The Jazz are lined up to select 2nd overall in the upcoming NBA Draft, and this is a unique position for the franchise. They have finished with a losing record in only 18 of their 52 seasons in the league, and in those rare losing seasons, they are rarely subsequently blessed with a high draft selection – only 1 time in the 42 year history of the draft lottery have the Jazz jumped above their expected placement. Ever since the days of Stockton, Malone, and Sloan, the Jazz have not been bad and they have not been lucky. With this upcoming 2nd overall pick, Utah needs a star.

Famed collegiate icon, best-in-the-world level shooter, explosive athlete, and ferocious competitive fire – if I told Jazz fans we’d be picking a guy with these attributes at #2, they’d be ecstatic, regardless of whether the prospect’s first name is Darryn, AJ, or Cam. While it doesn’t seem that any of those guys check all 4 boxes, Forty-six years ago to the day Jazz fans were blessed with a player who did – Darrell Griffith, the sole #2 overall pick in the franchises history, was selected to bring winning and excitement to a team that hadn’t yet given the new home fans in Utah something to care about. Clearly, he succeeded, as his #35 jersey hanging in the Delta Center’s rafters indicate. The history of the Jazz and the 2nd pick starts and ends with Darrell Griffith, but who is he? Today, in honor of the fast approaching future and the nostalgia of the past, we’ll study Griffith’s career and diagnose whether Dr. Dunkenstein was the right pick for Utah’s sole #2 selection in the history of the franchise.

Pre-NBA: Louisville Legend

Almost from the day he was born, Griffith was a phenom – it’s reported that he began dunking at the age of 10 by launching himself off the walls of his family garage, which his brother Michael speculates built up the leg muscles necessary to propel him 48 inches in the air at his peak. Griffith’s youthful successes (state championships in the basketball-crazed state of Kentucky, high school All-American in 1975) convinced the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels that he was the real deal, and they offered him a contract if he skipped college and went professional right away. For context, the 1975 Colonels were no joke – they featured stars Dan Issel and Artis Gilmore, and that year won the ABA championship. Instead, after a high profile recruiting period, Griffith ended up at the hometown University of Louisville.

Griffith took his time to reach the heights expected from such a dominant high school force, but once he reached his senior season, he was nigh-unstoppable at the collegiate level. Winning the Wooden award and Louisville’s first ever National Championship, Dr. Dunkenstein finished a storybook college career – home town kid who had to overcome adversity before becoming a historically great NCAA player. Steep professional expectations accompany a man this accomplished at the amateur level, so when the Jazz selected him at #2 overall in the 1980 NBA draft, they did so with the hope that this was the player to ignite a fire under Salt Lake City and lead the team to their first EVER winning season (the franchise’s record to this point was 39 wins while they were still stationed in New Orleans).

NBA: The Doctor Is In

Griffith didn’t immediately contribute to much more success on the court (24 wins in 1980 to 28 in his first season in 1981) but he wasted no time getting acclimated to the NBA. Averaging 20 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, Griffith narrowly won the 1981 Rookie of the Year award by a single vote over now-obscure Blazers point guard Kelvin Ransey (Basketball Reference lists Ransey’s nickname as Mrs. Butterworth which took me aback, but Ransey himself says his true nickname, Butter, was coined by Mychal Thompson because his game was “rich and thick”).

In terms of accolades, Griffith is unimpressive after his rookie year – despite 4 out of his first 5 years featuring scoring averages over 20 points per game, Griffith never earned All-Star honors. This is not due to lack of popularity among the voters, however – once the Jazz quit their losing ways (their first winning record with Griffith occurred in 1983-84), Darrell began receiving some of the most votes of Western Conference guards, placing 5th in 1984 and 4th in 1985. If he were ever to be an All-Star, it would’ve been 1985 – the Jazz had a respectable record, Griffith had his highest scoring year, and Rickey Green took a small step back so the votes for Utah guards were less dispersed. However, even though the fans were taken with him, the coaches deciding the bench were not, and he was passed up for Norm Nixon and Rolando Blackman.

Griffith still had a spot during the ‘84 and ‘85 All-Star Weekends, however – he participated in the first two NBA Slam Dunk Competitions. I’ve attached tape from his 1984 4th place finish below; watch it for Griffith, for the beautiful green Jazz jerseys, or for an interesting moment in history when the Dunk Contest featured 4 legitimate stars (Griffith, Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, Larry Nance).

Griffith wasn’t only a dunker, as he also pioneered the three point shot during its early years in the NBA. For one glorious offseason (1985), before Larry Bird took hold of the honor, a Jazzman held the all-time three-pointers made record, after Griffith paced the league in 3PM for two straight seasons. To this day, Darrell Griffith and Mike Dunleavy Sr. are the two players in NBA history to have led the league in three-pointers made and three-point percentage – Griffith was decidedly not a one-trick pony.

However, both of those tricks suffered after Griffith’s successful 1984-85 season. Very soon before the ‘85-86 season, Griffith broke his foot during a pickup game in his hometown Louisville, and missed the entire year during his recovery. After coming back, Griffith wasn’t quite the same – he lost a few inches off of his mythical 48 inch vertical, and even more importantly, he lost efficiency. He was a part of a fun 1988-89 team (first 50 win squad in franchise history!), starting in the backcourt with a young John Stockton, but he wasn’t anywhere near the almost-All-Star of yesteryear, retiring just 2 years later at the age of 32. Still, Griffith ended his career a Jazz-lifer, and an interesting one at that; he functioned as a bridge between eras, starting his career as a key piece of Adrian Dantley teams, and ending it as a veteran presence for a young Stockton and Malone.

Post-NBA Conclusion: Once a Jazzman, Always a Jazzman

Post retirement, Griffith faded softly from the limelight. He returned to a town that named his childhood street after him (“Darrell Griffith Way, AKA Dr. Dunkenstein Way”!) and now works as an ambassador and community outreach specialist for his alma mater. Regarding the Jazz, he made a rare appearance in Salt Lake City as he presented a rookie Donovan Mitchell with his 2018 Dunk Contest trophy, a contest in which Donovan paid an electrifying tribute to Griffith by donning his jersey for one of his dunks (reportedly, one of Griffith’s ACTUAL jerseys, from the archives). Griffith acted as a mentor for Donovan before Spida was ever drafted to the Jazz, with the two of them meeting during Donovan’s time at the house that Darrell built.

