Category: Basketball

SAN ANTONIO — Captain Clutch was crumbling.

It felt like eons since Jalen Brunson had looked so cold in such a big moment, missing open shots he could normally hit with his eyes closed. The Knicks superstar had made seven shots. He’d missed 18, the last coming on a go-ahead attempt from the elbow with 15 seconds left, giving the Spurs a chance to hold for the final shot of regulation in a tie game.

But Victor Wembanyama threw a pass off Stephon Castle’s back and Brunson scooped up the ball, getting bumped by the Spurs big man to get sent to the free-throw line with 9.5 seconds remaining.

Even on this miserable shooting night — even if there was a draft of every player in NBA history — the Knicks had the only player they would ever want at the line with the game on the line.

Brunson made the first, putting the Knicks ahead. Then, the impossible: his first missed free throw of the NBA Finals, putting the Knicks in jeopardy of returning to New York with the series even.

The nightmare ended when Wembanyama missed the potential game-winning jumper in the final seconds, putting the Knicks two wins from achieving a dream that is 53 years in the making, following a 105-104 win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center.

Brunson finished with 20 points (7-for-25 from the field, 2-for-8 on 3-pointers), six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers.

“We had to do a good job of staying composed in those situations,” Brunson said. “It’s a credit to the character that this team has. Not being able to fold in situations like that is key to winning games like this. At this stage of the season, things aren’t going to be pretty. It’s going to be ugly. It’s going to be grinded out. It’s simple as that.”

Brunson shot 12-of-31 in Game 1, but finished with 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to clinch the Knicks’ first NBA Finals win in 27 years. The Spurs did everything to ensure he wouldn’t maintain his momentum, guarding him 94 feet, blitzing him with double-teams and bumping him at every opportunity.

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In the fourth quarter, De’Aaron Fox shoved Brunson, then got in his face, prompting Brunson’s father (and Knicks assistant coach), Rick, to yell across the court to the Spurs guard.

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

As the Spurs rallied back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, Bruson struggled, getting blocked on a drive with four minutes left, then missing back-to-back 3-pointers.

Finally, the clutch gene kicked in as Brunson converted a reverse lay-in over Wembanyama with 1:56 remaining to put the Knicks up by three, then delivered a patented midrange jumper to even the score with 39 seconds remaining.

“For J.B., you call it rough shooting nights, I see him hitting the free throw to give us the game,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “The last game, he hit some of the craziest shots I’ve seen to give us the game … I see Captain Clutch doing what he’s always been doing since I got here … No. 11 can’t be messed with.”

If you asked a Knicks fan to describe the ideal version of how they want to see their team play, they would end up describing this season’s version of the Knicks: a grind-it-out collection of men who are determined to fight it out for 48 minutes and outlast the opposition.

If you asked coach Mike Brown that question, coming off a 105-104 Game 2 win to make it 13 consecutive playoff victories and a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, he’d likely say the same.

“We could have folded a few times,” Brown said in describing his side’s resilience in withstanding seeing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead evaporate in a matter of moments before a single free throw proved the difference as the Knicks held Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs scoreless in their final three possessions to seal the win.

“But our guys just kept fighting. They kept fighting. And the one thing I told them that you work on connectivity throughout the course of the year for moments like these.

“And no matter what run they went on, no matter what time of the game, our guys just kept uplifting one another, not just the guys on the floor but the guys on the bench. They just kept uplifting one another throughout the course of San Antonio's runs.”

With 6:04 to play in the game, OG Anunoby's two-handed slam past Wembanyama put the Knicks up 97-83. The Knicks wouldn't score for the next three and a half minutes before Anunoby put in three at the free throw line to break a tie.

The message from Brown during the Spurs’ run: “Stay composed.”

Jalen Brunson, who was 2-for-10 from the field in the second half, scored the Knicks' final five points, including hitting a layup to put them ahead three on a nice in-bound play and a fadeaway to level the score with 39 seconds remaining.

"We do a good job of staying composed in those situations," Brunson said. "It's a credit to the character that this team has, not being able to fold in a situation like that is key to winning games like this.

