensive end as well. Three, he has turned up his playmaking abilities. We’re seeing three different areas of KAT that had certain narratives already written about him, so credit to him. And from all of his interviews, he seems so centered, so grateful. It has been great to see.”

On finishing the job:

“Obviously, it’s not over until they finish the job. If they don’t finish the job then that will forever be a knock. Until this point, their run is about as dominant as it gets.”

Rick Pitino

On the Game 3 atmosphere at MSG:

“It was unreal. The fans were up. I’d say I was on my feet for 90% of the game, and that’s the type of magic it was.”

On Spurs’ physical approach:

“I think San Antonio last night knew what to do to win that game from a coaching standpoint, strategy standpoint, that was extremely physical…It was a game like it was when I was coaching the Knicks. It was back then they allowed physicality.”

Q-Tip

On Brunson embodying New York point guard ethos:

“New York City is a place that historically loves a point guard, and Jalen Brunson represents a true point guard ethos. His leadership and his ability to take over the game with a gritty, New York City guile, is quintessential New York City point guard play.”

Chuck D

On being a fan and staying quiet around pros:

“I’m what they call a fan, but when the pros and ex-players talk, I just sit quietly because there’s a lot of talk by everybody. Everybody’s got a podcast, everybody’s got analysis and all that. I just watch, and the only thing I bring to the game is I’ve been a fan since the ’60s.”

On being an illustrator and working on speed:

“I’m an illustrator. Illustrators are different from painters; I can work big and I do paint well, but what you see are illustrations. I have the speed of an anime cartoonist, and I worked on my speed during the pandemic. Everybody was inside, so the only thing I worked on was the speed. And when you’re an illustrator, you don’t have to work with accuracy.”

On comparing Wembanyama to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

“Wemby is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all over again. People are like, ‘Oh man, we’ve never seen anything like this.’ That’s evolution, man; this ain’t revolution. … It could be like, ‘He dribbles the ball like Allen Iverson,’ and that’s not what we grew up with, but that’s evolution.”

On making the game easy against a dominant star:

“You know what old coaches always say? You gotta make the game easy. You gotta make it come to you. When (Wembanyama) gets to the point where he learns and he’s unstoppable, teams are gonna figure out how to neutralize that, because one man can’t beat five.”

On Wembanyama’s long-term outlook:

“Wemby is going to have an unbelievable career if he’s healthy and stays out of the way. But if he is healthy, it depends on how easy the game is for him as opposed to hard. You could get hurt in this modern game real quick.”

On Knicks fans expecting to be hated if they win:

“Yeah, we know it’s a one-year honeymoon, because if the Knicks do win, then they’re gonna be hated by everybody next year. And Knicks fans expect that.”

Spike Lee

On getting his first season tickets after the 1985 draft lottery:

“I got my season tickets the morning after Dave DeBusschere pulled out the — I don’t know if it was hold or cold envelope, I don’t know. And I jumped on the subway, and I slept on line. So I’ve had season tickets since Patrick Ewing’s rookie year. But I didn’t start courtside.”

Fran Lebowitz

On Brunson personifying New York toughness:

“New York is a hard place to live in. Just getting to the dry cleaners – if you can find one – is a triumph. Jalen Brunson is the personification of New York – he’s smart, he’s talented, and he won’t take no for an answer. He’s us – except he’s very good at basketball.”

Draymond Green

On the narrative around Towns’ intensity:

“A lot of guys in the league has had a problem with KAT because a lot of guys have felt like he don’t play hard enough, he don’t play tough enough, he don’t play with the intensity that most people want to see. And I think in watching these playoffs, he’s changed that entirely, and it’s the key to why they’re having the success that they’ve had.”

Charles Barkley

On the Knicks’ slow starts:

“Mike Brown got to get his team together, and ask, ‘Why are we getting punched in the face first in every game?’ Like the Spurs have gotten off to great starts in every game. You come home, you got one of the craziest environments I’ve ever been in and you still come out and you get off to a bad start. You can’t play from behind, even though they got lucky in the first two games and won. For some reason, they’re coming out not ready to play.”

