Besides the stars on the court, a number of big names will flock to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday, June 8.

President Donald Trump is expected to attend the game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, the first at the iconic Manhattan arena in nearly three decades.

Days after repealing bedtimes for the youngest Knicks fans, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also set to be in the stands.

In addition to the politicians, several famous faces could be in attendance as well.

Here's a look at all the VIPs that could show out.

Second verse, same as the first. In Game 2 of in the NBA Finals, the Spurs looked better than in Game 1, which they lost in the last minute to the New York Knicks. The defense was tighter, the offense was more disciplined, and the Spurs once again kept Jalen Brunson under wrap — until they didn’t. After another heartbreaking loss where the Spurs had a chance to win or, at worst, take it to overtime, the turnover of all turnovers handed the Knicks a 2-0 lead as the series heads to New York.

With that, I continue Fraternizing with the Enemy with Russell Richardson, editor-in-chief of our Knicks sister site Posting and Toasting, as we discuss what went right and wrong, and if the Spurs have one last push in them or if Knicks just flat out have their number this season. Click the links if you would like to revisit Part 1 or Part 2.

J.R. 

What a game. What an incredible game! Loved the ebb and flow. Loved the tension. Loved the comeback and taking the lead. Loved forcing the Brunson miss and rebound to bring it up the court with a chance to make sure that overtime was the worst possible result. Man, there is nothing like the final moments of a huge game with tons riding on it when it comes down to the final possession. 

I’d say that’s right about the point where I stopped loving things. From the point of that rebound it was either bad things or not so bad. But there were no good things. What a game, but how … what’s the word? I need a word for a pain so big that you can’t simply use the word pain because it’s too small to cover the enormity of the loss. The kind of pain that, as you come to terms with it, keeps growing to the point that you wonder if it’ll overwhelm you. A pain that you can’t get your arms around. A pain that makes you re-examine who you are and how you approach the things that matter. Excruciating. That’s the word. 

After you’ve found the right word, there’s nothing left to do but find the silver linings. I mean, of course, there are plenty of things to do besides that. There’s wallowing in the pain of a 0-2 series. There’s torturing yourself with the frustration of coming up short. There’s bemoaning missed calls and bad plays and missed free throws and turnovers. There is all of that. But none of that is constructive and so I refuse to do that to myself. I reject the idea that my fandom (the state and the core of my rooting for a team) would be something that turns me to bitterness. Never! So finding silver linings it is.

Wemby has come through in the clutch all season. He’s taken the measure of the moment and made not just big but huge plays. For him to see his best fall short is just the kind of pain that forces more focus and development and teamwork. That’s the kind of pain that makes a team dig deep and turn 2013 into 2014. Oh, it’s excruciating. But they either get hurt enough to learn from — really learn and improve— or they get back to 2-2. There’s no pressure on them now. After three straight days of “will NY sweep?” it’s free and easy from here until the series is tied or it’s all over.

R.R. 

Boy were my briefs tight in the final two minutes! When Victor Wembanyama put the Spurs ahead, 103-102, my voice squeaked like a 12-year-old eunuch’s. Thank goodness my baby-making days are over. Can you imagine explaining that to the specialist? “Everything was fine until that 14-0 run and then—sssnap!” 

That particular pain you speak of is all too familiar to us in New York. That existential dread still gives us shivers. You see, while the Spurs were hanging five championship banners, we went 53 years without one. (Not me personally, I’m old but not that old!) While you were partying, we were always talking about next year, and how Kevin Knox just needed a little refinement, and how Phil Jackson would lead us to the Promised Land (if he’d quit napping at team practices). Silver linings? Silver linings?? We had orange and blue skies, but they were always trimmed by strands of twinkling silver.

What we would be saying in your position–and you can trust my expertise on this, because Knicks fans have been in your position practically since Dr. Naismith hung his peach crates–is that there is no team more dangerous than one that has been summarily written off. Down 2-0? Ho Ho Ho!No sweat! This is the exactly the adversity Elfrid Payton needs to kick in the next gea–

Sorry. Had a gnarly flashback to the 2021 playoffs. My therapist calls this basketball-induced PTSD.

Returning to 2026: I thought San Antonio’s response to Game One mostly worked. They doubled the paint aggressively, got better games from De’Aaron Fox and Wembanyama, and defended more physically. Even Tony Brothers shook his head when Carter Bryant dropped an elbow on Jalen Brunson from the top rope. Ol’ Tone didn’t blow his whistle, but he did admonish the behavior with a stern head shake. Did you see the clip of Wemby nearly snapping Jose Alvarado’s neck? I hope Brooklyn has good chiropractors.