While history suggests that Kevin McHale, the 3rd pick in 1980, would’ve been the right one for the Jazz, one should not use that to discredit Darrell Griffith’s legacy with the franchise. Griffith brought excitement and genuine star power to Utah’s first NBA team (even if that was never reflected with All-Star appearances), and could’ve been a key third star into the 90s if not for a series of unfortunate injuries. Even with his career falling apart, he never abandoned ship – he played every game of his professional career wearing the Jazz’s purple and green. We can all hope that the franchise’s upcoming #2 overall pick will have better luck against the injury bug and perhaps be a better defender (Griffith tried hypno-therapy as a last-ditch effort to improve on that end), but we can’t ask for much more in terms of talent and loyalty. So far, the Jazz are 1/1 on their selections at #2 – if they can get that hit rate to 2/2, the Jazz are set to begin one of the most exciting eras in franchise history.

Have any favorite Griffith stories that I didn’t touch on? Sound off below!

The New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs tonight at Madison Square Garden in Game Four of the NBA Finals. New York leads the series 2-1. A victory would put the Knicks one win away from their first championship since 1973. A loss? That would turn this into a best-of-three series heading back to cactus country. No bueno!

The Spurs earned a 115-111 win in Game Three on Monday night, ending New York’s 13-game postseason winning streak and handing the Knicks their first loss in 46 days. Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. Stephon Castle added 23 points. For New York, OG Anunoby scored 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting while Jalen Brunson matched Wemby with 32 points.

The question entering Game Four: can the Knicks rediscover their offensive identity?

Game Three was not a case of San Antonio completely overwhelming New York. The Knicks generated quality looks throughout the night and remained within striking distance until the final possession. What doomed them was stagnation. For long stretches, New York looked nothing like the team that spent the last month and a half steamrolling opponents. The ball stuck. Players stood around. The offense became predictable. They recorded just 18 assists, their second-lowest total across 99 regular-season and playoff games, while committing 13 turnovers that the Spurs converted into 21 points. (H/t Fred Katz of The Athletic.)

The Spurs deserve credit for creating those conditions. After dropping the first two games at home, San Antonio came into Madison Square Garden desperate and aggressive. Castle’s size bothered Brunson, Josh Hart, and several other Knicks all night. Wembanyama spent less time defending pick-and-roll actions, instead acting as a help defender and erasing opportunities around the rim. And the adjustments worked. Rather than forcing Wembanyama into repeated screening actions and making him defend in space, the Knicks often attacked the defense directly. That resulted in fewer driving lanes, fewer paint touches, and a greater reliance on jump shooting.

Wembanyama’s elite rim protection often forces you to make your bones beyond the arc. Sometimes those shots fall, sometimes they do not. On Monday, there was a lot of not. New York missed 10 consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth quarter. It cost them the game.

The Knicks played tight and tentative while the Spurs played loose and aggressive. New York spent much of the evening trying not to make mistakes instead of imposing its will. That showed up in the turnovers, hesitation, and an absence of the off-ball movement that has defined its postseason success.

Still, one bad night does not erase six weeks of dominant basketball. All the aforementioned issues are correctable. Protecting the basketball tops the list. The Knicks cannot afford unforced turnovers or unnecessary fouls that gift San Antonio easy points. They also need a bigger fourth-quarter impact from Karl-Anthony Towns, who was held scoreless in the final period of Game Three and attempted 15 fewer shots than Brunson overall.

The Knicks must contain Wembanyama in pick-and-roll situations. The Spurs repeatedly generated lobs and paint finishes by getting him behind New York’s defenders. The good guys have to cut off those interior passes and do more to keep the big fella away from the rim (easier said than done, I know, I know).

And Mikal Bridges needs to bounce back after recording two points in Game Three. He’ll be better tonight (could he be much worse?). Anunoby has arguably been New York’s best player in the series, and Captain Clutch continues to deliver in big moments. The Knicks are at their best, however, when all five starters contribute and their bench lends some support. Landry Shamet had his worst game in a while, making 1-of-8, and Miles McBride looks smaller than ever among the taller Spurs, averaging 3.7 points in these three games. A couple of three pointers from each would help.

ESPN.com likes New York to win at 57%. Giddy up. If our heroes move the ball, protect possessions, and return to the sharp cutting and unselfish offense that fueled their postseason run, they will have an excellent opportunity to regain control of the series. We trust in them. Knicks by 5.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (2-1) vs San Antonio Spurs (1-2)
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 8:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NY
TV: ABC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

Game 3 of the NBA Finals wasn’t much different than Games 1 and 2: the Spurs got ahead early after a classic slow start from the Knicks, they eventually responded, then everything was once again down to the wire in crunch time with the winner being the team that made one or two more clutch shots. The difference? The location was Madison Square Garden, and the winner was the Spurs, who barely but admirably avoided falling into a 3-0 hole. I continue Fraternizing with the Enemy with with Russell Richardson, editor-in-chief of our Knicks sister site Posting and Toasting, as we discuss what the Spurs did differently to get back in the winners column and how the Knicks, who aren’t used to having to bounce back from a loss these days, will respond.

This has been an enjoyable series so far — the Fraternizing, but I guess the basketball too — so click on the links if you would like to revisit parts 1, 2 or 3.

J.R. 

So, the Spurs showed a few things last night and we now know that they can:

1. Beat NY

2. Win in MSG

3. Stay composed in an intense clutch game in the Finals. 

All of those are important, but I’d say the third is the biggest deal. First, it unlocks the other two. Second, because they’ve been shaky down the stretch in games going back to before Wemby joined the team. 