On Brown’s comments on the Game 3 officiating:

“He should’ve stopped at, ‘We didn’t play well.’ They did not play well enough to win the game. The Spurs out-played them tonight.”

On Trump allegedly jinxing the Knicks:

“No, s*** no. That had nothing to do with it. I thought the Spurs outplayed them.”

DeMarcus Cousins

On the Knicks’ best players in the series:

“The best player in this series for the Knicks, as of right now, is KAT. The 2nd-best is OG [Anunoby]. The 3rd, we can possibly go and say Brunson.”

Chandler Parsons

On Wembanyama’s dirtiness:

“I’d rather him do this than flopping and foul baiting. He’s got to be careful, though. This type of stuff will get you tossed from a game, and then your team has zero chance.”

Lou Williams

On Victor Wembanyama’s physical play:

“Give credit where it’s due. Wemby’s starting to do a lot of dirty s–t.”

Fat Joe

On the current Knicks’ historic numbers:

“The statistics right now are saying this is the greatest New York team ever.”

On comparing this run to past Knicks seasons:

“So when you say — what we got, 13 [wins] in a row? Look, we’ve had a little bit of bad luck in the past … so everybody’s, like, tentative. But if you really compare these stats, this team’s looking like … I don’t even wanna tell you. Do you see the numbers? Let’s just wait ‘til it’s over. But right now, if you analyze the numbers, we might be looking at the greatest team ever. If you analyze the numbers. I’m not making this up.”

Jadakiss

On what defines a true New York team:

“A New York team has to have grit, you know what I mean? We always need grit. You need a good point guard. You need a good big man. You need a good coach. You need a little bit of luck. You need a glue player, like Josh. You need a decent bench like we have. And you need the New York fans.”

Stephen A. Smith

On Jalen Brunson’s Game 3:

“Jalen Brunson He’s a superstar in this game, he’s one of the clutch players, he’s ‘Mr. Clutch’, he’s a closer we know how lucky we are to have him, we know go great he is it’s just one game. But last night I said ‘Jalen Brunson, I got to put this loss on him just as much as anybody.’

“You launched double the amount of shots of Karl-Anthony Towns. You shot more than Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart combined. Karl-Anthony Towns, you didn’t find him pretty much all game long. They went small for crying out loud. You had an opportunity to exploit that and take advantage by getting the ball to Karl-Anthony Towns. You didn’t do that.

“We know how lucky we are to have him, how great he is. It’s just one game. But last night I said something about him last night that I never thought I’d say. I thought it looked like he was playing to win Finals MVP than he was playing to win Game 3.”

On OG Anunoby’s need for more involvent:

“OG Anunoby had 28 points on 13 shots. How do you not find OG Anunoby more considering the level of accuracy and efficiency that he was showing?”

On No. 47 attending Game 3:

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. How you doing? Our president showed up in New York City last night. And needless to say, what I feared would happen ended up happening. The New York Knicks lost. And obviously, I’m blaming him. If it was that important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep? Didn’t you call our former President Joe Biden sleepy Joe? Well, what should we call you?”

“New York Knicks haven’t won a title since 1973. At that time, our president was 26 years of age. He was not a toddler. He was not a child. He was there. He was there in ’70 when Willis Reed walked through the tunnel. He was there in 1973 when Walt Clyde Frazier dropped 30 plus in a Game 7. And now the New York Knicks have to go back to San Antonio. Why? For a game five. Why? Because you got in the way for your own selfish, narcissistic motives.”

Kings reportedly have had recent Domantas Sabonis trade talks with Hornets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings appear to be open to trades involving one of their biggest stars.

Sacramento has had recent trade talks with the Charlotte Hornets involving center Domantas Sabonis, but a deal appears unlikely before the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a story published Wednesday, citing league sources.