So, the fact that they threw a mightier haymaker and still came up short doesn’t bode well for your guys. Meanwhile, Brunson is primed to have a breakout game; Josh Hart hasn’t yet had one of his random five-three-pointer games; OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are playing defense like cops from El Salvador; and the ghost of Willis Reed has possessed the body of Towns. The most encouraging thing about heading home up 2-0 is that the Knicks haven’t even turned the dial all the way up yet.

Some on our side are speculating that Johnson might start Harper in place of Fox in Game Three. Fox’s ankle issues seem to be hindering San Antonio’s offense. Harper, being bigger, stronger, and more physical, would attack downhill, create tough pick-and-roll problems with Wembanyama, and force Brunson into heavy defensive work, opening up opportunities for the Spurs’ shooters and star big man. What do you think? Do you think Johnson will make the change?

J.R.

Nossir. Uh uh. Nope. 

As much as I would love to see Dylan’s minutes increase, if Fox is healthy enough to play, I don’t see Mitch starting Harper. I’m not saying Pop would’ve done it, but one of the things that happens when you replace a living legend is that you deal with a lot more second-guessing of the kind that would’ve been waived away with a breezy, “The guys got five rings and do you think you know more about basketball than he does!?”

I love Mitch. I feel certain that he’s the right guy. I think San Antonio has their Eric Spoelstra in Coach Johnson. You know, the guy who started in the Heat’s system as a video coordinator and worked his way up to being Riley’s right hand man, and eventually successor. That’s Mitch, only swap South Beach for the Alamo and slicked back hairdo for a white beard and a smirk. 

My take on Mitch from early season: it doesn’t matter if he’s the best qualified guy to take the Spurs to the Finals this year. It only matters that he’s the guy who will be able to grow with the team so that he’s finals-ready when the team is. Only there was a problem with that neat little take of mine. The team went out and made the finals! So we’re seeing what it looks like when a franchise’s 22-year-old best player who’s learning on the fly and is being coached by a first-full-year head coach who’s (say it with me) learning on the fly. So much potential that the sky is the limit. How high will they fly this year? No one knows but it’s been entertaining so far!

Yes, even Game 2 was stunningly entertaining – like a cinematic masterpiece that leaves you so emotionally impacted that you have to spend $10,000 in therapy to get over it. Costly, sure. But entertaining. 

So, with the ghosts of Elfrid Payton and Stephon Marbury hanging in the wings, and with the words “it might just be crazy enough to work” echoing in the halls, the series moves back to MSG. Would you agree that the pressure is on the Knicks at this point, or would that only happen should the Spurs take Game 3?

R.R.

How you thought about coach Mitch is kinda how we regarded coach Thibs. He was going to be the bridge—the Mark Jackson to the Steve Kerr, if you will. Tom was hired to install discipline, fundamentals, and a winning culture. He had never (head) coached a team to the Finals, nor did we expect him to. When the team reached the ECF last season, our heads were sent reeling. 

The camp was divided. The curmudgeon had delivered on one major dream (the ECF); did he deserve a chance at a Finals run, or were his weaknesses the last obstacles to glory? Leon Rose & Co. went with the latter. I’d say their choice has been vindicated.

One criticism of Thibs was that the Knicks’ offense became predictable: dribble handoffs at the top, drive-and-kicks, and heavy Brunson iso-ball. Mike Brown was hired to change that. Throughout the regular season, though, the offense looked eerily similar. Remember, this is not a young roster but one of seasoned vets, with pride and ingrained beliefs about their personal skills. (OK, psst—the problem was mostly KAT, but shhh. We love him now!)

Only in the playoffs has Mike Brown’s scheme been realized. The Knicks have consistently moved the ball and involved everyone in the offense. They’ve executed at a speed unseen from them before. In fact, I suspect their game plan—which is to push the pace to tire out Wemby—had the same deleterious effect on their stamina in Game Two. When they became winded, the old habits emerged. Late possessions became sloppy. Luckily, they snapped out of it enough to salvage the game, with special thanks to Captain Clutch.

Brunson was mauled for much of the night and never found a rhythm. In yet another massive moment, he hit the tying shot, recovered Wembanyama’s turnover, and scored the winning point. That’s why his jersey sells like hotcakes. The 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year, remember.