For years, the knock on San Antonio was that despite their talent, and even though they could stay with teams through three quarters, they couldn’t win games. (I call that a talent gap, but some people call it not knowing how to win — potato potahto). Then the gripe became that they could build a lead, but couldn’t hold onto it. Then they could hold onto leads but couldn’t win close games. Then they could win close regular season games but not close playoff games. Close playoff games but not close Finals games…

You can see where this is going; it’s not like it’s a particularly rare development path. What’s unusual about it is how quickly they’ve moved through these stages to the point that now it’s reasonable to wonder whether they could be the first team to come back and win The Finals after trailing 0-2 at home. I know I brought up pressure in our last conversation but it seems even more important after Game 3, because the series is for sure going back to San Antonio now, and none of the Knickerbockers are going to feel comfortable about the possibility of coming back home for Game 6 down 3-2. Which means they have to go up 3-1. Which brings us to mental toughness. 

I’ll be honest, there were several times last night that I felt like the Knicks were about to put the game and the series away. After the flagrant review of Castle’s ugly looking foul on Brunson, I thought you guys had it. After the challenge that turned Victor’s three into zero points, I thought you guys had it. After Jaylen’s layup cut it to, (whatever it was) I thought you would take it home. But Wemby and the boys kept believing and kept making plays and now we are where we are. And my question is, at what point did you realize Game Three was slipping away?

R.R.

One summer, I took my kids out in a four-pedal paddle boat. We struggled to fit everyone in—my oldest was already over six feet tall, my stepson and I each weighed about 200 lbs., and my third son was scared for his life. Sam had good reason to be worried. We didn’t get more than 10 feet from the dock when the boat started to noticeably move in a vertical direction. Down. We all foot-pedaled furiously back toward the dock, but slowly, ever so slowly, the SS Guppy approached and broke the waterline. Despite our frantic attempts to save ourselves, we watched the disaster unfold in slow motion as we all sank into the drink.

That was how it felt to watch the Knicks shoot 7-of-27 in the fourth quarter of Game Three.

Expecting the Knicks to win 15 straight playoff games was unrealistic. But they had not lost in 46 days, so a little irrationality was permissible.

We always assume that the bright lights and stars at MSG will rattle the opponent. Sometimes it swings the other way. In Game Three, the young Spurs were cold-blooded from the start, while the home team stumbled in the spotlight. Anyone watching on Monday with virgin eyes could not have identified which team was a squad of steady vets, trained under the cruel tutelage of Master Thibs, and which was a group of youngsters who jumped the development line.

One thing we might assume about confident vets is that they will dictate the pace of a game from tip-off. Not so with these Knickerbockers. All season long, they started games flat and played from behind after the first quarter. It was maddening. That changed through the first three rounds of the playoffs, but lately they have returned to their woeful ways. From my recap:

This was the first time they looked like the “old Knicks” since the first round. The lead guys started slow, the reserves provided a second-quarter lift while Towns and Brunson were split up, the play went stale again after halftime, and they hoped for Captain Clutch magic in the fourth. It was as if, after being away from the Garden for 19 days, they’d forgotten what a juggernaut they had become and, returning to their home court, reverted to their bad habits.

I say it often: first-quarter mistakes are just as impactful on the outcome as those in the fourth. New York started the game with two unforced errors and fell behind by seven points, putting themselves on the back foot for the rest of the game. With both teams so evenly matched and deserving of a championship, every brain fart is another nail in the coffin.

On that note, will the Knicks ever win a first quarter? They lost the first in Game One, 27-19, then 34-25 in Game Two, and 33-22 in Game Three. Playing from behind, they won the second quarter in all three contests. Great. But why must they put themselves at a disadvantage every single time? Every first quarter, they turn me into a sputtering, seething Lewis Black.

We must give them credit—the Spurs played their best game of the series. Castle was cooking (and boy, I dig that kid). Their distribution was excellent, their defense was hard-knuckled, and they were wise to keep Wemby away from KAT for long stretches. Both of these things can be true: San Antonio did an admirable job of keeping KAT out of the offense, and the Knicks did a lousy job of incorporating KAT into the offense. Brunson shot 15 more times than Towns. They could have at least split the difference!

Would you believe that Towns finished +8 and Bridges +11? I don’t, but it is true. It’s difficult to fathom because Bridges could not buy a bucket, and Shamet was worse. He crashed back to earth with 1-of-8 shooting and a -22 plus-minus. Shamet’s marksmanship has been a big part of New York’s postseason success. In his return to the Garden, ShamWow went ice cold. If he had made just one or two more threes, New York would be lining up the brooms.

If Mikal plays like that, Mike Brown knows better—he’s gotta sub in Shamet or Clarkson (OK, not Shamet this time). When Bridges is down, it seems like he doesn’t want to be on the court, which is weird for the guy with the longest active streak of consecutive games played. His foul on Wemby, when he had linked into his limbs like they were playing Twister, is the kind of stuff Bridges does when his confidence is shaken. If things are going well, Mikal is great. He has been in eight straight games now. After a few bad turns, though, he tends to ruminate, and it affects his performance. Brown has benched him in fourth quarters before. He should have last night.

Towns can get lost in his head, too. His anxiety reveals itself differently: he gets giddy and does a lot of Gorsh, can you just believe this?-type pantomiming. When that happens, it doesn’t affect his shooting per se, but it does result in forehead-slapping fouls. Which kills momentum and leads to foul trouble . . . which sends him to the bench . . . which reduces New York’s offensive options. . . . Sigh.

Josh Hart is different. He will randomly lose confidence in his shot and then play hot potato for a few games before snapping out of it. But that never affects his overall play, he’s the same maniac throughout. Brunson is mostly a killer, but if he’s getting smacked around without calls, his anger either leads to a turnover or a dagger three to win the game.

Occasionally, in late-game, high-stakes situations, OG Anunoby gets the yips at the charity stripe. It’s one of the few flaws in my favorite Knick; otherwise, he is one of the most unflappable hoopers to ever play. While his missed free throw late in the fourth was costly, his corner three redeemed him and nearly saved the game. When it came time for that last shot, we would rather that OG had taken it (“NOT BRIDGES, NO!!” I yelled), but even if it went in, a Manhattan Miracle was still needed. They were losing by four with five seconds left. (Note that if OG had made that free throw, a longball would have tied it. . . .)

