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Knicks Postseason 2026, NBA Finals vs. San Antonio Spurs [in progress]


Part of me is in disbelief that we are here...the other part is raging and ready to go.

Four more wins! Let's. GO!

So much of this NBA Finals feels poetic, historical, and dream-worthy, for so many reasons, to so many different parties. This includes the NBA office. I'm sure they are loving this matchup for their biggest stage. 

While defeating the Spurs does exercise some demons from 1999, I'm not sure I care about that at all. As noted from my thoughts in the Eastern Conference Finals, at this point, just win.

Review Thoughts from Round 1
Review Thoughts from Round 2
Review Thoughts from Eastern Conference Finals

Just. Win. 

I don't care who the opponent is. The narrative that comes with it, or how we do it. 

Just. Win.

The NBA Cup win seems like whiteboard material for them, yet a serving example for us to match up with them. Again, it doesn't matter. Both teams are completely different beasts since November, through growth and experience. 

This all comes down to how we adjust our offense to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Victor Wembanyama, and how the depth of the team can make it difficult on a young Spurs team. 

And of course, there is Jalen Brunson against the Spurs (as a Knick):

And of course a memorable, but heartbreaking night...

But again, none of this matters.

Just. Win. 

  • My Key Matchup: Stephon Castle vs. Jalen Brunson
    • The obvious answer feels like, "Anyone vs. Victor Wembanyama."
    • I fully expect Josh Hart and/or OG Anunoby to get the call in defending Wemby in the NBA Finals with a sprinkle of Mitch Robinson...pinky finger pending. I don't expect the match-up to be viewed as a win/loss prospect, but rather how you can make him work on defense in actions and movement, all while possibly keeping him away from the paint. I know....bruh, it's the gameplan for everyone!!!
    • However, we just saw Stephon Castle come off a series in defending the 2x League MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A series in which SGA wasn't entirely himself. He now carries that experience and confidence into a matchup with stopping JB11. The Knicks have wings and bigs that present a problem for the Spurs. If JB gets going....oh boy. If he doesnt, the Spurs have a chance to crush the head of the dragon. 
  • My Key Stats: 123.0 - Knicks Offensive Ratings versus San Antonio Spurs this year. 
    • The Spurs allowed the most points per possession to the Knicks than to any other opponent this season. This is a Spurs team that was 3rd in the NBA in defensive rating (111.3 rtg). 
    • However, in the Playoffs, the Knicks have - somehow?! - increased their offensive efficiency to that of 124.5 in the NBA Playoffs. We know the historical run. Can the Spurs solve the defensive mismatches on an evolved Knicks offense from the one they saw (and struggle with) in the regular season?
  • My Key Player: Jalen Brunson
    • The hoops nerd in me wants to say OG Anunoby, as he will be a huge x-factor in all of the X's and O's presented by both teams throughout these finals. 
    • We can give a nod here to Josh Hart as well if they go the 76ers route of having Wemby defend him.
    • HOWEVER, I find it too difficult to bet against the Captain.
    • If we're winning the 2026 NBA Championship...you best believe Jalen Brunson is going to be a huge part of that reason. 
The next two weeks are going to be stressful. 

Just win. Just. Win. 

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It's the day before Game 1, and the Knicks' social media team just dropped this gem:

Where is the wall so I can run through it? 

#LGK

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Game 1

Knicks d. Spurs, 105-95
(Knicks lead series, 1-0)

Man, my heart can't take much of this. Wheeeeeeeewww! Big exhale...

This one was a back-and-forth, and clearly a foreshadow for a knockdown-dragout of a series to come. There is a lot to dive into, and a lot can be said about how we played tonight - which wasn't our best - but the headline is Jalen Brunson. 

Much like the rest of the team, it wasn't a great shooting night (12-31 FG, 2-9 3PT), but as always, when the clock hits 5:00 in the 4th quarter - official clutch time in the NBA - there is no one better. 

Seriously, that's backed up by facts. 

Brunson finished with 30 Points. 

He scared us all in the first half - here, man, take my knees, take my ankles, take whatever you need!

Also, he had one of the most insane shots down the stretch. I can't stop watching this shot...

Just more of what has become classic Brunson stuff. 

And oh yeah...that's twelve wins in a row.

