Category: Basketball

The New York Knicks are just two wins from earning their first championship since they last hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy all the way back in 1973. They might as well have won it already.

After Friday’s 105-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, New York is standing in one of the rarest spots in history—certified rarefied air—as one of just three teams ever to win the first two games of the title series on the road.

The other two: the 1993 Chicago Bulls (57-25 in the regular season, 11-2 in the playoffs) and the 1995 Houston Rockets (47-35, 15-7).

The outcome of those Bulls and Rockets finals runs? Jobs finished and happy endings.

The 1993 Bulls opened the Finals with two wins against the Suns, beating them in Phoenix twice and in six games overall before Michael Jordan announced his first retirement.

Two years later, the 1995 Rockets took Games 1 and 2 in Orlando against the Magic, went back to Houston, and swept Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, and a supremely inexperienced Magic squad that resembles a certain contemporary squad we’ve gotten familiar with this week.

That is the regal company the Knicks joined as Friday leaked into Saturday.

New York surely sweated getting there, but to the disbelief of many—both on the haters’ ship and within the Garden faithful—the Knicks are mammoth favorites to win the chip on FanDuel, boasting -520 odds to the Spurs’ +400.

The Knickerbockers trailed by 14 in Game 1 but ended up winning 105-95. They once again trailed by 12 in the first half of Game 2, led by 14 in the fourth, then watched San Antonio rip off a 14-0 run before Jalen Brunson bailed them out late.

Brunson was kinda awful, let’s admit it, shooting just 7-for-25 in Game 2 but putting on his Captain Clutch cape at the perfect time to tie the game with a midrange jumper, grab a gift from Victor Wembanyama, and hit the go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left.

Karl-Anthony Towns kept building his NBA Finals resume by leading New York with 21 points and 13 rebounds. A desperate-as-you’ve-never-seen-him Mikal Bridges added 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. Brunson finished 20 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals. Josh Hart decided it was a nice evening to improve his cardio. Mitch and Shamet were off-the-pine saviors again. Jeremy Sochan didn’t play.

Now, looking at it from a Spurs point of view—if you’re into that or are one of the two San Antonio fans still not mad enough to read this blog—I’m sorry to inform you that here comes another ominous warning.

Five teams have come back from 0-2 to win the NBA Finals: the 1969 Celtics, 1977 Trail Blazers, 2006 Heat, 2016 Cavaliers and 2021 Bucks (yay!)… but those comebacks all came after the trailing team lost the first two games on the road, not in their supposedly strong feud. Ugh, sorry to disappoint you, Coyote.

The Spurs have lost the first two at their own Alamo Frost AT&T Arenadome or whatever the name of that thing is these days. No Finals team has ever recovered from that specific start to win the championship.

So, yeah. The Knicks still need two more wins. The Spurs have five chances to win four games. The math works for both heading into Game 3, but facts are facts, not Kenny Atkinson’s analytics.

The Bulls got there and won. The Rockets got there and won. New York is halfway there, and why not Knicks in four?

Spurs legend Tony Parker spoke regarding the time he discovered Victor Wembanyama had worn his #9 Spurs jersey and what it meant to him.

“Victor was with me in ASVEL, my team, the French team that I own. And the whole time you know he was with us I had a great time and we had great talks and we won a championship. When the Spurs drafted him number one, he put a picture on his social media with my jersey when he was ten-years-old. He had a picture of my jersey. And I saw that picture and I was like ‘wow,’ he never showed it to me when he was with me in ASVEL. And he waited that moment where when he got drafted to show that picture to the world. And I saw him with my jersey. I was like ‘oh, wow.’ So the way that Michael [Jordan] inspired me, I felt very proud that I inspire some one like that.”

It stands to reason. Parker was one of the players from France to make it into the NBA. He met unprecedented success with the Spurs earning a Finals MVP in 2007, one of his four NBA titles. He’s inspired so many players over the years. But for one of his proteges and members of his team to become the biggest player on the planet, that must be quite an honor.

N ow Victor is in the NBA Finals on the same team which Parker spent a majority of his career.

Victor and the Spurs landed in New York on Saturday. They meet with media on Sunday. Game 3 is Monday night. The Spurs are facing the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. With an 0-2 hole, they have their work cut out for them.

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Even though Knicks coach Mike Brown earned some of his coaching chops as a Spurs assistant under Gregg Popovich from 2000–2003, he didn’t dare to reach out to him ahead of the NBA Finals.

The fear? Sabotage.

“He’s savvy,” Brown said before Game 1 against the Spurs. “He’s very competitive. If I reached out to him and asked him for some advice, he’d give me some BS that worked against us.”

Brown’s joke had Popovich’s fingerprints all over it.

See, when you’re raised in Popovich’s coaching tree, certain values are emphasized above all others, namely humor.

During Popovich’s 29 seasons at the helm of the Spurs, he wanted people around him who could laugh at themselves. He turned to humor to cut through the weighty pressure of 82-game marathon seasons.