To your question: the pressure should be on New York, with a chance to effectively slam the door with a Game Three victory on their home turf. But they are playing with such confidence that I doubt they’re overly concerned. Truly, an impartial juror would look at this scenario and say, “Duh. Can I go home now?” New York defeated the Spurs four out of five times between the regular season and postseason (pretty good for the purported underdogs, no?). Could San Antonio flip the script, unlock some cheat code, and win four of the next five? It’s possible. But don’t bet your kid’s college tuition on it.

This will come as a bit of a surprise to Duke fans, but the nation’s second-most hated NBA player?

According to RotoWire, it’s former Blue Devil Jayson Tatum.

He’s also the second-most hated NBA player nationally, including in Los Angeles, which is understandable given the intensity of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, and also, for some reason, Hawaii.

He’s also the most-hated in the Southeast, which we would put down to UNC and Kentucky fans, primarily.

The only guy more hated than Tatum? Draymond Green,and that’s no surprise, given his erratic and often offensive behavior.

According to RotoWire, “His combination of genuine superstar talent and a perceived smug on-court demeanor makes him the perfect villain for anyone not rooting for Boston.”

Okay, makes sense from a particular point of view, probably. To us, though, and probably most Duke fans, he’s a likable guy. He clearly adores his son, Deuce, and also puts the kid and his mom in his TV ads.

Part of it is naturally Boston. Either you like the Celtics, or you don’t. But a bigger part of it is probably Duke. And with Jon Scheyer doing a great job at Duke – in some ways, arguably better than Mike Krzyzewski – Duke hatred, which took a brief break after Coach K retired, is not going away anytime soon.

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Here’s my latest conversation with J.R. Wilco of Pounding the Rock. After a pair of nail-biters in San Antonio, the NBA Finals shift to Madison Square Garden with the Knicks holding a 2-0 lead and the Spurs searching for answers. In the latest edition of our ongoing Finals correspondence, J.R. and I discuss Game Two’s emotional whiplash, whether San Antonio has another adjustment left to make, and which team is actually feeling the pressure as the series heads to New York.

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

J.R. 

What a game. What an incredible game! Loved the ebb and flow. Loved the tension. Loved the comeback and taking the lead. Loved forcing the Brunson miss and rebound to bring it up the court with a chance to make sure that overtime was the worst possible result. Man, there is nothing like the final moments of a huge game with tons riding on it when it comes down to the final possession.

I’d say that’s right about the point where I stopped loving things. From the point of that rebound, it was either bad things or not-so-bad things. But there were no good things. What a game, but how … what’s the word? I need a word for a pain so big that you can’t simply use the word pain because it’s too small to cover the enormity of the loss. The kind of pain that, as you come to terms with it, keeps growing to the point that you wonder if it’ll overwhelm you. A pain that you can’t get your arms around. A pain that makes you re-examine who you are and how you approach the things that matter. Excruciating. That’s the word.

After you’ve found the right word, there’s nothing left to do but find the silver linings. I mean, of course, there are plenty of things to do besides. There’s wallowing in the pain of a 0–2 series. There’s torturing yourself with the frustration of coming up short. There’s bemoaning missed calls and bad plays and missed free throws and turnovers. There is all of that. But none of that is constructive, and so I refuse to do that to myself. I reject the idea that my fandom (the state and the core of my rooting for a team) would be something that turns me to bitterness. Never! So finding silver linings it is.

Wemby has come through in the clutch all season. He’s taken the measure of the moment and made not just big but huge plays. For him to see his best fall short is just the kind of pain that forces more focus and development and teamwork. That’s the kind of pain that makes a team dig deep and turn 2013 into 2014. Oh, it’s excruciating. But they either get hurt enough to learn from it—really learn and improve—or they get back to 2-2. There’s no pressure on them now. After three straight days of “Will NY sweep?” it’s free and easy from here until the series is tied or it’s all over.

R.R. 

Boy were my briefs tight in the final two minutes. When Victor Wembanyama put the Spurs ahead, 103-102, my voice squeaked like a 12-year-old eunuch’s. Thank goodness my baby-making days are over. Can you imagine explaining that to the specialist? “Everything was fine until that 14-0 run and then—sssnap!” 

That particular pain you speak of is all too familiar to us in New York. That existential dread still gives us shivers. You see, while the spurs were hanging five championship banners, we went 53 years without (not me personally, I’m old but not that old!). While you were partying, we were always talking about next year, and how Kevin Knox just needed a little refinement, and how Phil Jackson would lead us to the Promised Land (if he’d quit napping at team practices). Silver linings? Silver linings?? We had orange and blue skies, but they were always trimmed by strands of twinkling silver.