“Per league sources, Sacramento and Charlotte have had recent talks about Kings big man Domantas Sabonis. While a deal is not imminent and appears unlikely before the June 23 draft, sources say the Hornets have some interest in the 30-year-old, three-time All-Star,” Amick wrote.

“The problem for now, it seems, is that the Kings have been hoping to land one of Charlotte’s two first-round picks (they have Nos. 14 and 18) in the deal, and the Hornets have signaled a desire to retain their picks and discuss Sabonis later in the summer. Sabonis has two seasons left on his deal ($45.4 million next season and $48.6 million in 2027-28).”

The Kings originally acquired Sabonis in a blockbuster trade with the Pacers midway through the 2021-22 NBA season that sent former Sacramento guard Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana.

In four-plus seasons with the Kings, Sabonis has averaged 19 points, 13.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game on 59.3-percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range in 265 games while playing a vital role alongside former guard De’Aaron Fox on Sacramento’s infamous “Beam Team” that went 48-34 during the 2022-23 season and secured the Western Conference’s No. 3 playoff seed.

Sabonis was limited to just 19 games last season as he dealt with knee and back injuries before undergoing left meniscus surgery in February.

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Warriors reportedly interested in adding LeBron James to create veteran Big Four originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After all these years, could the two longtime rivals finally join forces on the same NBA court?

The Warriors have been rumored to be a potential suitor for LeBron James as the 41-year-old enters unrestricted free agency this summer, and it appears their interest is serious.

While re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, where James has spent the past eight seasons, is believed to be his preferred outcome, the Warriors have legitimate interest in signing the 21-time All-Star and creating a veteran Big Four with Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, The Stein Line’s Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported in a story published Tuesday, citing league sources.

“Staying with the Lakers is widely believed to be [James’] preferred choice because he is so entrenched in Los Angeles now after eight seasons with the purple and gold,” Stein and Fischer wrote. “Yet league sources maintain that Golden State remains legitimately interested in adding LeBron to their Stephen Curry/Jimmy Butler/Draymond Green core coached by Steve Kerr … with the pitch presumed to include the idea that LeBron could commute from Los Angeles to some TBD degree without having to move his family.”

Another team mentioned as a possible James suitor is the Cleveland Cavaliers, where James spent the first seven years of his career (2003-2010) before leaving for the Miami Heat (2010-2014) and eventually returning for four seasons (2014-2018) and winning the franchise’s first championship in an NBA Finals series against Curry and the Warriors.

However, Cleveland might be less likely a destination for James this summer.

“The idea of a third stint for James as a Cleveland Cavalier is harder to envision not only because of the severe financial limitations that the Cavs would face in trying to bring him back to the Northern Ohio but the sheer distance from what has been established since the summer of 2018 as James’ Southern California base,” Stein and Fischer wrote.

James missed the first 14 games of the 2025-26 season with a lingering sciatica injury, but eventually returned and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game on 51.5-percent shooting from the field and 31.7 percent from 3-point range in 60 games with the Lakers.

While it’s clear that James, who has not officially ruled out retirement this summer, is at the tail end of his illustrious NBA career, he still could be a very productive piece for a championship-hopeful team like the Warriors in his 24th season.

If he does decide to keep playing.

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Warriors' top priority in 2026 NBA Draft must be to shed their past failures originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bob Myers is three years and 2,500 miles away from the Warriors and still catching strays about the team’s past NBA draft choices. It’s unfair to blame the former general manager, as the Warriors’ front office was not a one-man decision machine.

Nor is it a one-man machine now. Current GM Mike Dunleavy is surrounded by many of the same voices in Myers’ ears during his 10 years in that role.

But those following the Warriors need a convenient place to express frustration with the team’s unimpressive drafting since Hall of Fame executive Jerry West departed in 2017. So, Myers still takes heat, as do the father-and-son Lacobs, CEO Joe and executive vice president Kirk.