Though he was fiercely competitive, he emphasized that basketball is just a silly game. He has been known to cut people from his staff who couldn’t dish or take a joke.

Perhaps that’s why the partnership between Popovich and Brown worked.

Brown is deeply likable. He’s quick to laugh. He doesn’t hesitate to poke fun at himself.

And now, after leading the Knicks to a 105-104 win over the Spurs in Game 2 on Friday, Brown is two wins from his first NBA championship as a head coach.

It has been a long road for Brown, who has spent the last 29 years as either an assistant or head coach for eight NBA franchises, including getting fired four times as the leading man.

Brown has coached some of the league’s biggest stars, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. He coached under some of the most venerated coaches, including Popovich and Steve Kerr. But now, for the first time in his career, the Larry O’Brien Trophy is within his grasp as the head of a locker room.

Brown points to his time under Popovich as one of the biggest reasons he has arrived at this moment.

“It was huge,” Brown said. “Pop — I talk about MSG being iconic, New York City being iconic — Pop is iconic, especially here in San Antonio. When you talk about the game of basketball, he’s iconic to everybody that enjoys the game of basketball.”

During Brown’s three seasons under Popovich, he watched firsthand how the winningest coach in NBA history operated. They won a championship together in 2003, the second of Popovich’s five rings amid his historic 22 straight years in the postseason.

Brown said his biggest takeaway from Popovich actually has very little to do with basketball.

“The neat part about him is it’s not just about the X’s and O’s that you learn,” Brown said. “You know you can never be him, but you learn people skills. You learn how to connect, not just the 15 or 18 players, you learn how to connect an entire city, maybe even an entire state.”

That insight has proven instrumental for Brown, who’s in his first season at the helm of the Knicks after being fired by the Kings in December 2024. In just a short period of time, Brown has won over Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the biggest-market city in the NBA.

But Popovich’s impact on Brown goes deeper than that.

When Brown separated from his wife in 2002, Popovich famously threatened to fire him if he traveled with the team instead of spending a little extra time with his two young sons, who were crying as he took them to the airport to say goodbye.

Popovich also famously offered Brown a lifeline after he was fired by the Cavaliers in 2014. He joined the Spurs as a volunteer consultant, which helped put him back on the map ahead of getting hired as an assistant with the Warriors in 2016.

“He’s second to none [in] how he treats people off the floor in their personal lives,” Brown said. “I grew a lot personally. Everybody goes through good times and bad times off the floor in their personal life. When I was here, I went through good times and bad times. He helped me tremendously with those.”

The 77-year-old Popovich is now watching the Spurs from the stands, having retired after suffering a stroke in November 2024.

After games, he regularly texts Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, trying to help the future face of the league reach his full potential. But down the sideline, in enemy territory, sits another one of his protégés.

Brown is immensely grateful to Popovich for not only helping him reach the apex of his career but for being his friend.

“He’s a special human being,” Brown said.

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I will always appreciate writing for NetsDaily. There are nearly 600 comments on Friday’s article, where I reported the league-wide consensus that the Brooklyn Nets have interest in Tennessee’s Nate Ament, whether at the #6 spot or in a trade-down. Thank you all for the engagement and consistent readership; I don’t even remember the Nets playing in the NBA Finals, and yet, my fandom-turned-coverage of the team has, somehow, been as rewarding as it has been tormenting, thanks to the people who visit this site regularly.

So let’s just clarify a couple things about that report. I am not reporting that it is “likely” that the Nets take Ament, but rather, that is what people around the league believe. Brian Lewis of the New York Post, ever a trustworthy reporter, says that Ament hasn’t even been in for a workout…

I personally doubt it’s “likely” the Nets take anybody at this juncture, over a fortnight before the NBA Draft, though their interest in Ament certainly seems legit. The noise, though, is undeniable. No prospect is linked to Brooklyn more often — it’s not even close.

And again, part of that comes from Brooklyn’s recent draft history. But just because it seems like the Nets would take Ament at No. 6 — after Egor Dëmin, everybody now knows this front office isn’t afraid to “reach” in the lottery — doesn’t actually make it more likely.

Perhaps the Nets are preying on their rivals’ preconceived notions to create some smoke, maybe they’re doing their best to facilitate a trade-down, who knows? For what it’s worth, major sportsbooks still don’t think Ament is “likely” to go at #6, though the odds are climbing. On Kalshi (sorry), Ament’s odds of being drafted at No. 6 overall have jumped from 4% to 17% in the past week, but that’s still lower than Mikel Brown Jr. and Darius Acuff.

In any case, there’s enough smoke to strongly consider Ament’s strengths and weaknesses, even if Brooklyn doesn’t trade down, which would have seemed unthinkable a couple weeks ago. He was not good at Tennessee in his freshman year, and to discuss his talents further, I held a brief Q&A with NBA Draft analyst Ben Pfeifer.