What we would be saying in your position–and you can trust my expertise on this, because Knicks fans have been in your position practically since Dr. Naismith hung his peach crates–is that there is no team more dangerous than one that has been summarily written off. Down 2-0? Ho Ho Ho!No sweat! This is the exactly the adversity Elfrid Payton needs to kick in the next gea–

Sorry. Had a gnarly flashback to the 2021 playoffs. My therapist calls this basketball-induced PTSD.

Returning to 2026: I thought San Antonio’s response to Game One mostly worked. They doubled the paint aggressively, got better games from De’Aaron Fox and Wembanyama, and defended more physically. Even Tony Brothers shook his head when Carter Bryant dropped an elbow on Jalen Brunson from the top rope. Ol’ Tone didn’t blow his whistle, but he did admonish the behavior with a stern head shake. Did you see the clip of Wemby nearly snapping Jose Alvarado’s neck? I hope Brooklyn has good chiropractors.

So, the fact that they threw a mightier haymaker and still came up short doesn’t bode well for your guys. Meanwhile, Brunson is primed to have a breakout game; Josh Hart hasn’t yet had one of his random five-three-pointer games; OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are playing defense like cops from El Salvador; and the ghost of Willis Reed has possessed the body of Towns. The most encouraging thing about heading home up 2-0 is that the Knicks haven’t even turned the dial all the way up yet.

Some on our side are speculating that Johnson might start Harper in place of Fox in Game Three. Fox’s ankle issues seem to be hindering San Antonio’s offense. Harper, being bigger, stronger, and more physical, would attack downhill, create tough pick-and-roll problems with Wembanyama, and force Brunson into heavy defensive work, opening up opportunities for the Spurs’ shooters and star big man. What do you think? Do you think Johnson will make the change?

J.R.

Nossir. Uh-uh. Nope.

As much as I would love to see Dylan’s minutes increase, if Fox is healthy enough to play, I don’t see Mitch starting Harper. I’m not saying Pop would’ve done it, but one of the things that happens when you replace a living legend is that you deal with a lot more second-guessing of the kind that would’ve been waved away with a breezy, “The guy’s got five rings, and do you think you know more about basketball than he does!?”

I love Mitch. I feel certain that he’s the right guy. I think San Antonio has its Eric Spoelstra in Coach Johnson. You know, the guy who started in the Heat’s system as a video coordinator and worked his way up to being Riley’s right-hand man and eventual successor. That’s Mitch, only swap South Beach for the Alamo and a slicked-back hairdo for a white beard and a smirk.

My take on Mitch from early in the season: it doesn’t matter if he’s the best-qualified guy to take the Spurs to the Finals this year. It only matters that he’s the guy who will be able to grow with the team so that he’s Finals-ready when the team is. Only there was a problem with that neat little take of mine. The team went out and made the Finals! So we’re seeing what it looks like when a franchise’s 22-year-old best player (who’s learning on the fly) is being coached by a first-full-year head coach who’s (say it with me) learning on the fly. So much potential that the sky is the limit. How high will they fly this year? No one knows, but it’s been entertaining so far!

Yes, even Game 2 was stunningly entertaining—like a cinematic masterpiece that leaves you so emotionally impacted that you have to spend $10,000 in therapy to get over it. Costly, sure. But entertaining.

So, with the ghosts of Elfrid Payton and Stephon Marbury hanging in the wings, and with the words “it might just be crazy enough to work” echoing in the halls, the series moves back to MSG. Would you agree that the pressure is on the Knicks at this point, or would that only happen should the Spurs take Game 3?

R.R.

How you thought about coach Mitch is kinda how we regarded coach Thibs. He was going to be the bridge—the Mark Jackson to the Steve Kerr, if you will. Tom was hired to install discipline, fundamentals, and a winning culture. He had never (head) coached a team to the Finals, nor did we expect him to. When the team reached the ECF last season, our heads were sent reeling. 

The camp was divided. The curmudgeon had delivered on one major dream (the ECF); did he deserve a chance at a Finals run, or were his weaknesses the last obstacles to glory? Leon Rose & Co. went with the latter. I’d say their choice has been vindicated.

One criticism of Thibs was that the Knicks’ offense became predictable: dribble handoffs at the top, drive-and-kicks, and heavy Brunson iso-ball. Mike Brown was hired to change that. Throughout the regular season, though, the offense looked eerily similar. Remember, this is not a young roster but one of seasoned vets, with pride and ingrained beliefs about their personal skills. (OK, psst—the problem was mostly KAT, but shhh. We love him now!)