"At this stage of the season, things aren't gonna be pretty. It's gonna be ugly. It's gonna be grind it out. It's as simple as that. No matter what the situation is, we're gonna have each other's back."

Brown said that connectivity, established during the 53-win regular season and ironed out over three playoff series wins, “paid huge dividends for our group” on Friday night in San Antonio.

"It's an amazing feeling, as a coach, to know how mentally tough your team is -- no matter what the situation is in front of 'em," Brown said. "To see them continue to fight and fight and fight and fight -- no matter what the score is, no matter how much time is on the clock -- it's just a fantastic feeling.

"I'm telling you, man, the NBA is tough. You don't experience what I'm experiencing with this group a ton, and it is a fricking joy to be around."

SAN ANTONIO — This is why.

This is why there was so much attention around Mitchell Robinson and his injury.

So much concern that he might be compromised. So much emphasis throughout the year on keeping him healthy.

It was the matchup — and perhaps the moment — everyone knew he would be needed for.

Jalen Brunson’s free throw gave the Knicks a one-point lead, and the Spurs called timeout with 7.5 seconds left.

It was obvious who would take the last shot: Victor Wembanyama. And it was obvious who the Knicks would want contesting that shot: Robinson.

De’Aron Fox got the inbounds pass. Wembanyama set a screen for him, and Fox passed it back. Wembanyama rose up for a 20-footer.

But Robinson contested the shot well, forcing the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama to fade away. It hit off the side rim, securing the Knicks’ 105-104 Game 2 win over the Spurs on Friday night at the Frost Bank Center for take a 2-0 lead in the Finals.

The possession prior, with the game tied, Wembanyama missed as well. And it was Robinson defending him.

“Wemby is iconic,” coach Mike Brown said. “There is nobody like him. He can score from all three levels. He wants the ball. Two big possessions at the end of the game, we put Mitch on him. What I’m proud about more than anything else, Mitch defended him the right way. Wemby is iconic. If he makes a shot, he makes a shot. You’re not blocking his shot. You make him work, you lead with your chest. You show your hands and you embrace those details while trying to guard him and then box out.

“It started with Mitch and it ended with the other four guys boxing out. So just a heck of a job by Mitch guarding the most iconic player in the world on two possessions to possibly win the game. Phenomenal.”

Robinson had surgery to repair a broken fifth metacarpal he sustained between the conference finals and the NBA Finals. There was uncertainty whether he’d be able to play, and even if he did, how effective he could be.

On the two biggest defensive possessions of the game, he was the difference-maker.

“I know we needed stops and I had picked up a few fouls on him,” Robinson said. “I think, what, three, like early on? So in my mind, I was just like, defend without fouling. So that was kind of like how it went. Just great contest, and just kind of how it went.”

Robinson is the longest-tenured Knick. He was with the team at its rock bottom. He was part of its rise.

And now on the biggest stage, he made a game-sealing impact.

“It was crazy,” Robinson said. “Been here for eight years, now here we are in the Finals. I can truly say I done seen it all. It’s wild.”

The Knicks weren’t the only ones excited in San Antonio on Friday night.

Their two most prominent celebrity fans were just as pumped in a moment of pure exultation.

Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller were riding high off the Knicks’ thrilling 105-104 Game 2 win over the Spurs in the NBA Finals and hugged it out in the tunnel of Frost Bank Center.

Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller are HYPE after the Knicks Game 2 win pic.twitter.com/hIlmIEGy9V

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 6, 2026

Chalamet, the “Dune” actor, hugged one person in the bowels of the arena before making a beeline toward the “Meet the Parents” actor for a powerful embrace, as seen in a video shared by Yahoo Sports.

Stiller was smiling ear to ear as he reveled in the Knicks taking a commanding 2-0 series lead, despite New York nearly blowing a fourth quarter lead as the Spurs went on a furious late run.

In a video published by ESPN, Chalamet was heard saying “Two more to go!” with a big grin on his face.