Other Thoughts:

  • Victor Wembanyama is indescribable. He literally covers an entire half-court. So many buckets we've been getting easily on this playoff run were becoming low-percentage shots. 
  • I gave Brunson the lead because he is. But Josh freakin Hart, man!!! A +22 in +/-. with 15 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. He didn't have a great offensive night with 3 points, but his fingerprints were all over this one. 
  • By the way, he's the guy I always reference as a teachable moment to my son. He's shown a love for hoops. After any game where he doesn't shoot well...Hart is my reminder that scoring isn't the only way to impact a game. Another great example tonight for young hoopers. 
  • Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are obviously talented, but insanely courageous. So much guts. 
  • The team box score is absolutely wild to review tonight - we won the battle of FG% (41.5% to 36%), 3PT% (30.6% to 25.6%), Assists (20-16), and Points in the Paint (!!!) (50-42). It honestly didn't feel like it. 
  • What was felt was that early - and VERY slanted - whistle from the referees. 
  • Spurs guards are relentless on the boards - Knicks are going to have to clean that up in Game 2. 
  • Speaking of things to clean up...some simple offensive actions felt broken tonight. Wemby can do that.
  • Karl-Anthony Towns looks like he's taking this assignment with Wemby personally. How can he not be on the biggest stage in hoops? 
  • KAT was remarkable tonight...again. 
  • As the primary defender for Wemby, KAT held him to 2-for-12 shooting... hold onto that monster, Big Bodega! 
  • I was triggered with trauma dating back to that New Year's Eve game when Julian Champagnie started dropping threes again. Thankfully, he cooled down, and we stepped up in the second half by getting some closeouts, or at least, a hand in his face. 
  • Most likely overlooked from this game - those Jose Alvarado minutes! He's going to be so effective in this series. 
  • Landry Shamet was vital in his defense and movement without the ball. Highly effective in some of those dribble handoffs and backdoor actions to move Wemby around and out of the center of the Spurs defense. Good minutes, tonight. 
  • One last note - and I really don't like addressing some of the ridiculous narratives out there, but I have to drop this nonsense...

Like, come on. We're just saying anything these days...

Whatever.

3 more wins...3 more wins. 

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Game 2

Knicks d. Spurs, 105-104
(Knicks lead series, 2-0)

"We always find a way" is how Jalen Brunson describes this current Knicks squad. Game 2 was likely the very best example of that moniker. More than Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals and that huge 4th Quarter comeback. More so than the variety of ways we've won. 

After surrendering a 14-point lead with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter on the road, it's easy to let go of the rope. Especially, in falling back on that old series trope - in settling for the split. Goal accomplished, right?

Not this team. 

An incredible gutsy win, marked by timely stops and some key buckets with contributions up and down the box score. Remarkable stuff. 

And you know what? There's a bit of magic as well. 

Every Knicks fan dealt with some trauma in the moments that slowed when Wembanyama rolled, gathered, and took that shot from the elbow. We've seen it happen so often against us, because it always did. 

Not tonight. 

It's a little different. They always find a way. 

Other Thoughts: 
  • Staying on the final shot, saying it again, that definitely had the feel of a replayed heartbreak we've become accustomed to, right?
  • But also, I was genuinely surprised that the play was for Wemby to settle for a jump shot.
  • Still not a bad draw up with a simple pick and pop, but the obvious criticism has to be applied here - how can you not have Wemby moving downhill toward the hoop? With 7.5 seconds and down one? Maybe even give yourself a chance for an offensive rebound?
  • Shout out to big Mitch on the defense - he showed, rolled, and stayed with Wemby, and got a hand in his face. 

  • The pass from Wembanyama to Stephon Castle was...well, something. Were they expecting the big guy to bring the ball up? 
  •  The Knicks' bench tonight, led by Landry Shamet and the occasional minutes by Mitch Robinson, was phenomenal. 
  • Mikal Bridges was big time. 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 STL for a +7. 
  • Most importantly, Bridges had some timely buckets that aren't represented on a box score. 
  • KAT played one of the most complete games I've seen from him since putting on a Knicks uniform. It's a shame the foul trouble pulled his rhythm (and dominance). Through three quarters, the Spurs really didn't have an answer for him. 
  • It wasn't from a perspective of scoring, or a dominant stat line - the game for three quarters felt dictated by him, effortlessly, without forcing it. He did what the game gave him, and did it well. 
  • We lost the points in the paint battle (38-48), but the (continued) game plan of touching the paint, moving the ball, and getting Wembanyama to shift and move as much as possible was very much on display. In a much crisper way than Game 1 as well. 
  • We do a lot of maximizing low points as fans in order to provide hope skewed analysis for future outcomes. But seriously, if I were told Jalen Brunson would go 12-for-31 in Game 1 and 7-for-25 in Game 2 (19-for-56 for the series), I would definitely think the Knicks either split or lost both games in San Antonio.  
  • Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Dylan Harper really have made life miserable for Brunson. All the heroics included. It feels like the Hawks series again, when they threw plenty of length and defensive aggressors at Brunson in blitzes and trap coverages. 
  • After all of that, my captain still managed to drop another beauty in clutch time:

  • I'm certainly not hoping for his best, but it really is alarming that the newly named Six-Man of the Year recipient, Keldon Johnson, played 8 minutes in Game 1 for +1, and 16 minutes in Game 2 for a -5. Johnson has a combined 6 points for the series thus far. 
  • Landry Shamet is my modern-day Hubert Davis. #IYKYK
  • Shamet is probably better...
  • I am genuinely interested to see how the Spurs respond in Game 3. They gave the Knicks a good punch-back in this one, and still dropped it. 
  • Game 3 is a must-win for them...for obvious reasons. That's a lot being asked of a young team. 
  • Monday is likely the biggest game in Madison Square Garden since, maybe Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals? I can't think of a bigger game and a more anticipated atmosphere since that game in 1994...
  • And yes, that's 13 straight wins. 
  • One final quick thought - I absolutely loved this segment with Karl-Anthony Towns opening up about losing his mom with Scott Van Pelt. His response was beautiful, heartfelt, and for me, coming off the high of that win as a fan, it humanized KAT in a way that makes you root for him even more. 
The Garden on Monday is going to be insane...and then some.

That closing moment, tonight, of Wemby's shot not falling, has humbled me a bit in the euphoria of this run. That shot did not fall. It usually does. All of us Knicks fans have the trauma, the stories, and the groans.

The last 43 days have been unreal...

#LGK

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Game 3

Spurs d. Knicks, 115-111
(Knicks lead series, 2-1)

So, that's what losses feel like, huh? 

It's been a while. And it's as bad as I remember it. 

There are a lot of ways to go with this Game 3, but in the end, it just felt like the Spurs had that extra mmmffff throughout the game. Even when the Knicks grabbed the lead for moments, or in that big run at the end of the second quarter to close the first half, it never really remained. 

Sure, part of that had to do with some other things, mainly the Knicks looking a bit careless and without rhythm, and yes, some interesting whistles (or non-whistles) throughout the game. 
But forget the zebras, the Knicks gave the ball away a lot. And they all fouled a ton. Wemby was Wemby. And the Spurs guards made it hurt. That simply felt like Game 3 in a nutshell. 

This was a must-win for the Spurs, and Wembanyama and Castle led the way. This was as Wemby of a game as they come...just outright dominated the game, and controlled it with his presence.

And even after that, like the first two games, it was a close one with under sixty seconds to go. 

This continues to be some series...

Other Thoughts:
  • It is as clear as day and night, the number of easy opportunities the Knicks have when Wembanyama goes to the bench. 
  • I thought the game plan to jump-start Wemby was brilliant in the early goings by the Spurs - simple lobs and easy touches around the rim. 
  • I admit, I wished ill will on the big string bean when he assaulted my captain in the first quarter. 
  • Okay, maybe that's strong, but seriously, how was that not called?! 
  • Stephon Castle is an absolute beast on defense. While he's been making it hurt on the offensive side of the ball, I don't think he's getting enough credit for the shooting percentage we've seen from Jalen Brunson in this series. JB has had to work for everything. 
  • Speaking of, while he finished with 32, Brunson looked like he needed a reset in that second quarter. Those Alvarado minutes seemed to have gotten the team going and allowed Anunoby to get hot. 
  • Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges had rough games. Foul trouble. Poor usage. Off shooting. 
  • Landry Shamet had a worse night. 
  • So did Duece. Yikes.
  • Is Anunoby the only person who seems to have a formula to get dunks on Wemby? 
  • Speaking of, Alvardo almost seems to take the challenge of Wemby personally. Pshhhh, classic Brooklyn, kid. 
  • Speaking of, Julian Champagnie, in the Garden, in the Finals. Another Brooklyn dude. 
  • Keldon Johnson gave the Spurs (finally) a big lift in this one. Nothing of note that will jump out of the box score for the traditional stats (7pts on 3-5 FG), but he led the game in +/- (which is wild) with a +14. Most importantly, he had some timely plays in this one. 
  • Points off turnovers were everything in this one, with the Spurs winning that battle, 21-7. 
  • Believe it or not, the Knicks won the battle in the paint, 46-44. 
  • Did San Antonio have 6 players on the court and NOT get called for a tech?! I STILL have no idea what happened there! 
  • Finally, this was statistically our biggest loss of the playoffs. 4 points. Look it up, it was. 
The vibes were too strong, I guess? 13 straight was amazing. 