Only in the playoffs has Mike Brown’s scheme been realized. The Knicks have consistently moved the ball and involved everyone in the offense. They’ve executed at a speed unseen from them before. In fact, I suspect their game plan—which is to push the pace to tire out Wemby—had a deleterious effect on their own stamina in Game Two. When they became winded, the old habits emerged. Late possessions became sloppy. Luckily, they snapped out of it enough to salvage the game, with special thanks to Captain Clutch.

Brunson was mauled for much of the night and never found a rhythm. In yet another massive moment, he hit the tying shot, recovered Wembanyama’s turnover, and scored the winning point. That’s why his jersey sells like hotcakes. The 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year, remember.

To your question: the pressure should be on New York, with a chance to effectively slam the door with a Game Three victory on their home turf. But they are playing with such confidence that I doubt they’re overly concerned.

Truly, an impartial juror would look at this scenario and say, “Duh. Can I go home now?” New York defeated the Spurs four out of five times between the regular season and postseason (pretty good for the purported underdogs, no?). Could San Antonio flip the script, unlock some cheat code, and win four of the next five? It’s possible. But don’t bet your kid’s college tuition on it.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely do you think returning to San Antonio with the series tied for Game 5 is, and why do you feel that way? 

Mark Barrington: There’s a fact in statistics that seems counterintuitive to people who aren’t into mathematics. In a large data set, low probability events aren’t all that uncommon. So there’s a chance. The Spurs came close to winning Game 2, but their inexperience got the better of them as they couldn’t close the deal. The Knicks have all the momentum, and if an eight-day layoff before Game 1 didn’t throw them off, the two-game layoff between Games 2 and 3 shouldn’t bother them. Three teams have lost the first two games at home in the finals: 

The 1993 Suns, led by Charles Barkley, extended the Finals to 6 games by winning Game 3 on the road in a 3 OT thriller, and also won Game 5 over Michael Jordan’s Bulls before losing 99-98 in Game 6 at home, back in the days of the 2-3-2 format.

The 1995 Magic were swept by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets, even with a young fella named Shaquille O’Neal on the roster.

The history of the 2026 Spurs finals run has yet to be written, but if any team can break the trend, it would be the Silver and Black, who are one of the most resilient teams in the history of the league. The Spurs have to make a statement in Game 3, and if they can win a triple overtime thriller like the Suns did way back in 1993, it could get interesting. 

My head says that it’s extremely unlikely that the Spurs can win two on the road after losing the first two at home. It’s never been done before in the Finals. Let’s watch the Spurs try to make some history on Monday and Wednesday.

Bill Huan: I would be absolutely shocked if it’s tied 2-2 after going to MSG. Not that it’s impossible the Spurs come back in the series, but the way the Knicks are clicking and the environment in the Garden makes me quite confident that it’ll be 3-1 heading back to San Antonio for Game 5. With that said, this team has surprised me every step of the way this season and risen to every occasion, so if anyone can do it, it’s them.  

Devon Birdsong: Having seen a young upstart Finals-caliber team come back from 0-2 against a Finals-caliber older veteran team back in 2012, I know it’s probably more possible than the naysayers are willing to admit. As long as they don’t look defeated (and they haven’t in interviews), I’d say it’s 4 out of 10 that they do it. That still doesn’t leave the odds in their favor, though. I think, mentally, they have to win game three in a landslide for their own confidence. If they do that, they’ll probably extend it to six or seven games. And I don’t know why, but I think they’re gonna extend it. The margins have been so thin. Surely they have some good fortune coming their way.

Jeje Gomez: If I have to assign a number to it, it would be a five, which I understand is insanely high against an elite opponent that matches up well against the Spurs. But I could see one of those dominant San Antonio performances coming in Game 3, a night in which they look like the unstoppable force they have resembled at times these playoffs. After that, maybe they can keep Game 4 close and be the ones who come out on top that time around. The Knicks have looked like the better team this series, and at this point, not even a sweep would surprise me, but what has characterized the Spurs this season is that they have a low floor but an insanely high ceiling, so they could pull off something crazy.

If you were Mitch Johnson, what adjustment would you make, and would it involve changing the starting lineup?