But Spurs star Victor Wembanyama turned the ball over in the waning seconds with an errant pass and then fouled Jalen Brunson, who converted 1 of his 2 free throws to give the Knicks the lead. Wembanyama, with a chance to give the Spurs the win at the other end, missed a buzzer-beater to seal San Antonio’s fate.

Chalamet and Stiller have been a fixture at Knicks games — at both Madison Square Garden and on the road — throughout the years, but they’ve had a noticeable presence during this run to the NBA Finals.

To that end, on Thursday, Chalamet posted a picture to his Instagram story where he had plastic bags of ice covering both of his knees. In a follow-up story he wrote: “Ppl underestimate the wear and tear on the body of a fan throughout the playoffs,” Chalamet said in a corresponding Instagram story post. “Self care is important.”

The best self care for Chalamet and Stiller might be two more wins for their beloved basketball team.

SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson scored the game-winning point. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns had big games. The Knicks bench was terrific again.

But the MVP of the Knicks’ franchise-record 13th straight playoff victory may have been an assistant coach.

Jordan Brink, the team’s director of video services and player development, being able to convince coach Mike Brown to challenge a call late in the fourth quarter was pivotal in the Knicks’ dramatic 105-104 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center. They lead the NBA Finals 2-0 after becoming the third road team to win the first two games of the finals.

The Knicks had blown a 14-point lead. Momentum had flipped. The official had ruled that the ball had gone out of bounds off OG Anunoby while he attempted a 3-pointer. But Brink felt there was a foul on the play with 2:37 left.

After a review, the call was reversed. Anunoby was headed to the free-throw line for three attempts.

OG Anunoby gets fouled on the 3-point attempt and it causes him to throw the ball out of bounds, the refs call a Spurs' ball.
The Knicks successfully challenge the call, and OG makes all the clutch free throws pic.twitter.com/1yRW4baTNm

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) June 6, 2026

“Jordan, he’s been a master at this,” Brown said of the assistant coach, who played at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Later, on Brink, Brown added: “He’s been doing this now two years in a row. I rely totally on him. Every once in a while I lose my mind, get emotional, and try to stick it to the refs, even though I like all of them. But that never works. So I try like heck to follow Jordan’s lead, and it was 100 percent his call.”

Just as importantly, Anunoby stepped to the line and made all three free throws. He wasn’t surprised the call was changed.

“It was a foul, so I was surprised they didn’t call it initially,” said Anunoby, who had 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 36 quality minutes. “Jordan Brink did a great job of letting the coaches know. … I think it was big, especially because it was three extra points.”

It helped stop the Spurs’ momentum. Without that successful challenge, the Finals may be headed back to New York tied at 1-1.

Victor Wembanyama said the focus has already shifted to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but the final three possessions of Game 2's one-point loss to the Knicks will long linger in the Spurs star's mind as San Antonio missed an opportunity to complete a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback and New York grabbed a 2-0 series lead.

Twice, he missed pull-up jumpers over Mitchell Robinson, the second just before the buzzer to seal a 105-104 Knicks win, sandwiched around a costly turnover as he threw the ball off teammate Stephon Castle's back in the backcourt and set up Jalen Brunson’s game-deciding free throw.

“I’m still very blurry, and that’s the whole problem,” Wembanyama said about the game’s final moments. “I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”

Wembanyama called the turnover “the most frustrating thing.”

“To throw it away after putting in all this work,” he said, adding the urgency of the moment, getting the rebound and pushing the ball up the court led to the mistake. “The body reacts quicker than the mind.” 

Coming off the floor, he said he had “lots of emotions of every type,” before correcting himself, “not of every type, only the negative type.”

“I threw that one away, I messed up,” he said. “We didn’t play great as a team. We needed to win that game. This game was ours. But at this point it’s done. 

“Am I gonna regret it? Yes, of course. Am I gonna use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.” 

On the final possession, Wembanyama got a good look off a pick-and-pop for a 20-foot jumper to steal the game, but the jumper with two seconds left hit back iron.

“I liked the shot, but I feel like in this moment you need to shoot to score,” he said. “And in moments like this, results matter more than process. We just need to score, I need to score.”