Nevertheless, despite so much going wrong, I also thought the Knicks were right about to bust open the game many times. There is a lot of complaining in NY about the officiating (some warranted), but ultimately, the Knicks lost because they missed too many shots. We doubt they will misfire so badly in Game Four. From your side of the aisle, did this feel like a Spurs victory or a Knicks collapse? And what do you expect on Wednesday night?

J.R. 

It certainly didn’t feel like New York collapsed. Every team goes through dry spells, and after winning a few dozen games in a row (I honestly lost count), eventually you might have a poorly timed dry spell and drop a contest once a millennia or so. I’m just saying it’s a thing that happens, though it’s understandable if you’ve forgotten what it’s like in the interminable time since Knicks fans have had to suffer the indignity of taking an L.

As far as starting slow goes, man, the Spurs have been there. It was such a thing that it led to the team getting upset after a loss and shaving their heads. (I sure hope I’m remembering the timing of this right. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.) To be precise, Keldon Johnson, and Wembanyama shaved their heads. There were a few other guys who trimmed their hair and some others who were threatened. Carter Bryant was told that if he blew three more dunks before the season ended that he’d have to shave his head. Instead of the ambitious dunks that he’d been missing repeatedly during games, he switched to easy two-handed shove-it-in-the-basket for a few weeks out of fear KJ wasn’t joking. 

Anyway, the first game after going bald, Wemby and the team started sprinting out of the gate and they have won first quarters, or at least the beginning of the game, like clockwork ever since. It sure is fascinating when a team flips a switch like that. Makes you wonder about how it’s done, when sometimes it takes players years to get out of some ruts. 

You said you love Castle, so I’ll admit that I’m crazy about OG. He’s the guy I’ve wanted on the Spurs ever since his name was tossed around while SA came to terms with Toronto on the Leonard/DeRozan deal. Can’t tell you how jealous I was when NY nabbed him. That said, my heart belongs to Josh Hart. I don’t know what it is about guys like him and Alex Caruso, but I can’t ignore it. Hart seems to always be in the right place at the right time making the right play precisely the way necessary to end an opponent’s run or preserve his team’s flow. Plus, he plays with so much passion and savvy and he reads exactly where weird rebounds are headed so frequently it’s infuriating. 

Anyway, thanks for the player personality breakdown, it’s helpful to understand the opposition better when I haven’t been watching them much this season and only know them by the way they play against San Antonio. I’d have never thought that about Bridges, who’s always seemed imperturbable to me. 

As for what I expect in Game 4, I’ll begin with what I don’t expect: another impeccable shooting performance from Hart and Clarkson. I also don’t expect KAT to Chet the bed again. He’s too good a player to disappear two games in a row, right? I also don’t expect Fox to go 4-14 again, no matter how bad his ankle is. I could see the Spurs continuing to get Wemby closer to the rim. So far, across the three games, his average shot distance has gone from 17 feet to 13 to 10.6. I don’t know that it’ll get lower than that, but I like SA’s chances as long as it doesn’t start going up again. I expect more great defense from both teams, and I expect a tied series heading back to Texas. 

What do you expect from G4, and who do you think will have the biggest bounce back game?

R.R.

Chet the bed. That’s so deliciously mean, I have to add that to my repertoire.

I shaved my head once, either just before or at age 21. I had applied midnight black hair dye and, while waiting for it to set, I drank too much Goldschläger (any Goldschläger is too much Goldschläger). After a while, I checked and saw that my hair had turned Smurf blue. Hammered, impatient, and disappointed, I decided to shave it all off. The next day I shambled into work, hungover and looking like I was wearing a blue skullcap. The dye had stained my scalp. My coworkers assumed I’d been in some accident. How come nobody told me that shaving one’s head is the secret to improving basketball skills? If I’d known, I would’ve gone straight to the Y to school some fools . . . with my bald, blue head . . . covered in nicks from the dull razor I had used. . . .

The Knicks don’t do anything quite as interesting when the team needs a jolt. Brunson, the team captain, calls a meeting. They air it out. They play better afterward. Since the entire Knicks organization keeps secrets tighter than the Genovese crime family, details of team meetings are never leaked. If any Knick ever shows up on the injury report with broken thumbs, rest assured he’s a rat.

You and I seem to appreciate similar qualities in hoopers. I have equal amounts of affection for Anunoby and Hart. On any given day, I’ll call either one my current favorite Knick. When Josh arrived in New York in a swap with Portland for Cam Reddish, I was unfamiliar with his game but a friend from Seattle said, “You are going to love him.” ‘Tis true. These days, I consider him a modern-day Dennis Rodman with better offensive skills. Although I’ve mentioned this in posts, no one has congratulated me for this genius comp. You watched the Worm play, I assume. Is the comparison apt?

That’s an interesting stat about Wemby inching closer and closer to the rim. I expect Mike Brown to scheme a response to that. As for who will have a bounce-back game, can I answer “the whole team”? Shamet will sink three to four threes, Bridges will get his shot count up, and KAT will log a 20-10 double-double. With their cold shooting spell snapped, I predict the Knicks to take a 3-1 lead back to Texas.

By the way, congratulations to us for not mentioning the officiating. That grenade would blow up the comments section. Oh, but look at the time! I’ve overstayed my welcome already. Good luck to you tonight (but Knicks Forever, of course).

J.R.

Congratulations, Russell, you have activated: Fraternizing with the Enemy’s, lightning round! Ready, begin!

I see your nicked-and-dyed scalp story and raise you a Wemby in the park sketching a statue on the day of the game story. 

If broken thumbs means a rat, what does a broken hand mean? 

The “Rodman, but with offense” comp is pretty apt, but I gotta go back to Alex Caruso. Both guys embody modern basketball through the lens of Wayne Gretzky, the man who skated to where the puck was going to be. Josh teleports across the court to materialize with the ball in his hands. 