Benny Pfeif is a friend of mine and a tremendous tape-eater; no analyst has a crystal ball, but he’s demonstrated the value of his opinion many times over…

His social media is, obviously, linked in that post above, and I’ll link his YouTube channel here. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Q: Nate Ament was the #4 high school prospect in the country upon graduation. What to that point made him such an exciting prospect. What, for lack of better wording, was the high-end sell?

A: Nate Ament looked to join the long line of tall wings oozing shotmaking talent and theoretical upside that the NBA typically covets. Ament coupled his 6’10” frame with dynamic on and off-ball shooting from beyond and inside the arc, some basic ball skills and impressive defensive versatility, especially on the ball. His prospect profile sat clearly below the level of Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa but the promise of a 3-and-D plus wing with latent on-ball creation enticed evaluators (myself included).

Q: Let’s break his NCAA season down into parts — how good of an outside shooter is he, really? 33.3% from deep, 37.3% on long twos, 79% from the line isn’t terrible, but that’s not the profile of a sniper. I know it’s just one season of college data, but what level of shooter do you think we’re really talking about here?

A: While Ament’s shooting profile is indeed solid, his 3-point volume, efficiency and free-throw numbers all dipped from his final AAU season (and his most recent reliable pre-NCAA dataset). He traded some of those outside shots for mid-range jumpers, which contributed to some volume deflation from 3-point range, but <8 threes per 100 possession is undeniably disappointing for a prospect with shooting as a primary sell. Plenty of prospects with similar shooting profiles have developed into effective NBA shooters, but they rarely become truly elite outside of fringe cases like Kawhi Leonard. Ament’s mid-range off-the-dribble shotmaking and flashes of movement shooting are enticing, but I view Ament as a good-to-great outside shooter rather than a game-changing one.

Q: Let’s get to the main reason most draft nerds don’t have Ament in the lottery. He shot 43% from two this season, and under 40% from two against top 100 teams. What the hell is going on there? Can we blame Tennessee’s offensive environment, does he just not have wiggle/explosiveness? How does that happen?

A: Since 2008, 11 drafted college players 6’7” or taller logged a career 2-point percentage under 45%, according to Bart Torvik. The best of these players is Jaden McDaniels, who still isn’t a scoring ace after tons of offensive development. Jabari Smith (an apt comparison for Ament, IMO) is there too, but the rest of the list consists of the Cam Reddishes, Ziaire Williamses, and Brandon Bostons of the world. It’s an undeniably concerning indicator and speaks to Ament’s lack of burst, ball-handling chops and standout contested touch.

He’s a far better foul-drawer and strength creator than in high school, but notable strength gains zapped much of the mobility he previously relied on to outmaneuver defenders with the ball. Tennessee’s spacing and supporting cast weren’t pristine by any means and and Ament occasionally flashed effective driving and finishing off two feet with a runway. Maybe he leans into the strength creation, adds a ton of muscle and takes the bully route, but it will be a tight needle to thread regardless on the path to efficient NBA scoring, especially with any on-ball creation involved.

Q: Penultimate question: What are his most enticing secondary skills? Plus-rebounder? Rim protector/switchy? Secret passing guru despite a 1.0 assist:turnover? In other words, when the ball ain’t going in, what are you most confident he’ll contribute to an NBA team?

A: Based on my pre-college expectations, Ament’s defense significantly disappointed this past season. The aforementioned muscle gain and lessened mobility really hurt his defense, especially moving in space and making plays as a helper. At his best, Ament should develop into a fine defender, but he lacks high-end traits and feel on that end (and on offense). His off-ball lapses and technical worries aren’t as concerning as his frequently poor instincts, awareness and change of direction on closeouts and long rotations.

He’ll occasionally flash as a help-side shot blocker, but those moments were few and far between. Ament is one of the class’s least threatening playmakers, often struggling to convert easy reads in favor of tough off-dribble jumpers. He’ll high point some rebounds and his cleanest path to ancillary value comes from being extremely large and (hopefully) positioning himself well, but it’s unfortunately bleak projecting any non-scoring facets of his game to impact winning at a playoff level.

Q: Well, this has been kinda depressing, but let’s ask the big question(s) now. Assuming their interest is real, what do you think Brooklyn sees in him, like what’s the high-end scenario? Lastly, let’s say they take him at #6. Is that fine? Crazy?

A: Viewing Ament’s projection through the rosiest lens possible could lead one to value him near the top of a loaded draft class, especially if said person really values physical traits and shotmaking. Maybe the Tennessee context cloaked his true offensive self, and NBA spacing/movement unlock his game. Even for players without standout feel, ball handling or defensive chops, there’s value in sheer size and scoring, especially in certain postseason matchups. If Ament fleshes out his strength creation and becomes a high-level contested shotmaker, it’s possible he’d fit in as a stabilizing force with the size to add value on the defensive end.

