The Knicks were able to withstand a late surge by the Spurs to take Game 2 105-104.
The Spurs trailed 97-83 with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter following an emphatic dunk by Knicks forward OG Anunoby over V-Dub. The Spurs then used a 14-0 run over the next three minutes to knot the game at 107, Wembanyama’s three-point play with 57 seconds left put the Spurs up 104-102, their first lead in nearly two full quarters.
V-Dub had an opportunity to win the game down one with 7.5 seconds remaining but his 20-footer hit the back rim as time expired.
“We showed tremendous desperation, urgency and competitive response,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Hopefully we can try to bottle that up … and try to play to that same level.”
Second-Longest Streak
The Knicks have now won 13 straight playoff games; including eight consecutive road wins, the second-longest streak by any team in NBA playoff history. They haven’t lost since April 23rd.
Karl-Anthony Towns is having a Finals MVP caliber series through two games. The Knick big man has outplayed V-Dub thus far and had 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the visiting Knicks.
“New York City showed up,” Towns said. “The fans showed up. The energy showed up. And we found a way to get it done.”
Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 for the Orange and Blue. Brunson, the Knicks hero in game 1, struggled from the field going 7-for-25 from the field and 2-for-8 from distance. He also had a team high six turnovers.
Slow Start For Wemby
It was another slow start for V-Dub. He had just four shot attempts and seven points in the first half. He finished the game with 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. More importantly he had four turnovers including a crucial one with 9.5 seconds remaining and the game tied at 104.
De’Aaron Fox shook off his postseason struggles and finished with 20 points on 8-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Rookie Dylan Harper added 15 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench for the Silver and Black, while Devin Vassell chipped in 14 points, nine rebounds, and five assists
Nonexistent Bench
The depth of the Spurs was supposed to be one of the team’s biggest strengths coming into the postseason. With the exception of Harper however, that same bench has been virtually nonexistent dating back to the Portland Series. They were outscored again 27-19 by the Knick reserves. Keldon Johnson, this year’s 6th Man of the Year, had just three points in 16 minutes. He has a total of six points in the series.
The series now shifts to the Big Apple for games 3 & 4 where the Knicks will be looking to close out the Spurs on their home court.
