The Game Turned Late
The Knicks had won 13 straight games. That streak is over now. The Spurs stole Game 3, 115-111, and just like that this series has some actual drama.
Victor Wembanyama was the reason. He finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks and a steal on 61% shooting. It was the first game all series where he clearly won his matchup against Karl-Anthony Towns, who managed just 11 points on 10 shots and hasn't scored a single fourth-quarter point in these finals.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Small Details Added Up
The game tightened at the wrong moments for New York. With 7:45 left and the Spurs up nine, Wembanyama drew a foul on a 3-pointer that looked like it could have been a four-point play. Officials reviewed and reversed it to an offensive foul — Keldon Johnson had pushed Mitchell Robinson into Wembanyama. The Knicks scored on the next possession and the lead shrank to five in a matter of seconds.
Then Wembanyama challenged a call himself, arguing Towns held his arm on a rebound. He won. Two free throws later the lead was back to seven. The Spurs kept finding ways to answer every Knicks push, and De'Aaron Fox hit the biggest shot of his life with 33 seconds remaining to seal it.
The Table Looks Different
New York still leads the series 2-1 and hosts Game 4 on Wednesday. But the Spurs just proved they can win when their star plays like a star and the Knicks get an ordinary night from theirs. That's what it takes to beat this team.