The Spurs had done the hard part. After the Knicks' lead hit 97-83 with 6:04 to play, San Antonio would score 12 straight in the next 129 seconds, a run interrupted but not halted by two Mike Brown timeouts.

After Brunson missed a pair of shots, the latter a wide-open three-pointer, pushing the Knicks’ cold streak to six straight off the mark, the game was tied with three minutes remaining as Dillon Harper laid it in at the other end with 3:00 to play. The Spurs would then score on four of their next five possessions and held a two-point lead with under a minute remaining.

“I think we need to put ourselves in better conditions,” Wembanyama said. “We’re digging ourselves a hole, that’s been a theme so far.”

The hole came from the Knicks dominating the middle quarters, outscoring their hosts 59-41.

Wembanyama was a bit of a non-factor in the first half, attempting just four shots in his first 18 minutes. 

“I have to make sure that there are environments that the ball finds him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of the low shot total. “He’s gotta make sure that he can’t rely on that to get shots, as well. And I think there are times, when he was open on rolls around the paint and his teammates gotta get him the ball.

“... But, yeah, four shots in a half, on this stage, is not acceptable.”

The Spurs’ star was an even plus-minus and had just seven points, five rebounds, two blocks, one assist, one steal, and two turnovers. (He turned it around, scoring 22 points in 22 second-half minutes on 9-for-17 shooting.)

Karl-AnthonyTowns took full advantage, scoring 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting (3-for-5 from deep) with seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, a block, and was a plus-13 in 18 first-half minutes.

Wembanyama called Towns a “very different” big man from the ones the Spurs faced in earlier rounds. 

“It’s bringing us into difficult areas because they’re good players and he’s a good player,” Wembanyama said of Towns. “We just need to figure it out, we need to keep working at it... We can do a little bit better; we can do better defensively.”

The Knicks withstood the Spurs' nine-point advantage in the first and fourth quarters, the latter of which included a 21-5 run over five minutes and a two-point San Antonio lead with 57 seconds left, before emerging from Friday's 105-104 NBA Finals Game 2 win.

"It's an amazing feeling, as a coach, to know how mentally tough your team is -- no matter what the situation is in front of 'em," Mike Brown said. "To see them continue to fight and fight and fight and fight -- no matter what the score is, no matter how much time is on the clock -- it's just a fantastic feeling. I'm telling you, man, the NBA is tough. You don't experience what I'm experiencing with this group a ton, and it is a fricking joy to be around."

New York needed Jalen Brunson's game-tying bucket at the fourth quarter's 39-second point and 1-of-2 mark from the free-throw line 20 seconds later before surviving on Victor Wembanyama's go-ahead attempt, which missed with two seconds left and secured the Knicks' 2-0 series lead.

"It's 0-0 at this point, as far as we're concerned," Josh Hart said. "Being up 2-0 means, really, nothing. This team's going to come out on, what, Monday with an unbelievable amount of energy and desperation and we've got to be better."

Regardless of New York's outlook, the MSG environment figures to be a raucous one with the Knicks two wins away from the franchise's first NBA championship since 1973.

"Hectic," Miles McBride said as New York's focus shifts to Monday's 8:30 p.m. Game 3 at The Garden. "I'm sure it's going crazy right now. We heard New York here, down in San Antonio, so ... I don't even know what I'm expecting, honestly. It's going to be great. I'm excited."

The New York Post called it an "all-time mistake," but Victor Wembanyama had a chance to atone for the errant pass that ultimately led to the New York Knicks' final score in their 105-104 NBA Finals Game 2 victory against the Spurs on June 5 in San Antonio.

With the ball in his hands and the final buzzer nearing, Wembanyama unfurled his 7-foot-4 frame for a clean look at a long two-pointer at the right elbow that would have tied these Finals at 1-1. But the shot was just long, and bounced off the rim as the Knicks celebrated their 13th consecutive victory in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

"A great player got a great shot. It just didn't go in," New York forward Karl-Anthony Towns said postgame on ABC's broadcast.