As will Dunleavy if this summer ends without brightness in the future.

“We’ll just draft who we think is going to be the best player for us with our franchise moving forward,” Dunleavy said last month. “That’s what we’ve always done. Particularly the last few years we were pretty good about it whether it’s first or second round, whatever. We’re a little higher this year, but we’ll take the same approach.”

This is Course Correction Summer for Dunleavy and the Lacobs. The 2026 NBA Draft/trade/free agency season is a pass/fail examination for the Warriors.

It’s a failure if they don’t utilize their first-round pick, No. 11 overall, to add a future franchise pillar through the draft or as part of a trade package.

It’s a pass if the Warriors arrive in training camp having added someone young enough to play both sides of back-to-back sets and talented enough to be no less than the third-best player on a contender. Someone with the goods to be one of three pillars now and beyond the Steph Era.

The Warriors entered the offseason with a massive talent gap between pillars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III and young regulars Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. Kristaps Porziņģis has the tools, but his availability is forever fickle.

It has been 14 years since the Warriors drafted a player who ascended to No. 3 on a contender. Draymond Green, chosen in the second round of the 2012 draft, became an NBA All-Star and franchise pillar. Jordan Poole (2019 draft) was on that trajectory before his rise was dramatically altered by Draymond’s right fist. Jonathan Kuminga (2021 draft) had the raw skills but still is finding his way in the league.

Consider the quality of the third pillars in the 2026 NBA Finals. Dylan Harper is 20 years old and not yet a starter but already looks no worse than a future No. 3 for the San Antonio Spurs, behind Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. Behind Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is a virtual tie among OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. Each of these veterans has been a terrific No. 3, depending on the night.

Look at the third pillar on some of the other teams to surpass 50 wins last season. Chet Holmgren is behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Derrick White is behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for the Boston Celtics. Aaron Gordon is behind Nuggets stars Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray in Denver. Tobias Harris/Ausar Thompson are behind Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren with the Detroit Pistons.

LeBron James, behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reeves with the Lakers, claims the role No. 3 in Los Angeles. He’s the only post-prime player in that slot among the league’s top 10 teams – unless you consider James Harden the Cleveland Cavaliers’ No. 3 behind Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.

Podziemski and Moody, along with Gui Santos, are the Warriors’ most trusted under-25 players, and each brings value, but it’s profoundly unfair to ask any of them to offset the likes of Holmgren, White, Gordon et al.

Knowing how crucial that would be to any chance of success, the Warriors began last season hoping Kuminga could fill the No. 3 role behind Curry and Butler. He sometimes looked the part. He often did not. The same can be said, for different reasons, of Porziņģis.

Last season was about knowing the Warriors’ core consisted of senior citizens by NBA standards and wishing the health would hold up well enough in the regular season for their legs to handle an extended postseason. That plan, risky from the start, backfired, leaving the coaching staff scrambling for rotations over the second half of the season.

Next season will be about regaining relevancy – fighting to bypass the Western Conference play-in tournament – while Butler and Moody recover. It’s about the front office taking steps to fill the star vacuum when Curry walks. Tanking once had its benefits, but fresh new rules are designed to thwart that approach.

“I’m confident we can get a good player,” Dunleavy said. “Hopefully, that player will have an opportunity next year to perform, produce, help us. Given the state of the injuries with Jimmy and Moses, my guess is they’re going to have more of an opportunity than maybe in another year.

“Again, the most important thing is just the long-term development, so (we must) make sure we get that right.”

The Warriors have nailed only one pick over the past eight drafts: Poole in 2019. The talented shooting guard played a significant role in the 2022 postseason that concluded with Golden State beating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, there have been such outright draft misses as Jacob Evans (2018), Patrick Baldwin Jr. (2022) and the costly calculated risk that was James Wiseman in 2020. Some of the first-round loses are easier to accept with second-round wins Gui Santos (2022) and Will Richard (2025) bringing value to Golden State’s rotation.