However, that outcome sits at the tail end of Ament’s range and even if a player of the Tobias Harris/Jabari Smith progeny isn’t a terrible result for a top-6 pick, it’s a bleak one in a draft as loaded as 2026. In 2025, Brooklyn drafted a smattering of future complementary pieces, and that’s what Ament projects as. Maybe the Nets view themselves as such a marquee free agent/trade destination that they’ll intentionally eschew high-end star swings like Mikel Brown Jr., Aday Mara, or Kingston Flemings for better roster/size fits. But if Ament is Brooklyn’s sixth pick, it would be an undeniably disappointing selection with potentially damaging long-term ramifications. For your sake (Lucas and his lovely readers), let’s hope this is just typical draft season smoke and mirrors.

Again, another thanks to Mr. Pfeifer for his time and words. He also made this comprehensive video on Ament a couple days ago…

Again, the NBA Draft beings on June 23rd at 8:00 p.m. ET. Until then, get ready way more rumors, analysis, and everything in between.

San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Monday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Knicks -2.5; over/under is 215.5

NBA FINALS: Knicks lead series 2-0

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last meeting 105-104 on Saturday, led by 21 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 29.

The Knicks are 30-10 in home games. New York ranks fifth in the NBA allowing just 110.1 points per game while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.

The Spurs are 30-12 in road games. San Antonio averages 119.8 points and has outscored opponents by 8.3 points per game.

The 116.5 points per game the Knicks average are 5.0 more points than the Spurs allow (111.5). The Spurs average 13.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than the Knicks give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jalen Brunson is averaging 26 points and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. Mikal Bridges is averaging 17.3 points over the last 10 games.

Wembanyama is averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 10-0, averaging 118.2 points, 44.9 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 9.2 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.5 points per game.

Spurs: 5-5, averaging 112.7 points, 48.4 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 7.8 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points.

INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.

Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

What’s scary is that there is another level the Knicks can reach. 

Jalen Brunson in particular. 

He has been far from his best across the first two games of the Finals — he has shot just 19-for-56 from the field (33.9 percent) and 4-for-17 from 3-point range (23.5 percent).

He’s committed a combined eight turnovers. 

In Friday’s 105-104 Game 2 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center, he missed three straight shots as the Spurs went on a 14-0 run to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

The last one was a wide-open 3-pointer that he was unable to hit. 

He did, though, make a jumper to tie the game and hit a free throw — after stealing Victor Wembanyama’s pass — to give the Knicks their final lead. 

“We’re just trying to make it difficult on him,” De’Aaron Fox said. “I think we’ve done a good job both games. He’s made big shots at the end of games. He’s a hell of a player.” 

“Even when you make it difficult on good players, they’re talented so they’re going to end up making shots. He’s done that, especially at the end of the games.” 

The Spurs clearly made it a point to not let Brunson beat them Friday.

They blitzed him every time someone set a screen for him.

They collapsed in the paint every time he got into the lane. 

And they were extremely physical — picking him up full court, bumping him off the ball and trying to get under his skin.

Much of it was allowed by the referees. 

At one point in the fourth quarter, De’Aaron Fox basically shoved him, then tried to exchange a few words with Brunson, who simply stared him down.

Brunson’s father, assistant coach Rick, shouted a few words toward Fox. 

Brunson expects even more of that approach in Game 3 on Monday. 

“Knowing them, there’s going to be another level,” Brunson said. “We have to be prepared and be ready to match it and play for 48 minutes. No matter what goes on in the game, we have to have each other’s back, what’s going on, who is on a run, what’s not, who is up, who is down. Making sure we are playing together for 48 minutes is really important.” 

And, as Fox said, Brunson has still found a way to execute late in both Games 1 and 2 despite his struggles up to that point. 

He became the first player since at least 1971 to score the final go-ahead points in the last two minutes of back-to-back Finals games, according to ESPN. 

“I see Captain Clutch doing what he’s always been doing since I got here,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “He’s a huge part when it comes down to the actual — the game, to winning the game, No. 11 can’t be messed with.” 

If this is what the Knicks look like without Brunson at his best, just imagine what they’ll be when he finally breaks out.

“And David put his hand in his bag,” wrote the anonymous or eponymous author of the book of Samuel, “and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.”

David made due with what he had and it was enough. The NBA version of David would be the 2004 Pistons, who upset the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and their seemingly destined fate to four-peat. Los Angeles was a mess, what with Shaq hating Kobe, Kobe hating Shaq, both players hating Phil Jackson, the child rapist sexually harassing the accused rapist’s wife with a “joke” about little girls, etcetera. They were their for the taking, and the Pistons made sure they got took.

The Lakers lost Game 1 at home, then trailed by six with 36 seconds left before rallying to force overtime and win Game 2. But the next three games were in Michigan, one of the busiest hubs on the railroad that runs where dreams go to die, and whatever lingering fantasies they flew in with were laid to rest after three straight Ls. It’s not a perfect fit. It’ll do.

