NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama delivered a stellar performance with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks Monday evening, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a crucial 115-111 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The win reduces New York’s advantage in the best-of-seven championship series to 2-1. The teams will meet again Wednesday evening in New York for Game 4.
Monday’s loss ended the Knicks’ remarkable 13-game winning streak, which stands as the second-longest postseason run in league history. The 2017 Golden State Warriors hold the record with 15 consecutive playoff victories during their championship campaign.
New York’s last defeat came on April 23 in a 109-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks during Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup.
Stephon Castle provided valuable support for San Antonio with 23 points, including 18 in the opening half and five crucial points during the final quarter.
Dylan Harper added 13 points coming off the bench for the Spurs, while starting players Julian Champagnie (12 points), De’Aaron Fox (12 points) and Devin Vassell (11 points) each reached double digits. Fox also dished out eight assists.
For New York, Jalen Brunson led the scoring with 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting. OG Anunoby contributed 28 points while connecting on 9 of 13 field goal attempts, and Josh Hart added 16 points. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 11 points, while bench player Jordan Clarkson chipped in 10 points.
Hart led New York with nine rebounds as the Knicks outrebounded San Antonio 46-37.
Both teams struggled offensively in the final quarter, combining to shoot just 27.1% (13-for-48). San Antonio maintained a multi-possession advantage for over 10 minutes, but consecutive three-pointers from Brunson and Anunoby in the final 34 seconds brought New York within 113-111 with 9.4 seconds remaining.
The Knicks had missed all 10 of their three-point attempts in the fourth quarter before those two successful shots.
After a timeout, Castle converted two free throws with 6.8 seconds on the clock. Mikal Bridges and Anunoby both missed three-point attempts as time expired.
San Antonio secured the victory despite making only 1 of 9 three-point shots in the fourth quarter. Castle’s three-pointer with 1:53 remaining was the Spurs’ lone successful shot from beyond the arc in the period, extending their lead to seven points.
Wembanyama opened the game with two dunks for the first four points as San Antonio jumped to a 7-0 start. The Spurs built their lead to as many as 12 points before closing the first quarter ahead 33-22.
Castle’s two free throws extended San Antonio’s lead to 38-27 early in the second quarter, but New York responded with a dominant 37-19 run to close the half. Brunson scored 10 points during that stretch, including a three-pointer as part of an 8-0 run in the final 1:15 that gave the Knicks a 64-57 halftime advantage.
Champagnie opened the third quarter with six straight points to ignite a strong period for San Antonio, as the Spurs outscored New York 35-27 to take a 92-91 lead entering the fourth quarter.
