NEW YORK moved one step closer to their first NBA championship in five decades Friday night, defeating San Antonio 105-104 in a thrilling Game 2 that came down to the final seconds in San Antonio.
With 9.5 seconds on the clock, Jalen Brunson intercepted an errant pass and sank the decisive free throw that put the Knicks ahead for good. Victor Wembanyama’s 20-foot attempt fell short as time ran out, giving New York a commanding 2-0 series advantage in the best-of-seven championship round.
The victory marked the Knicks’ 13th consecutive postseason win, surpassing the 1999 Spurs for the second-longest playoff streak in league history. New York also extended their road winning streak to eight straight games.
Brunson finished with 20 points and recorded his fifth theft of the game when Wembanyama’s pass deflected off teammate Stephon Castle near midcourt. Though Brunson made just one of two free throws after being fouled, it proved enough for the one-point triumph.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges also contributed 20 points. OG Anunoby chipped in 17 points and Landry Shamet added 13 for New York, which nearly let a 14-point fourth-quarter lead slip away.
For San Antonio, Wembanyama posted a game-high 29 points along with nine rebounds and four blocks. De’Aaron Fox contributed 20 points, while Dylan Harper provided 15 points off the bench. Castle and Devin Vassell each scored 14 points in the losing effort.
The series now shifts to New York for Game 3 on Monday, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday at the same venue.
San Antonio appeared poised for a dramatic comeback after Wembanyama’s three-point play with 57.3 seconds left gave the Spurs their first second-half lead at 104-102. Brunson quickly responded with a jump shot to level the score at 39.3 seconds, setting up the dramatic finish.
New York connected on 41.6% of their field goal attempts and made 15 of 38 three-point shots for 39.5%. San Antonio shot slightly better at 47.4% overall and went 11 of 29 from long distance for 37.9%.
The Spurs mounted a furious rally after falling behind by 14 points midway through the final quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points to tie the game at 97. Fox scored five consecutive points during that surge, and Vassell connected on a straight-on three-pointer to cut the deficit to two. Harper’s short jumper with 2:59 remaining completed the comeback and knotted the score.
The Knicks entered the fourth quarter with an 84-75 lead that quickly grew to 12 points after Shamet’s three-pointer. San Antonio responded with seven straight points to close within 87-82, but Shamet’s second three-pointer sparked a 10-1 New York run.
Brunson added a driving score, Miles “Deuce” McBride hit an open three-pointer, and Anunoby dunked over Wembanyama’s defense to push the Knicks’ advantage to 97-83 with 6:04 remaining.
Towns dominated the first half with 17 points and seven rebounds as New York took a 56-52 halftime lead. Fox paced San Antonio with 12 first-half points. After the Spurs built an early 12-point advantage, the Knicks claimed their first lead on Shamet’s basket for a 49-48 edge with 3:39 left in the second quarter.
