Knicks drop NBA Finals Game 3 to Spurs at MSG as postseason win streak ends at 13 games
It was a setting for a celebration, but the Knicks could never provide the fireworks to match the occasion.
There were lines wrapped around the streets and celebrities filling the seats. But none of that really mattered nearly as much as what the night represented to a fan base and a franchise that has waited 27 years for this, the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999 and the Knicks carrying a two games to none lead into the night.
But with a chance to put the Spurs on the ropes, the Knicks faltered, unable to connect on one key shot after another — 10 consecutive missed threes as they tried to mount a comeback. The Knicks went cold against a sturdy San Antonio defense and fell, 115-111, in Game 3 on Monday night, ending a 13-game winning streak that spanned all the way back to April 23.
The Knicks had plenty of flaws on this night, struggling with a stagnant offense and mental mistakes on defense. But Knicks coach Mike Brown, who rarely criticizes the officiating, came into the postgame media session still upset.
“I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free-throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight,” Brown said. “I don’t think I complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free-throw attempts. San Antonio is a great team . . . Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.”
Still, in this 45-day run since they lost a game, the Knicks have faced deficits and struggled with calls, but they have always managed to come back.
Jalen Brunson, who scored 12 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, finally ended the fourth-quarter drought, burying a three at the top of the circle with 33.7 seconds remaining to pull the Knicks within three. But in need of one defensive stand, the Knicks saw De’Aaron Fox drain a foul-line jumper for a five-point lead with 12.2 seconds left.
The Knicks provided one last gasp as OG Anunoby connected from the corner, his three-pointer closing the gap again to two with 9.4 seconds left.
But the Spurs’ young stars delivered with the pressure glaring on them. Stephon Castle converted a pair from the line with 6.8 seconds left to secure the victory.
The Knicks seemed to be fighting from behind all night, falling behind by 12 in the first quarter and after a huge second quarter gave them the lead, the third quarter gave the advantage back. And in the fourth quarter, it was the Spurs who came up with the baskets they needed.
Brunson led the Knicks and Anunoby had 28. Josh Hart added 16 — 13 in the first half. But Karl-Anthony Towns had just 11 points and Mikal Bridges was nearly invisible with just two points and 1-for-5 shooting.
“I liked some of the looks, but I also think we were pretty stagnant,” Brunson said. “There’s definitely things that we can learn from. Especially with our approach when we start the game and with the way we start the half, I don’t think we did well and I don’t think I did well, either.”
Victor Wembanyama had 32 points, shooting 11-for-18, and Castle added 23 points. Fox was just 4-for-14, but did deliver that huge basket.
“There was a lot of things that we didn’t do that we did in Game 1 and Game 2,” Brown said. “But to go 24 free-throw attempts in the second half, that’s 48 for the game if you think about the way they called that second half, compared to eight. All the shots we took, we got fouled four times, roughly, for eight free-throw attempts. Again, I don’t complain much. I never thought I’d see that in an NBA Finals game.”
Down seven, Brunson grabbed an offensive rebound of a Towns miss from three, immediately turning and banking it in, drawing a foul for a three-point play and bringing the Knicks within 104-100. But the Spurs scored four straight.
The Spurs, as they had in Game 2, seemed intent on roughing up Brunson. In the first quarter, Wembanyama shoved him hard in the back of the neck, a play that didn’t result in a foul call, prompting the usually placid Brunson to jump to his feet and get in Wembanyama’s chest, pointing his finger at him.
Then in the second quarter, Castle ran in for an offensive rebound and trucked Brunson, sending him crashing hard to the floor. The play was reviewed for a hostile act, but ruled a common foul.
With 8:10 remaining in the third and the Knicks clinging to a one-point lead, Brunson worked his way into the paint, drew a foul on Fox and, off-balance, tossed a shot up backward over his head, gently dropping it through the net for a three-point play. But it didn’t spark the comeback, the Knicks unable to muster one more night of magic.
“We’ve consistently talked to each other about everything being 0-0,” Brunson said. “Even now, it’s 0-0. And moving on, trying to stay focused, there are going to be a lot of distractions, positive and negative, but most importantly is how we compose ourselves as a team and make sure we have accountability as a team. We win or lose and go forward as a team.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