Barrington: I don’t think that the Spurs have made any major strategic mistakes so far. You could have played Harper more late in Game 1, but in Game 2 Fox’s play showed why Coach Johnson trusted De’Aaron as a finisher. The biggest adjustment has to be in the mentality of the players. They have to play with confidence and within the system. They have to not get down when a foul doesn’t get called or a bounce goes wrong. They have to find that balance between playing with abandon and being in control and trusting your teammates. I’ve seen them play that way for short stretches in the first two games, but winning in Madison Square Garden will require them to do it for 48 minutes. I think that Coach Johnson needs to get them ready to play mentally and keep playing the pressure defense that led them to a comeback in Game 2. The Spurs’ stars can’t wait until late in the game to get involved in the offense; they have to be sharp right from the opening tip. I don’t know if that’s going to be enough against a historic juggernaut like this year’s Knicks. We’ll find out this week.

Huan: It starts with seeing what happened during that fourth-quarter comeback in Game 2. For starters, I would change the lineup by inserting Harper in for Champagnie, and on defense, let Castle guard Brunson one-on-one without sending help. Then, have Wemby guard KAT and do not help off the shooters. Offensively, they need to take advantage of having three guards and continue attacking Brunson, and if that’s not working, then run more Fox-Wemby two-man game. 

Birdsong: I really don’t think there have been as many glaring matchup issues as I thought there would be. I think it’s important that Mitch start to go with the hot hand out of the three guards, whatever combo that might be, by the fourth quarter. But, outside of giving Bryant some minutes on Towns, just to see, I think the right lineups have been used, and I think the narrow margins testify to that. Otherwise, I think it really comes down to scheme. I really do not want to see much five-out being used. They just haven’t figured out how to use it consistently unless Wemby is white hot from outside, and it makes it harder for Wemby to get position. The defense has been playing great, but the problem is that the offense is getting stagnant. Personally, I’d like to see them pick-and-roll the Knicks at every available opportunity with Wemby and one of the star guards. Regardless, they need to put as much offensive pressure on Towns and Brunson as possible. But in the end, I don’t care what they scheme as long as it works consistently. 

Gomez: Part of me wants to overreact to the two losses and make sweeping changes, but the more I look at the roster, the more convinced I get that there are simply not many options in terms of personnel in the rotation. I know some people hope Harper starts over Fox, which I could be talked into, but it doesn’t seem like a massive shift, considering Harper plays a lot already. If Barnes had looked better, maybe starting him to add some size could make sense, but at this point, it feels he’s no longer the serviceable starter he once was. Ultimately, it feels like the Spurs just need to be smarter and they need one more player to contribute. My hope is that Keldon Johnson will be able to give them some good minutes of size and energy, mostly. In terms of Xs and Os, there are adjustments to be made, but I don’t see Mitch Johnson doing anything drastic. So I guess my adjustment would be to simply tell the team to play better.

A few Spurs have disappointed. Has there been anyone who has pleasantly surprised you with their play in the Finals?

Barrington: Harper has played very well, but I can’t say that I’m surprised by that, since my expectations for him were very high going into the series. I think I’d go with Vassell, who has elevated his game in the playoffs and always brings the intensity on both ends of the court, and has made some of the best defensive plays of the series for the Spurs. His excitement and love of the game show in how he plays, and there’s no way it doesn’t rub off on the other players.

Huan: I’d say Harper has stood out the most, although what he’s doing isn’t too surprising. He might honestly already be the Spurs’ second-best player, and they need to use him accordingly. I’ve been banging the drum on his minutes the entire run, and it’s still too low. He should be getting the Barnes/CB minutes and play over 35 a game. It’s not a coincidence that his +7 through two games leads the entire team. 

Birdsong: I hate to come off as a killjoy, but honestly, almost no one has surprised me positively. If they had, I think the Spurs would have at least one win. The one exception being Fox’s offensive performance in the last game. But that’s really just because he’s been injured since the Minnesota series, and playing through it, so kind of a low bar to begin with. Still, if he can play like that for the rest of the series, the Spurs really might have a chance. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the offense has been more stagnant since Fox’s injury. They need him to be at some semblance of his best to have a real shot at this. 

Gomez: Dylan Harper has been surprising me all season long, and not because I’ve failed to adjust my expectations. Every time he looks improved, I start looking for other things he should get better at, and he normally does. The shot hasn’t been falling from outside, but other than that, he’s been great. I can’t blame anyone for getting accustomed to a 20-year-old rookie looking like a star who is not afraid of the big stage, because Harper has done it all playoffs, but I’m still often in disbelief about how good he is.