The New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs tonight at Madison Square Garden in Game Four of the NBA Finals. New York leads the series 2-1. A victory would put the Knicks one win away from their first championship since 1973. A loss? That would turn this into a best-of-three series heading back to cactus country. No bueno!
The Spurs earned a 115-111 win in Game Three on Monday night, ending New York’s 13-game postseason winning streak and handing the Knicks their first loss in 46 days. Victor Wembanyama
led San Antonio with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. Stephon Castle added 23 points. For New York, OG Anunoby scored 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting while Jalen Brunson matched Wemby with 32 points.
The question entering Game Four: can the Knicks rediscover their offensive identity?
Game Three was not a case of San Antonio completely overwhelming New York. The Knicks generated quality looks throughout the night and remained within striking distance until the final possession. What doomed them was stagnation. For long stretches, New York looked nothing like the team that spent the last month and a half steamrolling opponents. The ball stuck. Players stood around. The offense became predictable. They recorded just 18 assists, their second-lowest total across 99 regular-season and playoff games, while committing 13 turnovers that the Spurs converted into 21 points. (H/t Fred Katz of The Athletic.)
The Spurs deserve credit for creating those conditions. After dropping the first two games at home, San Antonio came into Madison Square Garden desperate and aggressive. Castle’s size bothered Brunson, Josh Hart, and several other Knicks all night. Wembanyama spent less time defending pick-and-roll actions, instead acting as a help defender and erasing opportunities around the rim. And the adjustments worked. Rather than forcing Wembanyama into repeated screening actions and making him defend in space, the Knicks often attacked the defense directly. That resulted in fewer driving lanes, fewer paint touches, and a greater reliance on jump shooting.
Wembanyama’s elite rim protection often forces you to make your bones beyond the arc. Sometimes those shots fall, sometimes they do not. On Monday, there was a lot of not. New York missed 10 consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth quarter. It cost them the game.
The Knicks played tight and tentative while the Spurs played loose and aggressive. New York spent much of the evening trying not to make mistakes instead of imposing its will. That showed up in the turnovers, hesitation, and an absence of the off-ball movement that has defined its postseason success.
Still, one bad night does not erase six weeks of dominant basketball. All the aforementioned issues are correctable. Protecting the basketball tops the list. The Knicks cannot afford unforced turnovers or unnecessary fouls that gift San Antonio easy points. They also need a bigger fourth-quarter impact from Karl-Anthony Towns, who was held scoreless in the final period of Game Three and attempted 10 fewer shots than Brunson overall.
The Knicks must contain Wembanyama in pick-and-roll situations. The Spurs repeatedly generated lobs and paint finishes by getting him behind New York’s defenders. The good guys have to cut off those interior passes and do more to keep the big fella away from the rim (easier said than done, I know, I know).
And Mikal Bridges needs to bounce back after recording two points in Game Three. He’ll be better tonight (could he be much worse?). Anunoby has arguably been New York’s best player in the series, and Captain Clutch continues to deliver in big moments. The Knicks are at their best, however, when all five starters contribute and their bench lends some support. Landry Shamet had his worst game in a while, making 1-of-8, and Miles McBride looks smaller than ever among the taller Spurs, averaging 3.7 points in these three games. A couple of three pointers from each would help.
ESPN.com likes New York to win at 57%. Giddy up. If our heroes move the ball, protect possessions, and return to the sharp cutting and unselfish offense that fueled their postseason run, they will have an excellent opportunity to regain control of the series. We trust in them. Knicks by 5.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (2-1) vs San Antonio Spurs (1-2)
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 8:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NY
TV: ABC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
