{"id":80854,"date":"2026-06-12T18:51:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T22:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/spurs-face-historic-comeback-challenge-down-3-1-to-knicks-in-nba-finals\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T18:51:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T22:51:44","slug":"spurs-face-historic-comeback-challenge-down-3-1-to-knicks-in-nba-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/spurs-face-historic-comeback-challenge-down-3-1-to-knicks-in-nba-finals\/","title":{"rendered":"Spurs Face Historic Comeback Challenge, Down 3-1 to Knicks in NBA Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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SAN ANTONIO (AP) \u2014 Standing at the center of the NBA Finals stage, Victor Wembanyama finds himself confronting the most daunting challenge of his professional basketball journey.<\/p>

The towering French center appears unfazed by the pressure.<\/p>

Following their historic collapse in Game 4 \u2014 where San Antonio became the first NBA Finals squad ever to surrender a 29-point advantage and lose \u2014 Wembanyama and his teammates must capture three consecutive victories to prevent the New York Knicks from claiming the championship trophy. During Friday’s practice session, the 7-foot-4 star expressed unwavering confidence in his team’s capabilities.<\/p>

“Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we’re going to do it,” Wembanyama said.<\/p>

The young phenom showed no signs of anxiety. This French sensation has already guided San Antonio through two elimination scenarios during this postseason run, helping the Spurs capture both Games 6 and 7 in their Western Conference finals matchup against Oklahoma City, ultimately dethroning the defending champion Thunder.<\/p>

Saturday’s Game 5 against New York presents another must-win situation for the Spurs. Should they prevail on Saturday, Tuesday’s Game 6 becomes equally crucial. Victory in that contest would force a decisive Game 7 next Friday.<\/p>

“I feel like we need to isolate that one game and take it one game at a time,” Wembanyama said. “I think it would be a mistake to waste our energy on multiple games. It’s one game at a time.”<\/p>

San Antonio’s Finals performance has been marked by strong starts followed by disappointing finishes. They held a 14-point advantage in Game 1 before falling by 10 points. Game 2 saw them squander a 12-point lead, ultimately losing by a single point. Their lone victory came in Game 3 by four points, before Thursday’s devastating 29-point meltdown resulted in another one-point defeat.<\/p>

The evidence suggests San Antonio possesses the ability to compete with New York.<\/p>

However, they’ve failed to close out victories in three of four contests. Their current mission would make them only the second NBA Finals team ever to overcome a 3-1 series disadvantage; Cleveland accomplished this feat against Golden State in 2016. The previous 37 teams attempting such a comeback all came up short.<\/p>

“It definitely matters,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I feel like we’ve made history all year, and we’ve proven that with our backs against the wall that we can step up. So, I don’t really expect this to be any different.”<\/p>

Wembanyama shares that sentiment.<\/p>

The Spurs recognize their talent level matches their opponents. They’ve established early leads and dominated every opening quarter, only to see those margins disappear. Game 3 marked their successful recovery, while Games 1, 2, and 4 told different stories. Game 5 demands another recovery \u2014 or their season concludes.<\/p>

“You said all of it,” Wembanyama said. “We’re very confident. I wouldn’t say it was so hard to shake off (Game 4). Harder than any other game before, by far, for sure. I mean, now we’re over it. It’s the playoffs. There’s no time to regret things for too long.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs must win three straight games to avoid elimination after falling behind 3-1 to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. The Spurs made history in Game 4 by becoming the first Finals team ever to blow a 29-point lead, but remain confident they can complete a historic comeback.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":80853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781304703911.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-l26","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":79814,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wembanyamas-missed-free-throws-cost-spurs-in-nba-finals-game-4-loss\/","url_meta":{"origin":80854,"position":0},"title":"Wembanyama’s Missed Free Throws Cost Spurs in NBA Finals Game 4 Loss","author":"Admin","date":"June 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Victor Wembanyama failed to convert two crucial free throws late in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, allowing the New York Knicks to complete a historic 29-point comeback and win 107-106. The San Antonio Spurs now trail 3-1 in the series and face elimination.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781153475489.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781153475489.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781153475489.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781153475489.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":76469,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/french-star-wembanyama-puts-up-26-points-in-tough-nba-finals-loss-to-knicks\/","url_meta":{"origin":80854,"position":1},"title":"French Star Wembanyama Puts Up 26 Points in Tough NBA Finals Loss to Knicks","author":"Admin","date":"June 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points in his NBA Finals debut but struggled with his shooting as the San Antonio Spurs fell to the New York Knicks 105-95 in Game 1. The French phenom shot poorly from the field, connecting on just 6 of 21 attempts as New York closed the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780551560613.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780551560613.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780551560613.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780551560613.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":78070,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wembanyama-embraces-finals-pressure-as-spurs-trail-2-0-to-knicks\/","url_meta":{"origin":80854,"position":2},"title":"Wembanyama Embraces Finals Pressure as Spurs Trail 2-0 to Knicks","author":"Admin","date":"June 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama remains confident despite missing a potential game-winning shot in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The 22-year-old French star says he's \"built for\" the pressure as the Spurs face elimination, trailing the New York Knicks 2-0 in the series.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780868235476.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780868235476.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780868235476.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780868235476.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":78721,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/spurs-defeat-knicks-115-111-in-nba-finals-game-3-cut-series-lead-to-2-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":80854,"position":3},"title":"Spurs Defeat Knicks 115-111 in NBA Finals Game 3, Cut Series Lead to 2-1","author":"Admin","date":"June 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"San Antonio defeated New York 115-111 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, with Victor Wembanyama scoring 32 points to lead the comeback victory. The win cuts the Knicks' series advantage to 2-1 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals matchup.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780986034112.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":75193,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wembanyamas-star-power-shines-as-nba-finals-begin-against-knicks\/","url_meta":{"origin":80854,"position":4},"title":"Wembanyama’s Star Power Shines as NBA Finals Begin Against Knicks","author":"Admin","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Victor Wembanyama leads the San Antonio Spurs into the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, drawing comparisons to basketball legends of the past. The young star's impact extends beyond the court, inspiring reading programs and community engagement throughout San Antonio.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780354310206.jpg?fit=1000%2C762&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780354310206.jpg?fit=1000%2C762&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780354310206.jpg?fit=1000%2C762&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780354310206.jpg?fit=1000%2C762&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74539,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/young-spurs-favored-over-surging-knicks-in-2026-nba-finals-matchup\/","url_meta":{"origin":80854,"position":5},"title":"Young Spurs Favored Over Surging Knicks in 2026 NBA Finals Matchup","author":"Admin","date":"May 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The 2026 NBA Finals will pit the San Antonio Spurs, led by 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama, against the New York Knicks who are riding an 11-game winning streak. The Spurs are favored by sportsbooks despite the Knicks' hot streak heading into their first Finals appearance since 1999.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1780248138763.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}