SAN ANTONIO — More than five minutes into the third quarter of Wednesday’s NBA Finals Game 1, the New York Knicks’ 11-game winning streak appeared to be in serious trouble.
New York struggled badly to start the period, missing nine of their initial 10 attempts from the field. The San Antonio Spurs had built a commanding 14-point advantage and the Knicks looked lost.
But then an unexpected turn occurred. The Knicks discovered fresh momentum from a surprising place: San Antonio’s own mistakes.
New York fought back to even the contest by the period’s end, briefly lost their advantage in the final quarter’s closing moments, then surged ahead for good to claim a 105-95 victory.
San Antonio converted just four of 12 field goal attempts and turned the ball over twice during the third quarter’s final 5:57.
The Spurs regrouped in the fourth period, using a 9-0 scoring burst to take a 95-94 edge following Victor Wembanyama’s pair of free throws with 2:16 left on the clock.
New York controlled everything that followed, receiving significant assistance from San Antonio’s miscues. The Spurs squandered their opportunities in the closing stretch. Wembanyama turned the ball over out of bounds during a careless drive to the basket. Both he and De’Aaron Fox misfired on shot attempts, while Fox also committed another turnover.
“There were a few times it felt like we didn’t have an appropriate offensive possession in terms of trying to be greedy for our best shot, using spacing and passing, because that’s how we play,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
San Antonio appeared exhausted during the final five minutes while New York was the squad making crucial plays. Could this difference be attributed to the Spurs being only two days removed from completing a demanding seven-game series victory over defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, while the Knicks enjoyed eight days of rest following their sweep of Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals?
Johnson and his players declined to blame tiredness for their performance.
“I’m sure guys got tired at times, but I didn’t feel like anyone’s performance was based on fatigue,” Johnson said. “We just need to be sharper and execute better and continue to work the game and not fight it at times and play the right way.”
Spurs reserve guard Dylan Harper, who contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, described the contest as being “like a track meet.”
Harper added, “I think the energy was high — like everyone was just getting up and down. I feel like both teams were fatigued.”
Jalen Brunson, who led the Knicks’ effort with 30 points, was eager to dismiss any suggestion that the Spurs faltered in the fourth quarter.
“(The win) was a mixture of us playing good defense and us obviously getting a little lucky,” Brunson said. “But San Antonio comes ready to play more than any other team that we’ve faced, and we have the utmost respect for them. We know we have to be ready for Game 2. We just found a way to make plays within the game tonight.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown praised his team for adjusting throughout the contest and maintaining their intensity.
“These guys are resilient, man,” Brown said. “They get better as the game goes along. They really try to pay attention to the details that we are throwing at them. They try to bring energy and multiple efforts, and that’s what we needed tonight.”
The Spurs have limited time to address the issues that plagued them in crunch time before Game 2 on Friday, but their star player remains confident.
“Obviously, we’ve been down in a series before,” said Wembanyama, referencing San Antonio’s Game 1 loss in the Western Conference semifinals against Minnesota Timberwolves. “But I’m not kicking myself about anything really. I’m not worried (in) the slightest.
“When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot. This is why I’m not worried. We’re going to be so much better. I’m going to be so much better.”