Let's reset. Clean up the turovers. Shoot the rock better. Limit the fouls. Again, we only lost by four points. Come back for Game 4. 

#LGK

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Game 4

Knicks d. Spurs, 107-106
(Knicks lead series, 3-1)

Unreal. 

I've already crowned this Knicks team as my favorite (and likely the greatest) in my lifetime. 

Then they go ahead and pull this off...

That block! And then that tip-in by OG Anunoby will live forever. It's now surpassed LJ's 4-Point play for me. And I love that four-point play. 

GREATEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY.
So many emotions tonight. I won't even try to capture it in words because my thoughts and emotions are all over the place. A collective thought is fleeting. I'll try with some quick thoughts. 

Just an unreal night. Unbelievable in so many ways. 

This team. 

One more. 

Other Thoughts: 
  • OG Aununoby. That dude is the lead thought, and likely the first thought after this one. 33 points (7-9 3PT). 
  • Jalen Brunson continues to be clutch down the stretch. 36 points on 12-25 shooting - yet, still felt like he had a better process, substantial usage, and overall, just felt more like himself down the stretch. 
  • OG's shot will reign forever, but that three over Wembanyama was special. 
  • So much of that had to do with Mike Brown's move to the back court of Alavardo WITH Brunson. The additional ball handler really unlocked some offense down the stretch. 
  • Did the Knicks really just come back from 29 points...in the NBA FINALS?!
  • I was so ready to build a whole thought around that opening offensive foul on KAT that placed him on the bench 90 seconds into the game. For the first half, it really felt like the catalyst for everything. 
  • The Spurs couldn't miss in the first half. Like, at all. Besides the large deficit, hanging 76 on us in the first half was more embarrassing. 
  • Then they went on to score 30 in the second half - more wackiness from this game. 
  • Dylan Harper is going to be some player once he puts it together. That dude is a hooper. 
  • Wemby did his thing, 24 points and 13 rebounds, and so many other things that won't show up in the box score. 
  • That shot where he guided the ball while being pulled away was as Wemby-alien-stuff as we've become used to from him...yet, still trying to believe it. 
  • Julian Champagnie is my (Brooklyn) dude, but it's very good news for the Knicks when he shoots 2-9 and 1-7 from three.
  • Then again, as well as the Spurs shot the three in the first half, it was baffling to see them continue to hoist them in the second with the lead. Especially, as the lead began to get cut...
  • Josh Hart's missed layup triggered trauma from Pat's finger roll. Just Knicks fandom, man...The 
  • The Knicks lost the rebound battle, which has been key all year. But who cares?!
  • Greatest comeback in NBA Finals History! 
  • Coach Brown deserves a lot of credit for this one. He navigated a derailed game plan with KAT, used a bunch of dudes (Hukporti and Sochan minutes!) to get through it, and went with a backcourt never used all year... tons of respect. 
  • I honestly don't believe this team has played a good game in this series. No disrespect to the Spurs. 
  • Can we start Game 5 with a solid first quarter?
  • How do the Spurs respond to this?! Like, seriously, I witnessed the 76ers and Cavs break from such crushing comebacks. We - us Knicks fans - watched Haliburton's shot bounce up and then through the hoop, thus affecting the rest of the series. The Spurs are very resilient, have been all year, but mannnnnnnnn, whewwwwww! 29 points.
  • I waited until the end, but it's obvious from this one - WHAT WAS D'AARON FOX THINKING TRYING TO SCORE?!
  • Talk about exercising Knicks fandom trauma - we diehards remember Bargnani, right? 
  • Again, OG's block was just as special.
Yo.

The New York Knicks are one win from the NBA Championship. 

All the emotions tonight, and all the emotions until Saturday.

Again, unreal. So unreal. 

One. More.

#LGK
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