KNICKS GET THE HUGE DEFENSIVE STOP TO WIN GAME 2 🚨

THEY'VE WON 13 STRAIGHT AND LEAD THE NBA FINALS, 2-0 🚨 pic.twitter.com/5V67qIcT7F

— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2026

Now, the Spurs face Game 3 on June 8 at Madison Square Garden in New York with a 2-0 deficit dogging them.

Wembanyama recovered from the "shock," as "Inside the NBA" analyst Charles Barkley called his first-half performance, to finish Game 2 with a game-high 29 points and 9 rebounds. But New York's trio of Towns (21 points), Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson (20 points each) continued the Knicks' torrid playoff run.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wemby's would-be game-winner rims out as Knicks take NBA Finals Game 2

The New York Knicks’ fan base had a reason to feel good after the team secured a 2-0 lead in the 2026 NBA Finals on Friday, June 5.

The Knicks managed to fend off the Spurs’ late rally in the fourth quarter to secure a 105-104 victory. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for New York with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 points.

Fans were offered the chance to attend watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden and at SummerStage in Central Park in New York on Friday night.

Here’s how the celebration unfolded after Game 2 was decided after Victor Wembanyama missed a potential game-winner for the Spurs.

More: Who won NBA Finals Game 2? Knicks hold off Spurs in San Antonio again

Knick fans celebrate Game 2 victory

New York fans were out in the streets to celebrate the victory while police looked on. Fans could be heard chanting, "Knicks in Four!"

Knicks fans chanting “Knicks in four.” Deservingly so. pic.twitter.com/ZjoY2bJtrc

— Tyler Glasscock (@TylerGlasscock_) June 6, 2026

🚨 Live from NYC!!

Knicks fans are forming a mob in celebration of their victory against The Spurs! pic.twitter.com/i4Fh9RTKfx

— Jackson Heaberlin (@JacksonHeab) June 6, 2026

KAT is HYPED UP after the Knicks defeat the Spurs to take Game 2. 👏 pic.twitter.com/tKKn3p8nci

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 6, 2026

Fans outside MSG loved that KAT pass for the Bridges 3 👌 pic.twitter.com/RvrIGyhrkU

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 6, 2026

MSG is ALIVE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bWqCNGkFef

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 6, 2026

Some Knicks fans are watching Game 2 of the NBA Finals on a projector outside in the streets of Manhattan 🔥

(📸: Adam Gray/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/P7YeECEVO7

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 6, 2026

WE OUTSIDEEEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/Uk6pfC4r8P

— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) June 6, 2026

Jalen Brunson ties it because of course he does! pic.twitter.com/q6sK9y3EqJ

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 6, 2026

PANDEMONIUM at MSG when the Knicks sealed Game 2 ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/fC2nNqQpEK

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 6, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks fans celebrate NBA Finals Game 2 victory

Midtown turned into a sea of blue and orange Friday night as thousands of “exhilarated” Knicks fans flooded the streets outside Madison Square Garden after their hometown team won Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

When the final buzzer sounded nearly 2,000 miles away in San Antonio, Knicks nation went bonkers back in the Big Apple with their team just two wins away from its first championship in 53 years. 

Chants of “Go New York, go New York, go New York, go!” and “Knicks in four!” echoed down Seventh Avenue and drivers could be heard honking their horns in their own show of support one block away.

The party kicked off hours earlier as diehards secured spots at a watch party outside the World’s Most Famous Arena more than four hours before the 8:42 p.m. tipoff.

“I feel exhilarated,” said Lester Alexander, who was equipped with a Knicks flag attached to a broomstick.

“I can’t be happier. As a New Yorker, nothing could ruin my day now, my week, my month, my summer,” the 27-year-old, who goes by “Les,” told The Post.

Les, a Harlem native, already had grand plans for a possible Knicks title.

“I’m gonna propose to the most beautiful woman I’ll meet that night. ‘Cause right now I’m single. And if I don’t find nobody I’ll just marry the game,” he declared.

Gary Charles, 31, who watched the game at a separate watch party inside MSG, said, “we’re literally writing history right now.”

He was amazed at “just the amount of people that’s coming out to just support the Knicks,” adding that “it’s magnificent, beautiful.”