The Warriors over the past four seasons averaged 43.8 wins and last reached the 50-win mark in 2022. They are a team – and franchise – in transition because none of their last three lottery picks is a pillar.

If their lottery pick, coming June 23, becomes a pillar directly or through trade, it will be a giant step toward exorcising the ghosts of failures past.

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The Knicks’ sluggish starts to games were a recurring problem in the regular season.

But by the postseason, they largely fixed their propensity to come out of the gate slowly. In these Finals, though, it’s returned.

They’ve fallen to early first-quarter deficits in each of the three games of this series so far. In their Game 3 loss Monday, they trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter. In Games 1 and 2, they trailed by as many as 10 in the first quarter.

“Yeah, we’ll have to figure it out,” Karl-Anthony Towns said Tuesday. “We’ll have to figure it out because in every game we’ve played here in the Finals, we’ve put ourselves in a position where we have to start fighting immediately. Every time we find a way to get back into the game, but we can’t trust that result is going to happen every single time. The Spurs have done a great job starting in the game, dictating the pace and dictating how the game is going. We have to try to be the first ones to throw the first punch.”

A major factor in that development this series is just how good the Spurs’ starting lineup is. That unit — De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama — has a net rating of 25.0 points this postseason, by far the best of any five-player lineup that has played at least 100 minutes together this postseason. The Knicks’ starting lineup — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns — is second, though much lower with a net rating of 11.2 points.

The Spurs have outscored opponents by an average of 4.5 points in first quarters this postseason, also most among all playoff teams.

“We didn’t do a good job coming out [Monday] night, not just in the first half but in the second half as well,” coach Mike Brown said. “We have to up our level of physicality, especially at the start of the games, and try to maintain it throughout the course without fouling.”

It’s an added burden to immediately be on the back foot and have to come back every night. Brown, on numerous occasions, passionately challenged his side to clean the issue up during the regular season. His players spoke repeatedly about it, too.

They cannot just bank on the Spurs unraveling, as they did in Games 1 and 2.

“I just think we need to be ready to go,” Jalen Brunson said. “Very vague thing to say. I think it’s very simple as well. Just need to be ready.”

They always say the series doesn’t start until a road team wins an away game on their opponent’s home court. Redundantly speaking, that thought process means this series started in Game 1 when the New York Knicks took the victory. After the “desperate” San Antonio Spurs won Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, one could argue that this series began a new start. The Spurs are still down 1-2 to a tough-as-nails Knicks team and will look to knot the series even on Wednesday night.

“I think everybody was feeling good. I didn’t want us to get too happy about one win… I think since the end of Game 2 we’ve still been confident that we’re gonna win this series. That’s what we plan to do.”

There’s a fine line between confidence and cockiness, but Stephon Castle encapsulated his team’s feelings after Game 3 and ahead of an always crucial Game 4. The series thus far has been each team trading haymakers, uppercuts, jabs, and body blows all figuratively and literally as fans on both sides reasonably argue that the match-up has been physical. As a result, each game has been fairly low-scoring for each teams’ standards. The combination of intensive and aggressive defense with the high variance of three-point shooting percentages of each team contributed to the slug fest so far even as the pace is still light years ahead of from the last time both of these two teams met in the Finals.

Defensively, the Spurs will continue to attempt to corral Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns while also hoping to limit the offensive success of OG Anunoby and Josh Hart. When Mikal Bridges and the Knicks’ bench finds a rhythm scoring, the Spurs had trouble keeping up so Game 4 will also be important that the Silver and Black continue to find bench scoring from Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson. While Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson has had trouble finding an offensive role off the bench this series, the mild success he had in Game 3 can be a building block to ensure the Spurs get enough from the second unit to match the Knicks’ depth.

