The Spurs have dug themselves quite a hole in the quest for their first NBA Championship since 2014.
A late comeback attempt was squandered by a late turnover, as the San Antonio Spurs fell to the New York Knicks 105-104 in Game Two of the NBA Finals on Friday night.
The Spurs would get started off on a hot foot, burying three deep balls in the first four minutes of the game to take the early advantage. Julian Champagnie, who hit two of the three shots from deep, scored all 8 of his points in the first five minutes of the opening quarter.
San Antonio kept the Knicks at arm's length for most of the frame, helped out by a Dylan Harper dunk that got the raucous crowd going.
The Spurs would continue building on their lead, growing it to as much as ten at one point, shooting 61-percent from the floor. The Knicks though made a late run, and the Spurs led 34-25 at the end of the opening period.
The second quarter started with the Spurs pushing their lead back to twelve. It would not be a Spurs game without some Alien activities, as Victor Wembanyama blocked a shot multiple rows deep into the crowd.
Wembanyama led the Spurs on the night with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.
But the Knicks would slowly chip away, whittling the Spurs lead down to two halfway through the quarter. Then a few short spurts later, they held their first lead of the game. The two then exchanged punches down the stretch, with the Knicks taking a four-point lead into halftime.
New York would storm out of the gate in the second half, kicking it off with an 8-2 run to push their lead to ten. The Spurs would work to cut the lead back to four, with some help from the Alien himself.
The Knicks though would once again slam the door to end the frame, going on a 9-3 run to take a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter.
San Antonio would not go easily in the fourth, whittling the Knicks lead back down five just a few minutes into the period. The lead would swell back to fourteen, but then the Spurs came to life. A 14-0 run tied the game up at 97, sending the Frost Bank Center into a frenzy.
That set up a final two minutes of pure NBA theatre.
The Knicks would eventually take a three-point advantage, but the Spurs would come back with a punch of their own, with Wembanyama delivering an and-one that gave his team the lead. New York responded with a bucket to tie the game at 104.
New York would miss a shot with twelve seconds remaining, which was rebounded by Wembanyama. But an errant pass and subsequent foul gave the Knicks free throws. Jalen Brunson would make one of two to give the Knicks a 105-104 lead. Wembanyama's game winning shot attempt went begging to seal the win for the Knicks.
Stephon Castle scored 14 points for the Spurs, while De'Aaron Fox added another 20 points. Harper chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds off the bench for San Antonio.
Some poor three-point shooting was once again an issue for the Spurs, as they managed to go 11-for-29 from three-point range. That was combined with shooting just 19-for-27 from the free throw line. Conversely, the Knicks went 15-for-38 from deep. New York also hurt the Spurs on the break, outscoring the San Antonio 19-11 in fast break points.
The Knicks dominated the boards as well, outrebounding the Spurs 55-52, including nabbing 10 offensive rebounds to just 5 for San Antonio. The Spurs turned the ball over 16 times on the night, which led to 16 Knicks points.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for the Knicks with 21 points and 13 rebounds, shooting a blistering 8-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from behind the arc. Miles Bridges added another 20 points, while Brunson dished out another 20 points and six assists.
The Knicks now lead the series 2-0, as it shifts back to New York. Game Three is set for Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
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