The San Antonio Spurs lost Game 1 of this year’s Finals at home, then very nearly staged an incredible comeback to win Game 2. To my knowledge Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox get along well enough. Mitch Johnson seems inoffensive, if not likable. And I’ve never heard a single salacious thing about Stephon Castle. So I’m not saying the Knicks and Spurs are David vs. Goliath II. I’m saying what New York’s has done/is doing is more impressive. A slingshot blast to the dome? That’s like porn, or Stalinism — effective, but only so far as you either ignore or adore the brutality.

The Knicks are doing unto others what’s been done to them the past two postseasons. When they played Indiana in 2024, Tyrese Haliburton led Pacers in minutes (235). Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo all eclipsed that mark, with Isaiah Hartenstein nearly joining them. Nine Pacers averaged a dozen or more minutes over the seven games; only seven Knicks did. Multiply that over a couple of weeks and . . . well, you know what it looks like.

In these Finals the Knicks are the bigger, stronger, deeper team. They entered the series far more rested than the Spurs, a gap likely to continue expanding: the Knicks have no reason to fix what ain’t broke, whereas teams down 0-2 are historically more likely to change or shrink their rotation than expand it. Sean Elliott, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard aren’t walking through that door, and probably neither are Kelly Olynyk, Lindy Waters III or Bismack Biyombo.

These are the minutes played after two games:

Aren’t those pretty?

What’s clear in those graphs is that the team that’s down and clearly and understandably worn out is more top-heavy, minutes-wise, than their fresher opponent. But there’s something not immediately apparent that emerges with a little bit of a closer look.

The man from the government would tell you Wembanyama and Brunson have played nearly identical minutes (78 to 75). They haven’t. That’s one reason the Knick star has had enough in the tank to close both games out when the younger stud Spur hasn’t. And it’s one reason the Spurs are up against a more daunting uphill than merely coming back after dropping the opening two at home.

Brunson has played roughly 20,000 minutes in the NBA, regular-season and playoffs. Two games into the Finals, he’s played 6% more minutes than he did a year ago. Wembanyama just passed the 6,000 minute mark this spring. Last year, deep vein thrombosis ended his season before the All-Star break, so his workload from 2025 to 2026 is up 64%. Even if you go back to his prior career high in 2024, his total minutes are up 20%. I don’t know how to calculate the added intensity of playoff minutes, but however you frame it the picture’s the same: the biggest man in a league of big men is working more than ever.

And as the season’s advanced, he’s playing way more minutes way more often. There’s no real difference between Brunson playing 37-plus minutes in 50% of his playoff games and Wembanyama doing so in 47%. But Brunson played that many minutes 42% of the time in the regular season. He’s done it eight times in the playoffs. Wembanyama did so five times in the entire regular season, 8% of his games.

Hack-a-Mitch is the free throw story getting the most press in the series, but Wembanyama’s attempts are noteworthy. He had nine in the first two games against Portland (he left the second game early due to a head injury), five against Minnesota and 15 versus OKC. The Knicks sent him to the line 21 times. Those add up over time. Long as those fouls aren’t coming from KAT or Mitch, they’re fine continuing to send him there.

When the legs are gone, the fight usually is, too. The Knicks being the Knicks — in particular Towns being as unique a 7-footer as Wembanyama — is forcing the young giant to answer questions that weren’t in the reading, to push past limits he’s never tested before, limits no human that big maybe ever has. If the Knicks are partying in the Canyon of Heroes this June, their silent sixth man will be a big reason why.

Goliath’s Achilles heel was his head. Shaq was awful at the line. The Knicks are relying on talent and grit in this series. They’re also relying on time wearing on Wembanyama. Head shots are automatic flagrants these days, and he’s making nearly 90% of his free throws in the playoffs. A rock to the noggin won’t work against this particular strain of mutant. Time itself is grinding on him. The Knicks are skilled and gifted on both ends. They’re two wins from a title because they’re stronger and tougher, too.

SAN ANTONIO — The unborn will know their names. 

With another two wins, the Knicks will end the NBA’s most painful drought and capture their first championship in 53 years.

With two more wins, the names of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges will be passed down to future generations, just as Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe became famous to every Knicks fan too young to experience when the Garden was Eden. 

Every title team eventually gets whittled down to a small fraction of its contributors.

Even perhaps the greatest team of all time, the 1927 Yankees, has been filtered to little more than Ruth and Gehrig. 

But you know better. 

You know the Knicks wouldn’t hold a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals without the strength of their second unit — without names that will never reach the rafters (Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride). 

“A lot of contributions from a lot of guys, and that’s why you like having a team because it could be anybody’s night on any given night,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said following the 105-104 Game 2 win. “Our guys don’t care. They sacrifice for one another and we found a way to get a win.” 

The Knicks bench was instrumental in the Game 1 win in San Antonio, producing 28 points, along with four assists from McBride, and a combined 10 rebounds from Alvarado and Robinson.

In Game 2, Brown needed even more, as Brunson shot 7-for-25, Hart was held scoreless and Towns was limited to four second-half points. 