Offensively, while everyone from pundits to fans to the peanut gallery of Twitter has their two cents about how Victor Wembanyama should operate (low post or beyond the arc), the Spurs will welcome Game 3 Victor who was aggressive early and often down low while sprinkling an appropriate amount of threes when the shot was available to him. Nothing else needs to be said about Stephon Castle who is fast making himself a household name for casual fans and the national audience. Castle continues to be the aggressive engine that makes sure the Spurs stay that way on both offense and defense. Foul trouble continues to follow him, but it correlates to his style of play.

The team says the job is no where near done after notching only one game against their Eastern Conference foes so expect the Spurs to come out and ensure that they return home to San Antonio with a tied series.

San Antonio Spurs(1-2) vs. New York Knicks (2-1)

June 10th, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT

Watch: ABC / ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: David Jones Garcia: OUT

Knicks Injuries: Mitchell Robinson: Probable

What to watch for:

Referee Mogging and Looksmaxxing

Free throw discrepancies are common fodder for next-day discussions on both sides of the fandom. In this case, the Knicks plead their case that the Spurs benefited from the zebras’ whistle in Game 3. Of course the Spurs won’t be focused on what the officials might or might not do, but they’ll adjust accordingly if whistles might be stifled or used more in Game 4. Their free throw percentage hovers around 80%, which is all they can ask for when taking advantage of the charity stripe.

De’Aaron Fox Aura Farming

De’Aaron Fox’s game-to-game stats swing as wild as Spurs and Knicks fans celebrations and outbursts after wins and losses. You never know what you’re going to get, but you know something is going down. While Fox shot 67% in Game 2’s loss, he was 29% from the field in Game 3’s win. The Spurs will certainly look to get him on the right side of the shooting percentage to bolster their offense behind Wembanyama’s orbit and Castle’s drives.

Clock that tea: Elmo still hopes both teams have fun

Experts and fans can cherry pick any number of stats and percentages that say the winner of [insert applicable game here] goes on to win the series [insert percentage] of the time. For the Spurs, they will solely be focused on stealing another win in New York to even the series at 2-2. Rain or shine, long security lines or not, Game 4 will see both teams come out with the same intense urgency seen throughout a competitive series that has lived up to the already high expectations.

A rowdy mob pummeled a San Antonio Spurs fan and snatched his jersey in a viral caught-on-camera beatdown amid the mayhem that broke out in Midtown after Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

The 39-year-old Spurs fan was walking back to his hotel just after midnight on Tuesday when the large crew descended upon him outside 306 West 47th Street, according to the NYPD.

Video posted on social media showed a man in a Spurs jersey walking down the street and attempting to run as the angry mob surrounded him.

He was punched, kicked, and had his No. 21 Tim Duncan jersey torn off his back in the melee — as hordes of Knicks fanatics swarmed Midtown, some wreaking havoc, after Monday night’s squeaker loss in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

The Spurs fan appeared to try to fight back, but was forced to the ground and kicked repeatedly before trying to escape down a street as antagonizers chased at his heels, according to social media footage.

While running away, a member of the mob was seen kicking him to the ground, clips showed.

He suffered cuts to his face and bruising and was taken to Mount Sinai West Hospital in stable condition, cops said.

The NYPD released pictures of six separate people wanted in connection with the violent robbery.

Though none of the wanted individuals appeared to be pictured in Knicks merch, many fans clad in blue and orange were seen in the massive crowd closing in on the Spurs fan.

Some New Yorkers and Knicks faithful blasted the hooligans for the violence in subsequent videos shared online.

Police arrested 21 people overnight for offenses including assault on a police officer, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration after trying to control the thousands of people gathered outside a Bryant Park Knicks watch party.

In a separate assault, dozens of enraged Knicks fans surrounded a Spurs fan on the streets and tore apart his Victor Wembanyama jersey.

Five NYPD officers were injured in the fracas, with some ruffians chucking glass objects at each other and police officers, and ripping bus signs and trees out of the ground to throw them.