No, you may not answer, “the whole team” but thanks for playing! See you on the road back to San Antonio!

Here is my latest conversation with J.R. Wilco of Pounding the Rock. On Monday night, the Knicks shooting went cold and the Spurs handed them their first loss in 13 games. Now, with New York clinging to a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals, they must defend home court and prevent a series tie before heading backing to San Antonio. Can they do it? Read on to find out what these dashing, highly-paid basketball experts think.

Here are links if you missed part 1, part 2, and part 3.

J.R. 

So, the Spurs showed a few things last night and we now know that they can:

1. Beat NY
2. Win in MSG
3. Stay composed in an intense clutch game in the Finals. 

All of those are important, but I’d say the third is the biggest deal. First, it unlocks the other two. Second, because they’ve been shaky down the stretch in games going back to before Wemby joined the team. 

For years, the knock on San Antonio was that despite their talent, and even though they could stay with teams through three quarters, they couldn’t win games. (I call that a talent gap, but some people call it not knowing how to win — potato potahto). Then the gripe became that they could build a lead, but couldn’t hold onto it. Then they could hold onto leads but couldn’t win close games. Then they could win close regular season games but not close playoff games. Close playoff games but not close Finals games…

You can see where this is going; it’s not like it’s a particularly rare development path. What’s unusual about it is how quickly they’ve moved through these stages to the point that now it’s reasonable to wonder whether they could be the first team to come back and win The Finals after trailing 0-2. I know I brought up pressure in our last conversation but it seems even more important after Game 3, because the series is for sure going back to San Antonio now, and none of the Knickerbockers are going to feel comfortable about the possibility of coming back home for Game 6 down 3-2. Which means they have to go up 3-1. Which brings us to mental toughness. 

I’ll be honest, there were several times last night that I felt like the Knicks were about to put the game and the series away. After the flagrant review of Castle’s ugly looking foul on Brunson, I thought you guys had it. After the challenge that turned Victor’s three into zero points, I thought you guys had it. After Jaylen’s layup cut it to, (whatever it was) I thought you would take it home. But Wemby and the boys kept believing and kept making plays and now we are where we are. And my question is, at what point did you realize Game Three was slipping away?

R.R.

One summer, I took my kids out in a four-pedal paddle boat. We struggled to fit everyone in—my oldest was already over six feet tall, my stepson and I each weighed about 200 lbs., and my third son was scared for his life. Sam had good reason to be worried. We didn’t get more than 10 feet from the dock when the boat started to noticeably move in a vertical direction. Down. We all foot-pedaled furiously back toward the dock, but slowly, ever so slowly, the S.S. Guppy approached the waterline. Despite our frantic attempts to save ourselves, we watched the disaster unfold in slow motion as we all sank into the drink.

That was how it felt to watch the Knicks shoot 7-of-27 in the fourth quarter of Game Three.

Expecting the Knicks to win 15 straight playoff games was unrealistic. But they had not lost in 46 days, so a little irrationality was permissible.

We always assume that the bright lights and stars at MSG will rattle the opponent. Sometimes it swings the other way. In Game Three, the young Spurs were cold-blooded from the start, while the home team stumbled in the spotlight. Anyone watching on Monday with virgin eyes could not have identified which team was a squad of steady vets, trained under the cruel tutelage of Master Thibs, and which was a group of youngsters who jumped the development line.

One thing we might assume about confident vets is that they will dictate the pace of a game from tip-off. Not so with these Knickerbockers. All season long, they started games flat and played from behind after the first quarter. It was maddening. That changed through the first three rounds of the playoffs, but lately they have returned to their woeful ways. From my recap:

This was the first time they looked like the “old Knicks” since the first round. The lead guys started slow, the reserves provided a second-quarter lift while Towns and Brunson were split up, the play went stale again after halftime, and they hoped for Captain Clutch magic in the fourth. It was as if, after being away from the Garden for 19 days, they’d forgotten what a juggernaut they had become and, returning to their home court, reverted to their bad habits.

I say it often: first-quarter mistakes are just as impactful on the outcome as those in the fourth. New York started the game with two unforced errors and fell behind by seven points, putting themselves on the back foot for the rest of the game. With both teams so evenly matched and deserving of a championship, every brainfart is another nail in the coffin.

On that note, will the Knicks ever win a first quarter? They lost the first in Game One, 27-19, then 34-25 in Game Two, and 33-22 in Game Three. Playing from behind, they won the second quarter in all three contests. Great. But why must they put themselves at a disadvantage every single time? Every first quarter, they turn me into a sputtering, seething Lewis Black.

We must give them credit—the Spurs played their best game of the series. Castle was cooking (and boy, I dig that kid). Their distribution was excellent, their defense was hard-knuckled, and they were wise to keep Wemby away from KAT for long stretches. Both of these things can be true: San Antonio did an admirable job of keeping KAT out of the offense, and the Knicks did a lousy job of incorporating KAT into the offense. Brunson shot 15 more times than Towns. They could have at least split the difference!

Would you believe that Towns finished +8 and Bridges +11? I don’t, but it is true. It’s difficult to fathom because Bridges could not buy a bucket, and Shamet was worse. He crashed back to earth with 1-of-8 shooting and a -22 plus-minus. Shamet’s marksmanship has been a big part of New York’s postseason success. In his return to the Garden, ShamWow went ice cold. If he had made just one or two more threes, New York would be lining up the brooms.

If Mikal plays like that, Mike Brown knows better—he’s gotta sub in Shamet or Clarkson (OK, not Shamet that night). When Bridges is down, it seems like he doesn’t want to be on the court, which is weird for the guy with the longest active streak of consecutive games played. His foul on Wemby, when he had linked into his limbs like they were playing Twister, is the kind of stuff Bridges does when his confidence is shaken. If things are going well, Mikal is great. He had been in ten straight games. After a few bad turns, though, he tends to ruminate, and it affects his performance. Brown has benched him in fourth quarters before. Maybe he should have last night.