For a stretch of more than five crucial minutes — from the 3:19 mark of the third quarter through the 10:15 mark of the fourth quarter — Brown sat Brunson and Towns, opting for a lineup of Shamet, Robinson, Alvarado, McBride and Bridges. 

During that span, the Knicks lead grew from four to 12, eventually settling at 87-78 when Brunson and Towns reentered. 

Shamet, who is shooting 67.6 percent on 3-pointers in the postseason, finished with 13 points for the second straight game.

Robinson had seven points, three rebounds, one block and one steal in 14 minutes, in addition to helping prevent Victor Wembanyama from evening the series on the potential game-winner.

Alvarado and McBride — who have two of the Knicks’ top five on-court ratings in the NBA Finals — combined for seven points, four assists and four offensive rebounds. 

In last year’s playoffs, Tom Thibodeau used each of his starters for more than 35 minutes per game, giving just two reserves (Robinson, McBride) double-digit minutes per game. 

This year, Brunson is the only starter averaging more than 34 minutes in the playoffs, as Brown uses a nine-man rotation during the season’s most critical moments, placing trust in names many will never know. 

“It’s important,” Shamet said of the bench play. “We need everybody.”

The New York Knicks are upping security at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday, June 8 in anticipation of President Donald Trump attending the matchup.

The team made the announcement on Saturday, June 6 after beating the San Antonio Spurs twice in Texas to go up in the series 2-0. Security officials are working with the United States Secret Service to implement "TSA-style screening procedures" for entry into the famed arena.

In a statement, the team said these measures are being made because officials "want to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all ticket holders by sharing important security procedures that will be in place."

The statement outlined that "a strict no-bag policy will be in effect, and fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum."

The Knicks are encouraging fans to arrive to the game at least two hours ahead of the 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff time.

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Celebrities like Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller have been at Madison Square Garden cheering for the Knicks throughout the season. New York has won 13 straight playoff games and is in the Finals for the first time since 1999.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MSG to implement TSA-like security for Trump visit to NBA Finals Game 3

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are warning fans to bring as little as possible to Game 3 of the NBA Finals and encouraging them to arrive at least two hours before tipoff as part of enhanced security measures with President Donald Trump attending the game.

The Knicks said Saturday that a strict no-bag policy will be in place and that there would be “TSA-style screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden.

Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. He has already attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.

The Knicks said there would be no storage at MSG for prohibited items brought to the arena. A list of them is available at https://www.secretservice.gov/prohibiteditems.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t have many high-value assets they could move for a talent upgrade. One of those is Evan Mobley, who theoretically could be used for a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, given that the Milwaukee Bucksreportedly value him. However, as of now, the Cavs have little interest in moving Mobley.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Mobley “will not join the list of marquee players discussed in trades this summer.”

This backs up previous reporting. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor mentioned last week that the Cavs’ braintrust views Mobley as a “future star” and as a safety net for a potential rebuild once this era comes to a close.

Additionally, Cavs President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman, said in his end-of-season press conference that Mobley was part of the team’s “future.”

At this point, it’s worth taking these reports and Altman’s public statements as true. That said, Mobley’s value seems to be quite high at this point. There aren’t many players in the league who can theoretically guard Victor Wembanyama as well as Mobley can. In a league run by Wemby, having a counter is extremely important — especially for a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are already rumored to be interested in Mobley. Things could change quickly if the Cavs receive an offer they can’t refuse.

It’ll be an interesting summer for the Cavs. They will want to find ways to make their roster more well-rounded, while also cutting costs so that they can get under the second apron. We’ll see if Altman and the rest of the front office can find a way of doing so.

The Knicks are keeping security tight for their first NBA Finals home game in 27 years.

The team announced Saturday a slew of rules they will enforce Monday night at the Garden, including a “strict no-bag policy,” along with “TSA-style” security measures ahead of NBA Finals Game 3.

The Knicks suggest fans show up at least two hours before the 8:30 p.m. tip-off to ensure they are at their seats on time for the start of the first quarter.

“A strict no-bag policy will be in effect, and fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum,” the team wrote. “Fans should expect enhanced security measures when entering Madison Square Garden, including TSA-style screening procedures. Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive at least two hours before tip-off to allow additional time for screening and entry.”

There is also a recommendation for fans to look at the Secret Service website for a list of prohibited items.

The Garden typically allows bags that fit under one’s seat but do not exceed 22 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches, per the arena’s website.

The game, already historic enough for a sporting event, is also expected to see President Donald Trump among the attendees.

After The Post first reported earlier this week that Trump was going to come to the World’s Most Famous Arena, the commander in chief confirmed the news.

It’s the first time a sitting president will attend an NBA Finals game.

“[The Knicks] find a way to do it,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “They’re really great, a great team. I’m happy for [Knicks owner] Jim [Dolan] because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that he’s excited for Trump’s attendance and spoke to the president’s bona fides as a Knicks fan well before he took office.