Rowdy fans also climbed scaffolding, light poles, police cars, and NYPD trucks, causing “significant damage,” police said.

An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

On the most recent Bill Simmons podcast, Simmons talked with J Kyle Mann about the upcoming NBA draft. You can listen to the entire podcast here (the draft talk takes place in the second half):

Simmons talked a lot about who he thinks the Utah Jazz might draft, and he thinks it could be Cam Boozer. Simmons seems very worried about all the issues that Peterson had at Kansas. The most interesting element occurs near the end, when Simmons asks Mann how he thinks everything will pan out. Mann says that he thinks Dybantsa goes #1 and that Peterson goes #2, and then Mann adds. “I think the Jazz take Peterson, I’ve heard they like Peterson, I’ve heard Danny likes Peterson.”

We’ve heard this draft order from multiple sources, so it’s not entirely surprising, but it does confirm what many reports have said. June 23rd is right around the corner, and it’s going to be exciting to see what is going to happen.

On the Sean O’Connell Show, Krysten Peek joined the show to talk about all things NBA Draft, and she brought some incredible insight and intel. If you haven’t listened, make sure you do here:

If you don’t have a chance to listen, here are the different insights she brought:

• Wouldn’t surprise her if AJ Dybantsa goes #1 and Darryn Peterson goes #2
• Darryn Peterson is going in this week, if not already, to work out with the Utah Jazz
• She says it’s like an 85-90% chance that AJ Dybantsa goes #1
• The fact that nothing has been leaked from all 30 teams who have Darryn Peterson’s medicals points to him being A-okay, him being fine.
• She’s a big Darryn Peterson believer, and what she knows personally about him as someone who loves basketball. If he’s not the #1 pick, he is the clear-cut pick for the Jazz at #2. He fits well with Keyonte George. Both are ultra competitors.
• The Jazz brass have done an incredible job of improving players’ perception of the Utah Jazz and the city. They have brought in a lot of players to help with that and to build relationships for future opportunities to bring them on.

The number is somewhat stunning, considering how well Karl-Anthony Towns has performed up until recently in the NBA Finals.

He has logged 30 minutes across the fourth quarter of the three games of the series, and the Knicks center hasn’t scored a point.

Not a single field goal or free throw. He has only taken six shots and tallied one assist.

“It’s extremely important that he’s getting touches, that he’s involved, not just in the fourth quarter, but obviously throughout the ballgame,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said Tuesday. “I got to continue trying to do a better job of getting him involved throughout the course of the game, as well as late.”

Lately, Towns hasn’t been involved much, taking just 11 shots over the past five quarters. In that span, the Knicks have been outscored by 12 points.

When asked about his fourth-quarter donuts, Towns mostly sidestepped the question.

“We have a game plan, and we want to execute it,” he said. “So just trying to execute our game plan, especially when we get in the fourth, is vital, and just doing what I can to execute it at the highest level.”

Towns’ emergence has been a major storyline of the postseason for the Knicks, ever since Brown tweaked the offense to run more through Towns midway through the first round against the Hawks. The Knicks are 12-1 in the playoffs when Towns has four or more assists.

In Game 3, he had only one assist. An involved Towns typically means a productive Knicks offense. Their attack was not at its best in that loss, too stagnant and overreliant on isolation. They shot 36 percent from the field in the second half and notched a playoff-low 18 assists.

On Monday, the Spurs went away from using Victor Wembanyama on Towns and guarded him with smaller defenders. It worked for them. Now the Knicks have to adjust.

“Execute our game plan and get back to what’s made us special — that ball movement and getting the ball zipping around the court, and allowing it to judge who shoots the ball,” Towns said. “So I think we have to get back to the details and our fundamentals that made us special in the 13-game winning streak.”

Victor Wembanyama left Stephon Castle out to dry, giving him the ball with less than a second left on the shot clock, forcing him to quickly fire a 25-footer from the wing. The buzzer screamed and thousands groaned as the game-changing 3-pointer fell with less than two minutes left. 

