(Talk1370.com) -- The San Antonio Spurs are hoping to have flipped the script, along with the series momentum from the New York Knicks with a Game 3 win at Madison Square Garden Monday night. The Knicks were the favored team and had a star-studded crowd on hand for the first NBA Finals game played on New York’s home court since 1999.
The Spurs rallied in Game 3 to upset the New York Knicks ending the Knicks’ 13-game playoff winning streak. San Antonio is still down two games to one after losing the first two games at home, but they can even the series tonight before it moves back to Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio’s win was powered by Victor Wembanyama who had 32 points, and a strong 23-point performance from Stephon Castle. After the Game 3 win the Spurs appear to have found their stride. Despite a 32-point effort from Jalen Brunson leading New York, the Spurs won the first and third frames.
Wembanyama dictated the pace for San Antonio, consistently slipping behind the Knicks' defense in pick-and-roll situations and finishing lobs. His play in the paint resulted in 14 points establishing a tone that propelled the Spurs to victory.
Conversely, New York's usual high-scoring offense was hindered by Karl-Anthony Towns' and Mikal Bridges' lack of productivity. After being central to the Knicks' previous wins, Towns retreated in Game 3, managing only 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting and recording just a single assist. Bridges' impact was even more muted; hampered by early foul trouble, he finished with two points on 1-for-5 shooting.
OG Anunoby provided a significant bright spot for New York, delivering an elite two-way performance. He tallied 28 points on efficient 9-for-13 shooting, alongside five rebounds and two blocks. His scoring on Monday included difficult three-pointers, a dunk over Wembanyama, and an impressive spin move past Stephon Castle for a finish.
Anunoby’s standout Game 3 is part of an exceptional postseason run. Through 15 playoff appearances, he is averaging 19.9 points on 57.4 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
The Knicks also lost the turnover battle by a pretty wide margin (13 to eight) in Game 3, and that ended up mattering even more in a two-possession game.
The game wasn’t without its controversy, as players and coaching staff have since commented on the physical nature of the game play and the officiating. During the first quarter of Monday's contest, Victor Wembanyama delivered a significant two-handed shove to Jalen Brunson while Brunson attempted to set a screen. Although he didn't hit the floor completely, Brunson had to use his hands to steady himself, a moment that drew a sharp reaction from the New York crowd. Brunson quickly confronted Wembanyama before returning to the flow of the game.
In an appearance on ESPN this past Tuesday, the NBA's head of officiating, Monty McCutchen, admitted that the referees missed a foul during that sequence. The league conducted a review of the play but decided against retroactively issuing a flagrant foul on Tuesday evening. A retroactive flagrant would have been Wemby's second significant disciplinary issue of the playoffs. Earlier this postseason, he received the first ejection of his career for elbowing Naz Reid in the chin during a series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"Whatever you saw is what you saw," Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson said of the incident after the Game 3 loss.
“I think that’s not basketball,” said Jose Alvarado. The New York Knicks Guard added “That’s something that they gotta look at. But he got away with one. That’ll be the last one.”
Additionally Spurs Guard Stephon Castle added some locker room fodder for the Knicks on Tuesday when he said. "I expect us to win the next three,". Castle also told ESPN's Malika Andrew on NBA Today. “(We are) just taking it game by game, quarter by quarter and trying to walk this thing down. Like I said, those first two games really hurt and I feel like it was an eye opener for us. We don't want it to be that way, we want to punch first and be on the front foot. But that's the reality of it now. Just trying to take it game by game. We definitely expect to come into tomorrow and come out of here with a win."
It’s been a long time since the Knicks had to respond from a loss, but they’ll have the benefit of being at home tonight for Game 4. New York was 30-10 at home in the regular season and has only lost two home games so far in the postseason.
Tip-off at MSG for Game 4 is scheduled for shortly after 7:30 PM on ABC.
Game 5: Saturday, June 13, in San Antonio
*Game 6: Tuesday, June 16, in New York
*Game 7: Friday, June 19, in San Antonio
*if necessary