“We’re seeing that in New York, and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker, and I’m thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knick team,” Silver said this week. 

The Knicks, after thrilling wins in Games 1 and 2, hold a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Spurs as they look to clinch their first NBA championship since 1973 on home court.

SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama looked ready to take the crown. 

The first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year became the unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP after ousting back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the reigning champion Thunder in Game 7 in Oklahoma City. 

Wembanyama, 22, was widely hailed as the best player in the world.

But through his first two games in the NBA Finals, he hasn’t even been the best big man. 

Despite respectable numbers (27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks), Wembanyama has struggled to find easy looks against Karl-Anthony Towns, while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 26.7 percent on 3-pointers.

On the other end, Towns (19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 55.6 percent shooting, 42.9 percent on 3-pointers) has repeatedly dragged the Spurs star away from the rim and blown past him off the dribble. 

“It’s very different from [the] previous series,” Wembanyama said after the 105-104 loss in Game 2. “It’s bringing us into difficult areas because they’re good players. [Towns is] a good player. 

“We need to put ourselves in better [positions]. We’re digging ourselves a hole. That’s been the theme so far.” 

In Game 1, the Spurs blew a 14-point second-half lead, as Wembanyama was 6-for-21 shooting.

In Game 2, the 7-foot-4 phenom led an incredible fourth-quarter comeback and scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half, but he finished with two misses in the final 30 seconds — including the potential game-winner before the buzzer — and an inexcusable turnover and foul that set Jalen Brunson up for the go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds remaining. 

“That’s the most frustrating thing, to throw it away after putting in all this work,” said Wembanyama, who admitted to feeling “blurry” in the final minute. “Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.” 

Wembanyama’s chance for redemption comes Monday in the most anticipated game at Madison Square Garden this century.

He needs a win to avoid the death sentence of a 3-0 series deficit, which no team has recovered from in NBA history.

The 1995 Magic were the last team to lose the first two games of the NBA Finals at home, led by a generational 23-year-old center who would eventually earn four rings and three Finals MVP awards.

But before Shaquille O’Neal claimed the crown, he would endure the embarrassment of a sweep against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets on the sport’s biggest stage. 

“I mean, here we are,” Wembanyama said. “We can’t change the past now. We’re already focused on Game 3.”

In case you hadn’t heard, LeBron James is set to become an unrestricted free agent in less than a month.

While the Lakers have repeatedly said that they’d welcome him back with open arms, there’s no guarantee that he’s in LA next year. Or on the Lakers, at least.

If this turns out to be LeBron’s final year in the NBA, he might want to conduct his farewell tour elsewhere. It depends on how serious he is about contending for a championship next year. (There’s a clear choice for him if that’s his top priority.)

Money will also be a major determining factor. Only a handful of teams can offer him anywhere close to a max contract, and teams over the first apron can’t acquire players via sign-and-trade. That will limit his realistic free-agent options outside L.A.

With that in mind, let’s break down how he could widen his potential landing spots at each step down the salary ladder, using spending-power projections from Spotrac’s Keith Smith as our guide.

Max contract

Options: Lakers, Bulls, Nets

As of now, only three teams are projected to have anywhere near enough cap space to offer LeBron a max contract in free agency: the Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets.

LeBron could earn up to $57.75 million in 2026-27 if the salary cap lands at $165 million, although he isn’t likely to find any team willing to shell out that kind of money for him, not even the Lakers.

The Bulls and Nets are in the early stages of a rebuild, so they likely wouldn’t hold much appeal to a 41-year-old James who’s firmly in win-now territory. If James isn’t willing to take a massive pay cut from the $52.6 million that he earned this past season, re-signing with the Lakers would be his best bet… provided that they’re open to paying him that much.

Below-max contract

Options: Pistons, Hawks

Both the Pistons and Hawks can operate as cap-space teams this offseason, although neither is necessarily likely to.

The Pistons could have nearly $27 million in cap space, but that would require renouncing their free-agent rights to Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Kevin Huerter, among others. Unless Duren’s miserable playoff run scares them off from re-signing him (unlikely), they figure to operate as an over-the-cap team, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.

The Hawks are in a similar boat. They could operate as a cap-space team, but that would mean declining their $24.3 million team option on Jonathan Kuminga and renouncing their rights to both him and CJ McCollum. Instead, they likewise figure to operate as an over-the-cap team, which would likely limit them to the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Non-taxpayer MLE

Options: Hornets, Mavericks, Clippers, Grizzlies, Bucks, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Jazz, Wizards

Most of these teams are in some stage of rebuilding, although the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards are both poised to take a major leap forward. The Jazz acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline and landed the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, while the Wizards traded for both Trae Young and Anthony Davis ahead of the deadline and landed the No. 1 overall pick.

Would LeBron want to team back up with Davis and mentor AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer in the nation’s capital? Might he think the Jazz have the antidote to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs with their trio of 7-footers in JJJ, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler (provided they re-sign him in restricted free agency)?

