The Pressure Shows Up Early
The New York Knicks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals after escaping a tight Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs, winning 105-104 on Thursday night in Texas.
New York overcame a 14-point deficit in the series opener, prevailing 105-95. Game 2 saw the Knicks nearly surrender a 14-point advantage before holding on as the Spurs misfired on their final possession.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Knicks have won 13 consecutive games dating to their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. They swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach the championship round.
The Detail That Tilts It
San Antonio needed seven games to eliminate the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder were the league's title favorites throughout the regular season.
Game 3 shifts to Madison Square Garden on Monday, marking the first Finals contest in New York in 9,845 days. The Knicks last hosted a championship game in 1999, the last time these franchises met in the Finals.
FanDuel lists the Knicks as -490 favorites following Game 2, while the Spurs are +380. New York visits San Antonio for a potential Game 7 on June 19 if necessary.