Towns can get lost in his head, too. His anxiety reveals itself differently: he gets giddy and does a lot of Gorsh, can you just believe this?-type pantomiming. When that happens, it doesn’t affect his shooting per se, but it does result in forehead-slapping fouls. Which kills momentum and leads to foul trouble . . . which sends him to the bench . . . which reduces New York’s offensive options. . . . Sigh.

Josh Hart is different. He will randomly lose confidence in his shot and then play hot potato for a few games before snapping out of it. But that never affects his overall play, he’s the same maniac throughout. Brunson is mostly a killer, but if he’s getting smacked around without calls, his anger either leads to a turnover or a dagger three to win the game.

Occasionally, in late-game, high-stakes situations, OG Anunoby gets the yips at the charity stripe. It’s one of the few flaws in my favorite Knick; otherwise, he is one of the most unflappable hoopers to ever play. While his missed free throw late in the fourth was costly, his corner three redeemed him and nearly saved the game. When it came time for that last shot, we would rather that OG had taken it (“NOT BRIDGES, NO!!” I yelled), but even if it went in, a Manhattan Miracle was still needed. They were losing by four with five seconds left. (Note that if OG had made that free throw, a longball would have tied it. . . .)

Nevertheless, despite so much going wrong, I also thought the Knicks were right about to bust open the game many times. There is a lot of complaining in NY about the officiating (some warranted), but ultimately, the Knicks lost because they missed too many shots. We doubt they will misfire so badly in Game Four. From your side of the aisle, did this feel like a Spurs victory or a Knicks collapse? And what do you expect on Wednesday night?

J.R. 

It certainly didn’t feel like New York collapsed. Every team goes through dry spells, and after winning a few dozen games in a row (I honestly lost count), eventually you might have a poorly timed dry spell and drop a contest once a millennia or so. I’m just saying it’s a thing that happens, though it’s understandable if you’ve forgotten what it’s like in the interminable time since Knicks fans have had to suffer the indignity of taking an L.

As far as starting slow goes, man, the Spurs have been there. It was such a thing that it led to the team getting upset after a loss and shaving their heads. (I sure hope I’m remembering the timing of this right. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.) To be precise, Keldon Johnson, and Wembanyama shaved their heads. There were a few other guys who trimmed their hair and some others who were threatened. Carter Bryant was told that if he blew three more dunks before the season ended that he’d have to shave his head. Instead of the ambitious dunks that he’d been missing repeatedly during games, he switched to easy two-handed shove-it-in-the-basket for a few weeks out of fear KJ wasn’t joking. 

Anyway, the first game after going bald, Wemby and the team started sprinting out of the gate and they have won first quarters, or at least the beginning of the game, like clockwork ever since. It sure is fascinating when a team flips a switch like that. Makes you wonder about how it’s done, when sometimes it takes players years to get out of some ruts. 

You said you love Castle, so I’ll admit that I’m crazy about OG. He’s the guy I’ve wanted on the Spurs ever since his name was tossed around while SA came to terms with Toronto on the Leonard/DeRozan deal. Can’t tell you how jealous I was when NY nabbed him. That said, my heart belongs to Josh. Hart. I don’t know what it is about guys like him and Alex Caruso, but I can’t ignore it. Hart seems to always be in the right place at the right time making the right play precisely the way necessary to end an opponent’s run or preserve his team’s flow. Plus, he plays with so much passion and savvy and he reads exactly where weird rebounds are headed so frequently it’s infuriating. 

Anyway, thanks for the player personality breakdown, it’s helpful to understand the opposition better when I haven’t been watching them much this season and only know them by the way they play against San Antonio. I’d have never thought that about Bridges, who’s always seemed imperturbable to me. 

As for what I expect in Game 4, I’ll begin with what I don’t expect: another impeccable shooting performance from Hart and Clarkson. I also don’t expect KAT to Chet the bed again. He’s too good a player to disappear two games in a row, right? I also don’t expect Fox to go 4-14 again, no matter how bad his ankle is. I could see the Spurs continuing to get Wemby closer to the rim. So far, across the three games, his average shot distance has gone from 17 feet to 13 to 10.6. I don’t know that it’ll get lower than that, but I like SA’s chances as long as it doesn’t start going up again. I expect more great defense from both teams, and I expect a tied series heading back to Texas. 

What do you expect from G4, and who do you think will have the biggest bounce back game?

R.R.

Chet the bed. That’s so deliciously mean, I must add that to my repertoire.

I shaved my head once, either just before or at age 21. I had applied midnight black hair dye and, while waiting for it to set, I drank too much Goldschläger (any Goldschläger is too much Goldschläger). After a while, I checked and saw that my hair had turned Smurf blue. Hammered, impatient, and disappointed, I decided to shave it all off. The next day I shambled into work, hungover and looking like I was wearing a blue skullcap. The dye had stained my scalp. My coworkers assumed I’d been in some accident. How come nobody told me that shaving one’s head is the secret to improving basketball skills? If I’d known, I would’ve gone straight to the Y to school some fools . . . with my bald, blue head . . . covered in nicks from a dull razor. . . .

The Knicks don’t do anything quite as interesting when the team needs a jolt. Brunson, the team captain, convenes a meeting. They air it out. They play better afterward. Since the entire Knicks organization keeps secrets tighter than the Genovese crime family, details of team meetings are never leaked. If any Knick ever shows up on the injury report with broken thumbs, rest assured he’s a rat.

You and I seem to appreciate similar qualities in hoopers. I have equal amounts of affection for Anunoby and Hart. On any given day, I’ll call either one my current favorite Knick. When Josh arrived in New York in a swap with Portland for Cam Reddish, I was unfamiliar with his game but a friend from Seattle said, “You are going to love him.” ‘Tis true. These days, I consider him a modern-day Dennis Rodman with better offensive skills. Although I’ve mentioned this in posts, no one has congratulated me for this genius comp. You watched the Worm play, I assume. Is the comparison apt?