But why try to beat Wemby when he could simply join him instead?

The Spurs still have Wemby, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper on rookie-scale contracts next year, which gives them far more flexibility than a typical Finals team boasts. The Thunder are still lurking as a real threat to them — James heading to San Antonio wouldn’t quite be on the same level as Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016 — but the Spurs would be clear championship favorites nonetheless.

Room MLE

Options: Lakers, Bulls, Nets, Hawks (?), Pistons (?)

Any team that operates under the cap this offseason will also have the $9.4 million room mid-level exception at its disposal. The Lakers, Bulls and Nets are all but guaranteed to have it, while the Hawks and Pistons could either have the room MLE or one of the other MLEs depending on what else they do in free agency.

It’s hard to imagine LeBron would be willing to settle for a $9.4 million salary, though, especially if these teams also have cap space to spend on him. The non-taxpayer MLE is likely his floor unless he’s looking to maximize his championship chances by taking a fraction of his actual on-court worth.

Taxpayer MLE

Options: Celtics, Heat, 76ers, Suns, Raptors, Warriors, Rockets, Timberwolves, Pacers, Kings

Some of these teams might have access to the full non-taxpayer MLE depending on what else they do this offseason, although using it would hard-cap them at the $209 million first apron. Spending the smaller $6.1 million taxpayer MLE would hard-cap them at the second apron.

If LeBron truly doesn’t care about money — after all, the man is a billionaire — being willing to take the taxpayer MLE would expand his free-agent options.

Might he want to join Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White in Boston? Could he form a Klutch Sports superteam in Philly with Tyrese Maxey? Would he want a Team USA reunion with Anthony Edwards in Minnesota or Kevin Durant in Houston? Or would he consider joining Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green in Golden State?

But if he’s willing to settle for $6.1 million…

Minimum deal

Options: Any team

A veteran-minimum contract for someone with 10-plus years of NBA experience is projected to be worth nearly $3.9 million in 2026-27. (If it’s a one-year deal, it’d only count as $2.45 million on a team’s books.) That’s not too far off from the taxpayer MLE, particularly for someone as wealthy as LeBron.

If he’s willing to take a minimum deal, he can sign with any team in the NBA, even those over the second apron. That’s his cleanest path back to Cleveland or his chance to play for the New York Knicks. He could also opt to team with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray in Denver if he went that route.

If LeBron is willing to take a minimum deal, he’d effectively under cut everything that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is trying to do to increase parity throughout the league.

This is by far the funniest possible outcome.

Sign-and-trades

Options: Any team below the first apron

If LeBron wants more than the non-taxpayer MLE but wants to land on a team other than the Lakers, he could always pursue a sign-and-trade.

Teams over the first apron cannot acquire players via sign-and-trade, so that would still limit his options to the teams with the non-tax MLE at their disposal. This would also allow the Lakers to recoup something for LeBron rather than losing him for nothing in free agency.

The Cavs would have a ton of work to do to get under the first apron, but would the Lakers be interested in taking back Jarrett Allen? Would Keldon Johnson or Luke Kornet appeal to them? What about Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II?

A sign-and-trade might be the Lakers’ best-case scenario. They can only hope that LeBron isn’t willing to settle for less than $20 million, which would force other teams to find creative ways to pony up.

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Bill Schoening, Jacob Tobey and Jeph Duarte: surely you’ve heard all their names before and know what they all have in common: the San Antonio Spurs! Bill is the former “voice of the Spurs” and was their radio announcer for 24 amazing years before retiring last summer, Jacob just finished his second season as the Spurs broadcast’s play-by-play announcer, and of course, Jeph is one of our own here at Pounding the Rock, who presents us with some good reading and thoughts for conversation to look forward to every morning.

But there’s something else they all have in common: they’re all musically inclined, and next Thursday, Bill Schoening & Friends will be performing live at Sam’s Burger Joint near downtown San Antonio to celebrate his latest EP Collaborations songwriting release. Bill will be sharing Spurs stories from his more than 2,000 called games. He will be joined by Jacob and Jeph! What more can you ask for than to watch the radio, TV and Pounding the Rock voices of the Spurs all in one place?

There will be Spurs swag giveaways and door prizes celebrating the Spurs historic 2025-2026 season. 

If you’re interested, you can click here to purchase tickets. Ticket count is limited to 8 tickets per party, and while reservation of a booth can be reserved for an extra cost, a general admission ticket is still required to see the show, and seating is otherwise limited and on a first come, first serve basis, so be ready to stand. Below is the information for the event. Will you be there?

Bill Schoening & Friends

Featuring: Bill Schoening, Jeph Duarte, Jacob Tobey

When: Thursday, June 11, 2026

Where: Sam’s Burger Joint

330 East Grayson Street

San Antonio, TX 78215

Doors open at 6:00PM | Show begins at 6:30PM