Reacting to the Knicks’ 105-104 victory over the Spurs, Charles’ 33-year-old friend told The Post that “it’s a blessing.” 

“A Championship win,” he said, “would unify the city, it would bring the city up in many ways, people not even realizing, you know what I’m saying? Economically, socially, emotionally.”

Randy Horowitz traveled with her two daughters and husband from Long Island to watch the game at The Mecca. 

“I am ecstatic,” she said.

“I’m energized. This is why we live in New York. We feel this. No place like New York to experience a night like this,” she continued.

“I was inside. It was better than the team being there. There was so much energy — it was amazing.”

Pals Surgio Urnia, 35 and Ken Lopez, 50, also joined in on the festivities outside the Garden.

“The thing that I love about the watch party is the camaraderie between the New York culture,” said Urnia, a Brooklyn resident.

“It’s beautiful. It brings it back. It’s a feeling I haven’t felt in this city in a very long time.”

When asked how he would celebrate the Knicks winning the championship, he had a blunt response: “I’m quitting my job.”

But that wouldn’t be all for Urnia.

“I’m going to the parade. I am gonna get a new girlfriend. I’m gonna have a brand new life,” he insisted.

Lopez was much more modest.

“I’m gonna take a whole week off work,” he said.

Leaning against the barriers in front of MSG was Nasir Boston, 24, of Queens, who currently works as a security guard but hopes to get into the social media field.

“The Knicks got all of us united right now, all five boroughs including Long Island,” Boston told the Post. 

And if they win the championship?

“No one is going to work,” Boston said. 

Similar scenes of jubilation erupted across the city on Friday night as Central Park was home to another watch party and bars were packed to the brim with fans.

Knicks superfan and filmmaker Spike Lee was spotted in the city standing through the sunroof of a car, reaching toward a cheering crowd as fans blasted airhorns and yelled into the night, per a video posted to X by ESPN New York.

The Jeffrey, an institutional Upper East Side sports bar, slashed the prices of beer and food from 7 p.m. to tip off at 8:30 p.m. at their 1973 levels — $.73 draft beers, oysters, wings and hot dogs.

Josh Hart said he had to be smarter.

He couldn’t afford to get into foul trouble again.

He didn’t listen to his own advice. 

The Knicks’ guard was a no-show in Game 2 after having such a major role in the come-from-behind win in the series opener.

He rarely saw the floor, foul woes keeping him from making his usual impact. 

Hart failed to score, missing all four of his field goal attempts, and committed two turnovers.

He was only on the floor for 18 minutes as the Knicks blew a 14-point, fourth quarter lead, but managed to hold on for a 105-104 victory at Frost Bank Center and take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals.

They became just the third team in the history of the finals to win the first two games on the road. 

Hart didn’t score much in Game 1, limited to three points, but still had a major role.

He had 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals. It seemed like he was in the right spot during every Knicks run

“That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it,” Jalen Brunson, his longtime teammate dating back to college, said. “He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times, as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.”

But that player didn’t arrive for Game 2. He spent much of the game on the sideline.

Instead, Landry Shamet took a good chunk of his minutes and continued his strong postseason with 13 points and three 3-pointers. 

It did showcase the Knicks’ depth that they were able to survive this kind of effort from Hart. 

Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ 105-104 Game 2 win over the Spurs in the NBA Finals on Friday night in San Antonio:

Hero

Even though he was quiet late, Mikal Bridges carried the Knicks when Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson were on the bench at the end of the third quarter.

The dynamic wing scored 20 points and added six rebounds and six assists. Those five first-round draft picks the Knicks sent to the Nets don’t seem so valuable anymore.

Zero

Victor Wembanyama threw the ball away with the chance to hold for a final shot in a tie game and then missed the potential game-winning shot in the final seconds.

While the 7-foot-4 Frenchman finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, he came up small late.

His turnover and foul of Brunson led to the Knicks captain making the game-deciding free throw with 9.5 seconds left.

Unsung hero

The bench.

The bench came up big again, led by Landry Shamet’s 13 points. Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson and Jose Alvarado all contributed, particularly late in the third quarter when the Spurs seemed to have momentum.

