Spurs go into attack mode to top Knicks in Game 3

NEW YORK, USA – San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said his team went into attack mode in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Monday, June 8, as they beat the Knicks, 115-111, to trim New York’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

The game felt like a must-win for San Antonio, who dropped the first two at home and faced a hostile crowd in New York, where Knicks fans emptied out their wallets for tickets to their first home NBA Finals game in 27 years.

San Antonio rose to the occasion, with their 7-foot 4-inch superstar Victor Wembanyama leading the way with 32 points to end New York’s 13-game postseason win streak.

“We showed better poise at times. I thought we finished the game still with some things that need improvement, but stronger than we did the last [two] games,” Johnson told reporters. “We were in attack mode.”

After a costly error from Wembanyama helped New York to a 105-104 win in Game 2, the Frenchman earned snickers from some corners of social media after escaping the Midtown media circus with his sketchbook to draw statues in a local park.

But the artistic pursuit paid off as the 22-year-old kept his cool and guided his team back from the Knicks’ 42-point second quarter.

“[I] really tried to relax,” he told reporters. “It’s hard to put your head out of the water. Sometimes I don’t even got to watch the game back right away. I need some time off, let my brain cool down, recover. Recover as much for the body as for the mind.”

The Knicks host Game 4 on Wednesday, June 10.

‘Confidence has been the same’

Wembanyama produced 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks, while Stephon Castle added 23 points — 18 in the first half and 5 key points late in the fourth quarter — as the Spurs avoided falling into a 0-3 hole. 

No NBA team has ever overcome a three-games-to-none deficit in a best-of-seven series.

“I feel like we still haven’t really done anything,” Castle said. “Obviously we’re still down 2-1 and we’re looking forward to the next 48 minutes.

“Obviously it feels good to win, especially on the road after dropping two bad ones. But I think our confidence has been the same throughout this series regardless of what happens.”

Dylan Harper scored 13 points off the San Antonio bench while starters Julian Champagnie (12 points), De’Aaron Fox (12 points) and Devin Vassell (11 points) all got into double figures. Fox added 8 assists.

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting for the Knicks, whose 13-game winning streak — the second-longest postseason winning streak in NBA history — was snapped. The 2017 Golden State Warriors won their first 15 playoff games en route to the title.

“I tell the guys, it’s a seven-game series for a reason,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “They are a great team. They are well-coached. They have an iconic player. It’s not going to be easy.”

Trump booed

President Donald Trump, the first sitting US president to attend the NBA Finals, was booed by fellow New York Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden before Game 3 .

Shown on the jumbotron saluting the American flag during the national anthem, Trump received a chorus of boos but downplayed the reception after the game.

“It was certainly amazing. It was, I think, mostly cheers,” he told reporters ahead of boarding Air Force One bound for Washington after staying until the game ended. “It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”

The Athletic reported that Trump, 79, a native New Yorker, drew louder boos than the Spurs.

Invited to attend Game 3 by Knicks owner James Dolan, Trump sat in a suite near midcourt, halfway up the seating area, in a box constructed for his visit with bulletproof glass. The glass was one of several security measures taken with Trump in attendance.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Trump was welcome to the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999, when the Knicks lost to the Spurs, adding that the President is a “genuine Knicks fan.”

“What makes sports so special, especially when there’s so much that divides people, is that it’s something we have in common,” Silver told ESPN’s Inside the NBA before Game 3. “We should look for those things we have in common and build off that.”

According to ESPN, fans made rude gestures toward Trump upon his motorcade’s arrival at MSG, along with others holding signs that read “Trump must go.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also attended Game 3. He told the media he purchased his own standing-room-only ticket, spending nearly $1,000. – Rappler.com