The NBA Finals tipped off last night, with the road to crowning an eighth different franchise in eight seasons. The first round took place in Texas between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, a chance to make a statement right from the start. All eyes were on Victor Wembanyama - would he rise to the occasion?
In any case, the game started at a fast pace, with the Knicks quickly trying to pull away. Especially OG Anunoby, who found the mark right away. San Antonio, meanwhile, relied a bit too much on three-pointers and found themselves chasing the score.
New York had clearly prepared well, and the contribution from Karl-Anthony Towns was notable. Still, it only took a lapse in focus for the Spurs to catch up.
And especially thanks to Dylan Harper, who was aggressive as soon as he came on and quickly reached double digits. Suddenly, the Spurs machine was up and running - and without Wembanyama on the floor! Worse still for the Knicks, Jalen Brunson limped back to the locker room. After 12 minutes, New York had taken a hit (27-19).
The Knicks don't give up
The Knicks fought back by attacking the rim, making sure the gap did not get too big. The game became more open, with more quick shots and transition play. Brunson, just back from his knee issue, twisted his ankle but kept pushing on offence. As a result, he single-handedly brought the Knicks back into the game.
Julian Champagnie then made his mark from three-point range, and his 5-for-6 from deep helped build a halftime lead: 55-48, with Wembanyama shooting just 2-for-8, things were looking good for the Spurs.
And even more so when the lead grew to over 10 points after halftime. Towns was becoming a threat? Wembanyama attacked him relentlessly to rack up fouls. But as soon as the Knicks turned up the intensity, the gap shrank in a flash: the game was far from over, especially as the Spurs started to get complacent. And KAT played a major role in his team's comeback.
New York make their move
And with two minutes left in the third quarter, Brunson tied it up with yet another jumper. Even though Wembanyama wowed the crowd with a powerful dunk, his overall performance was disappointing, and with 12 minutes to go, the score was tied (76-76)—which felt about right. The question was, who would step up?
The first to take center stage was OG Anunoby, who quickly hit two huge threes, creating some momentum for his team. New York opened up a lead, and the Spurs started to falter, with turnovers and poor shot selection. That’s when Wembanyama finally began to make an impact on offense.
The game got tense, and nothing was falling: it was time for the leaders to step up. A big three-pointer from Brunson put the Knicks back in front, and they led by 4 with 70 seconds left. Then by 6 after a Wembanyama turnover and another jumper from the point guard. The game was slipping away from the Spurs, who had let their chance go by.
It ended 105-95, a big win for the Knicks, who already have home-court advantage. With 26 points and 12 rebounds, but a dreadful 6-for-21 shooting, Wembanyama's performance leaves much to be desired. He will need to bounce back on Saturday, or the Spurs' title hopes will take a serious hit.