That’s an interesting stat about Wemby inching closer and closer to the rim. I expect Mike Brown to scheme a response to that. As for who will have a bounce-back game, can I answer “the whole team”? Shamet will sink three to four threes, Bridges will get his shot count up, and KAT will log a 20-10 double-double. With their cold shooting spell snapped, I predict the Knicks to take a 3-1 lead back to Texas.

By the way, congratulations to us for not discussing the officiating. That grenade would blow up the comments section. Oh, but look at the time! I’ve overstayed my welcome already. Good luck to you tonight (but Knicks Forever, of course).

J.R.

Congratulations, Russell, you have activated: Fraternizing with the Enemy’s, lightning round! Ready, begin!

I see your nicked-and-dyed scalp story and raise you a Wemby in the park sketching a statue on the day of the game story. 

If broken thumbs means a rat, what does a broken hand mean? 

The “Rodman, but with offense” comp is pretty apt, but I gotta go back to Alex Caruso. Both guys embody modern basketball through the lens of Wayne Gretzky, the man who skated to where the puck was going to be. Josh teleports across the court to materialize with the ball in his hands. 

No, you may not answer, “the whole team” but thanks for playing! See you on the road back to San Antonio!

The Minnesota Timberwolves face an important offseason as they need to figure out how to keep pace in a competitive Western Conference.

The Wolves have a chance to remain one of the top teams in the West with the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, among other teams, but they will need to make changes as Donte DiVincenzo’s Achilles injury will compromise his availability for at least part of the season.

“DiVincenzo’s Achilles tear has created an opening in Minnesota’s backcourt. Yet while the Timberwolves could retain Conley, who’s a free agent this summer, they’ll more likely re-sign free agent Ayo Dosunmu and use him as their fifth starter going forward,“ ESPN analyst Zach Kram wrote.

With DiVincenzo tearing his Achilles in late April, there’s potential that he may not participate in the 2026-27 season at all. This means the Wolves have to pivot and go in a different direction, but there is a natural solution with Dosunmu, who is a free agent this offseason.

The Wolves acquired Dosunmu in a trade with the Chicago Bulls back in February and acquired his bird rights in the deal. This means the Wolves have the potential to offer him money that exceeds the luxury tax and apron.

Perhaps the Wolves could trade DiVincenzo to a team that can absorb his salary to give Minnesota some cap room, but it isn’t completely necessary. That being said, with a year remaining on his contract and an injury that could keep him out for the entire season, it might be wise to move on from him and give Dosunmu a long-term extension that will establish the future of Minnesota’s backcourt.

Canis Hoopus community, how do you feel about Dosunmu’s future with the Wolves? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have the 29th pick in this month’s NBA Draft. We’ll see if they can find an impact player at that position.

Let’s take a look at some of the recent mock drafts to see who the experts have the Cavs taking.

The Athletic – Meleek Thomas

Sam Vecenie has the Cavs taking the 6’3”, 19-year-old from Arkansas.

Vecenie writes:

The Cavaliers will have to find a way to cut money from their books, with Dennis Schröder representing one of the easiest ways to do that. If they find a taker on the trade market for Schröder, they’ll need more instant offensive contributions off the bench, and Thomas fits that bill. He’s a highly effective shooter who can attack and handle the ball, but he does need to rein in some of his wilder decision-making issues.

Thomas was an efficient, microwave scorer during his one season at Arkansas. He averaged 15.6 points on .433/.416/.843 shooting splits. The lack of playmaking was a concern for a player of his size. Thomas averaged just 2.5 assists to one turnover per game.

The Cavs struggled to find players who could create their own shot off the bench throughout most of the regular season. Thomas has the skill set to do so, but it’s fair to wonder if the Cavs need another undersized two guard that can’t shift up to the three or handle point guard duties.

SB Nation – Henri Veesaar

Ricky O’Donnell has the Cavs selecting a seven-foot, 22-year-old from Estonia.

O’Donnell writes:

The Cavs have plenty of talent in their frontcourt already with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, but they’ve never had a real stretch-five option. Veesaar could be that after hitting 42.6 percent of his threes on 94 attempts with North Carolina this season. I really enjoyed watching Veesaar’s high-low game with Caleb Wilson, and I think he could have similar success

The Cavs could certainly use an additional big to back up Allen and Mobley. Veesaar should be able to do so.

Veesaar spent three years at Arizona before transferring to UNC this past season. He averaged 17 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 31 contests. Veesar showed that he could be a decent outside shooter as he connected on 42.6% of his three outside attempts per game.

It’s always risky to draft for need, especially this far into the draft. Getting the best talent available is usually the best bet. That said, it’d be easy to talk yourself into a center with this skillset helping the Cavs.

Yahoo Sports – Koa Peat

Kevin O’Connor has the Cavs taking a 6’9” wing from Arizona with their lone first-round pick. He writes:

The Cavaliers need some toughness in the frontcourt. There may not be a better choice in this range than Peat, whose bloodline is so loaded with offensive linemen that it’s almost funny he ended up playing basketball. His father played nine NFL seasons. His uncle was a Pro Bowl tackle. Two brothers played college ball on the line. And you can absolutely see it in how he plays: powerful, physical, relentless, and it genuinely takes something special to stop him from getting to where he wants to go. He opened the season with a 30-point game against defending champion Florida and backed it up as one of Arizona’s best players all year. The concern is that he doesn’t really shoot, doesn’t create for himself off the dribble without assistance, and he’s not going to wow anyone as a vertical athlete.

You aren’t going to get a perfect wing prospect this late in the draft. Peat certainly isn’t that. But there are plenty of reasons to talk yourself into someone who plays with his level of physicality, even if there isn’t much polish to his game yet.

Peat averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as a freshman. He did this on .528/.350/.623 shooting splits.

We’ll see what direction the Cavs go. The first round of the draft will be on Monday, June 23.

Through all the athletic highs and exciting signs of his potential, Adem Bona’s 2025-26 season was a mixed bag.

