(Talk1370.com) -- The horns were honking in San Antonio for the first time during this NBA Finals series after Monday night.
The San Antonio Spurs took on the New York Knicks last night in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, trailing the best-of-seven series two games to none after losing both games in Military City USA.
This was the first Finals game that the Garden has hosted since the Knicks lost Game Five of the 1999 matchup that also featured these two teams. The Spurs won the game and the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in franchise history. The Knicks haven’t won a championship in fifty-three years.
The average ticket price for this year’s Game Three was $7,683, while a ticket to the ‘73 series would have cost no more than $16.
Victor Wembanyama propelled the Spurs to a 115-111 victory over the Knicks in a performance that prevented a 3-0 series hole. Wembanyama finished the night with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks. His offensive production was consistent throughout the contest, as he racked up 9 points in the first quarter, 6 in the second, 7 in the third, and 10 in the final frame.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson on Wemby in Game Three: “I don’t think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance.”
“I tell the guys, it’s a seven-game series for a reason,” Knicks Coach Mike Brown said. “They are a great team. They are well-coached. They have an iconic player. It’s not going to be easy.”
Game Three started off just like the first two Finals games with the Spurs taking an early double-digit lead after the first quarter. Following a 42-point explosion in the second quarter, the Knicks entered the half with a 64-57 lead. The Spurs, however, mounted a comeback with a 35-27 third-quarter surge. The two teams traded baskets down the stretch but the Spurs had just enough to escape Madison Square Garden with a win.
Spurs Guard Stephon Castle scored 23 points, including a clutch 3-pointer and the game-sealing free throws with 6.8 seconds left. De’Aaron Fox and Julian Campagnie both had 12 points in the win and Dylan Harper had 13.
This is only the second time in Finals history that each of the first three games were won by the road team. The other instance occurred 33 years ago when the Chicago Bulls won road games in Phoenix and lost to the Suns in Game Three at home.
By snapping the Knicks' 13-game winning streak—the second-longest stretch in NBA postseason history—the Spurs may have saved their season while dealing New York only its 12th home loss at Madison Square Garden all year. Before this defeat, the Knicks had not lost in 46 days; their last setback occurred on April 23 in a narrow one-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
New York’s dominant run included three straight wins to close out Atlanta, followed by consecutive sweeps of Philadelphia and Cleveland, and two initial victories against San Antonio. Of those 13 straight wins, eight were secured in front of their home crowd.
During Monday's second half, the Knicks faced a significant discrepancy in the amount of free throws each team had; they were outshot 24-8 and outscored 20-6. This imbalance was particularly evident in the third quarter, which saw a 14-3 free-throw margin. Following the game, Coach Mike Brown expressed his frustration during the media session; while he acknowledged the Spurs' strong play, he also voiced a formal protest regarding the officiating.
"I never thought I'd be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half, to the other team's eight," Coach Brown remarked. "And maybe we were fouling. But they fouled too".
Game Four will be Wednesday in New York with the series moving back to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio for Game Five on Saturday. All games are on ABC and tip off at 7:30 p.m. Central time.