When the 21-year-old next looked at the rim, he was standing at the free-throw line with 6.8 seconds left, sinking the clinching shots of the 115-111 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.

“He might be the most mature player on our team,” Wembanyama said. “He’s shown over and over again he’s capable and that we are right to put our trust in him.”

Castle inflicted even more damage before his late-game heroics. 

The second-year standout from UConn — who won the national championship in his only season with the Huskies — punished the Knicks perimeter defenders from the tip by attacking the paint at will, finishing strong at the rim and sending Knicks defenders scrambling in rotations.

Castle scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half — combining with Wembanyama to become the first pair of teammates who are 22 or younger to each score at least 20 points in an NBA Finals game — and also finished with five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in 38 minutes.

Dylan Harper, 20, set the tone in San Antonio, barely a year removed from Rutgers, now repeatedly bullying his way into the lane to put up 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the NBA Finals.

“For the most part, we kind of dictate where we want to go on the court,” Castle said Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. “I think that’s a skill that me and [Harper] both have, and it’s very useful. We’ve just got to keep continuing to use it.

“I don’t think we’ve let the defense force us to do anything all year.”

In Game 4, the Knicks need to try to make the unproven shooters beat them from deep, taking away the young guards’ confidence-building drives.

Castle has shot 5-for-14 on 3-pointers in the series but is a career 30.5 percent shooter from the perimeter. Harper is shooting 60 percent on 2-pointers in the series but is just 2-for-15 on 3-pointers in the NBA Finals, including two wide-open misses in the final 70 seconds of Game 3. 

“I feel like every night is not going to be your night,” said Harper, who had made 30.5 percent of 3-pointers in the playoffs. “[In Game 3], I couldn’t make a shot. That’s just the reality of the game. I’m going to keep on shooting them because [of] the confidence I have in myself, the confidence the team has in me.

“I can’t really hang my head too much because we’ve got a lot more basketball to be played.”

Josh Hart has been in their shoes. Throughout this playoff run, the veteran has been left alone on the outside and dared to make the opponent pay for it.

Hart wouldn’t reveal whether the Knicks would employ a similar strategy against the Spurs’ young guards, but part of the game plan is no secret.

“I’m sure we’re going to change some things and switch up some schemes to protect the paint,” Hart said. “Obviously, those guys are very dynamic when they touch the paint.”

The NBA admitted Tuesday it missed a foul call on Victor Wembanyama’s first-quarter shove of Jalen Brunson during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. And they are not going to do anything about it.

The league reviewed the play after San Antonio’s 115-111 win at Madison Square Garden and will not upgrade it to a flagrant foul, a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed to USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes. This despite NBA head of officiating Monty McCutchen going on ESPN to acknowledge that the officials got it wrong.

Wembanyama shoved Brunson hard with both hands as Brunson tried to set a screen. Brunson didn’t fall all the way to the floor but he had to brace himself from the push, which drew an immediate reaction from the MSG crowd. Brunson got up and got in Wembanyama’s face before the game moved on.

No foul was called. No review was triggered at the time.

Brunson frustrated at Wemby 😳 pic.twitter.com/0xd2HO78NV

— ESPN (@espn) June 9, 2026

McCutchen addressed the missed call on ESPN’s "NBA Today."

“Well most certainly, I think we can all agree that a foul was missed on that play. We have a big part of our job is to, on-ball, off-ball exchanges between referees. We did a poor job of that here where we got two people on-ball and we don’t see the screening action. Lots of fighting over screens throughout the game and if we break down in our fundamentals, in even the smallest amounts, we have the opportunity to miss a clear foul, as we missed here.”

Replays appeared to show Brunson grabbing Wembanyama’s jersey before the shove, which may have factored into the league’s decision not to escalate. Still, Wembanyama’s reaction was to aggressively shove Brunson in the upper back and neck area, sending him toward the floor.