The flaws are clear with Bona. Unfortunately, issues like his tendency for errors and spells of too many fouls, somewhat lacking defensive rebounding, and questionable touch around the rim can be glaring when he’s having an off night. And despite some games where he’s a asserting himself as a physical rebounder, there are others where he comes short with his boxing out and positioning in that area. Considering his size, strength and explosiveness, averaging 9.0 total rebounds per 36 minutes (when he does a good job on the offensive glass with 3.7 offensive rebounds) is a touch underwhelming.

All of that led to him falling out of Nick Nurse’s rotation come the end of the playoffs. After averaging 17.4 minutes per game through the regular season and 19.3 minutes through the first three games of round one against Boston (before Joel Embiid returned), he averaged a mere 5.3 minutes through the rest of the playoffs and wasn’t a factor. Thankfully for the Sixers they had other options that could get them by (at least in the epic 3-1 comeback against the Celtics — we don’t need to relive what happened after that again). For instance, with Dominick Barlow stepping up the Sixers do have the option to downsize and embrace faster, more versatile lineups, and that takes a little pressure off Bona for next season. He’s clearly not in a position to be the Sixers’ sole option at backup five right now. But they need a reliable, genuine big to count on.

All these areas will be key to how Bona can progress in year three. His personal fouls started trending down slightly (from 6.8 per 100 possessions as a rookie to 6.0 this season), but he needs to take that a few steps further. He needs to be reliable controlling the ball, catching passes, finishing more of his opportunities in the paint that require some touch, and being a more consistent presence on the defensive glass.

All that said, Bona deserves credit for what he does do well, though. Because when he is a positive on the court, he really can excel in certain areas.

Bona swats it at the rim 🚫

Sixers lead in Q3 with the East #7 seed on the line! pic.twitter.com/nqHUxGovwT

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026

Shot-blocking rate is somewhere Bona thrives. He ranked ninth in the NBA this season in blocks per 100 possessions at 3.2. Even on a per game basis in only 17.4 minutes a night, he averaged 1.2 blocks — good enough for 18th in the league.

ADEM BONA BLOCK.
VJ EDGECOMBE SLAM.

Big-time plays on both ends of the floor for the @sixers! pic.twitter.com/gFiV7r4o0q

— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2026

He has the leaping ability to elevate under the rim and deter shots in an instant, with the recovery speed and motor to get back for blocks when he’s beat. The explosiveness to fly around as a help defender, or the agility to switch onto a range of positions and stay with drivers from the perimeter all the way to the basket. When Bona is avoiding fouls and alert off the ball, he can truly energize the Sixers’ defense and be a major playmaker protecting the paint.

At the other end of the floor, Bona can do some of the simple things well. When it comes to finishing plays, Bona can explode as a lob catcher and dunk with force when he gets good opportunities. His length and vertical make it easy for him to rise above opponents at times, and his speed down the floor in transition is impressive. He also improved his free throw shooting a little this year, up from 67.0 percent as a rookie to a respectable 70.8 percent.

When things become a little more complicated, though — whether he has to make a catch in traffic and requires more touch and control to finish off the glass or through defenders — is where Bona can fall short. It’s why despite having what should be a very simple and efficient shot profile, he made a modest 66.9 percent of his shots within three feet of the basket this season. For reference, Kelly Oubre Jr., who clearly takes on far more difficult drives, shot 68.9 percent on such attempts. Any improvement there would be key for Bona being able to reliably contribute on offense and maintain increased minutes.

With Andre Drummond set to hit free agency, we could see the Sixers bring in a new veteran center to give Bona some new competition next season. The young big should still have some more opportunity to play and develop next year.

His shot-blocking, athleticism, and defensive versatility with his rare mobility are traits that can’t be taken for granted. If he can add any more polish to his offensive ability and reduce some of his defensive miscues, there’s still a clear path to him becoming a quality backup center.

But Nick Nurse’s patience is only going to get shorter in Bona’s third season. The Sixers can’t wait forever for Bona, and he still has a way to go. It’ll be interesting to see how he looks after another offseason and what he has to offer come October.

New York’s got the need for Reed.

A medium traveled to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to summon the clutch spirit of Knicks legend Willis Reed — and to cleanse the basketball Mecca after the brutal Game 3 loss to the Spurs a day earlier.

While superstitious fans burned sage outside MSG to purge the arena of any bad juju following the Knicks’ defeat, The Post brought in the big guns to contact the dead.

Award-winning psychic medium Bianca Rose traveled from Long Island — armed with tarot cards, an ouija board, a spirit portal and a silver bell — to the Midtown stadium to give the orange and blue some extra luck as the team heads into Game 4 Wednesday night.

The ghost whisperer stood outside the Garden and repeatedly rang a small silver bell with her eyes shut as she gently whispered a chant, summoning Reed while wearing headphones connected to a specialized spirit portal used to speak with the dead.

Rose said she was successful in contacting the late center who famously shrugged off a thigh injury to take the court in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, which the Knicks won.

Reed, who was known simply as “The Captain,” died in 2023 at age 80, leaving behind a legacy as the heart and soul of New York’s most recent NBA championship teams.

His emergence from the tunnel of the World’s Most Famous Arena remains one of the most iconic moments in the franchise’s history.

Rose added that she repeatedly saw the No. 6, possibly alluding to the number of games it would take to decide the NBA Finals series. The Knicks are now up 2-1.

“I kept seeing the number six,” the clairvoyant told The Post. “These are good signs.”

The paranormal investigator also contacted Charles and Helen Dolan — the parents of Knicks owner and Executive Chairman of MSG Sports James Dolan — reporting that Charles said he would be “really happy” about what’s coming.

Rose also did a tarot card reading and the cards she pulled pointed to defiance and a reignited fire, revealing a tale of a defiant team pushing forward without a care for what others think.

One fan who watched the seance told The Post it was much needed after the Game 3 loss.

“We need this,” he said. “I’m feeling good going into game 4 now,” he said about the cleansing.

The Knicks faltered during Monday’s game against the Spurs for the first time since April 23 — putting an end to a remarkable 13-game winning streak.

The teams will face off for Game 4 on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.