But led by the aforementioned quartet, the Knicks were able to extend the lead from four points to nine over the final 3:19 of the period.

Key stat

3: The Knicks became the third team in NBA Finals history to win the first two games on the road, joining the 19993 Bulls (Suns) and ’95 Rockets (Magic).

Quote

“It started with [Mitchell Robinson], and it ended with the other four guys boxing out. So just a heck of a job by Mitch guarding the most iconic player in the world on two possessions to possibly win the game. Phenomenal.”

— Knicks coach Mike Brown on Robinson’s defense on Victor Wembanyama in the final seconds. 

SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson was an undersized, second-round pick, a superstar that no one saw coming. Josh Hart was traded three times before becoming the fan favorite of a title contender. OG Anunoby might as well have come from Mars, missing nearly as many games as he played in Toronto before becoming a modern-day Dave DeBusschere.

Mikal Bridges shouldered the weight of five-first round picks, preventing him from exceeding expectations.

Until now.

Coming off a quiet showing in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Bridges bounced back in Game 2 with 20 points (8-for-13 overall, 4-for-6 on 3-pointers), six rebounds, six assists and phenomenal defense in the Knicks’ 105-104 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center.

“That desperation of trying to be the last team standing, I’m trying to do whatever it takes to help my team to win,” Bridges said. “Just trying to give it all I got.”

After hitting 3 of 6 from the field in Game 1 — Bridges’ fewest attempts since the first round — the 29-year-old made up for an inefficient game from Brunson.

Bridges was held scoreless for nearly 19 minutes, but then hit eight straight shots during the second and third quarters (including his first four 3-pointers), carrying the offense with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns off the floor. Though Bridges cooled off in the fourth, he continued to bother De’Aaron Fox with his length on defense.

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“[Bridges] was huge for us on both ends of the floor,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “You’re not stopping a guy like De’Aaron Fox. You’ve just got to try to make him work. We put Mikal on Fox in the second half a little bit and made him work.

“But what he did for us offensively when we were struggling and then when we took Jalen out was huge. He made big play after big play after big play.”

Bridges was uncharacteristically emotional throughout the night, repeatedly screaming and celebrating with teammates on the sideline after each big play.

In barely five weeks, Bridges has redefined a fate that seemed inescapable for a large part of the past two years, transforming from an overrated scapegoat — who was held scoreless as the Knicks moved two losses from first-round elimination — to an indispensable piece on both ends of the floor. Bridges entered the NBA Finals averaging 18.7 points and shooting over 62 percent from the field since being benched in Game 3 against Atlanta.

Five years ago, Bridges held a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals with the Suns. Now, he is two wins away from the ring that got away.

“Same situation, 2-0, just got to keep level-headed and keep playing desperate,” Bridges said. “Being here before, knowing how it was gonna be and how much effort you need to give at every single moment.”

A bad pass from Victor Wembanyama turned into the game-winning point for the New York Knicks as the San Antonio Spurs dropped Game 2 of the NBA Finals 105-104 on Friday, June 5.

With 13.6 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 104, Wembanyama nabbed a defensive rebound after Jalen Brunson missed a jump shot. The Defensive Player of the Year took a few dribbles and then tossed the ball toward point guard Stephon Castle, who wasn't looking. Brunson then swooped in and stole the rock before colliding with Wembanyama and falling out of bounds.

Wembanyama was called for a foul on the play and he scrunched his face in frustration.

Jalen Brunson misses the jumper over Victor Wembanyama, who passes to Stephon Castle, who isn't looking, and the ball bounces off his back to Brunson, and Wemby fouls him.

Brunson splits the clutch free throws and the Spurs call a timeout.

This could be a costly mistake by… pic.twitter.com/utYSjtHEGW

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) June 6, 2026

The Knicks guard made one of his free throws to put his team up 105-104.

The Spurs had the last possession of the game and Wembanyama attempted a jumper, but he missed.

The victory marks eight straight road wins in the playoffs for the Knicks and 13 straight victories overall. The series goes to New York for Game 3 on Monday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyama's bad pass leads to Knicks' winning point in Game 2