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Our writers share their biggest surprises of the Finals so far as the Knicks take a 2-0 series lead against the Spurs.

Jalen Brunson (20 points), Mikal Bridges (20 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points, 13 rebounds) combine for 61 in Game 2 win.

What has surprised you the most through the first two games of the NBA Finals?

Simplistic as this sounds, I’m surprised that the Spurs didn’t put their foot down – specifically, Victor Wembanyama’s rather gargantuan size-20.5 sneaker – in Game 2 on Friday. San Antonio has had a pattern of A) Encountering a little adversity early in its playoff series, but B) Responding pretty quickly to snuff the threats and move on. That resilience/resolve was enough to convince me that we’d all be heading to New York with a 1-1 series, a return to San Antonio for Game 5 assured and likely another return for a Finals that would go the distance.

Now? None of that is a given. Wembanyama and his teammates started fine Friday but finished poorly. They have lost late leads in both games so far. The Knicks’ confidence is dialed up to 11 and, if they don’t win one or both at Madison Square Garden in the coming days – as giddy as that city is – it will seem kind of cruel.

From there, history and trends could carry this home: Teams that win the first two games of a Finals have won the championship 86.5% of the time  (32-5). Teams that win the first two games on the road are unbeaten (2-0). And if that sample size is too small to trust, Finals teams that take a 3-1 series lead have a compelling 97.4% success rate (37-1).

If anyone had told me that through two games of the NBA Finals, Jalen Brunson would be shooting 33.9% (19-for-56) overall and 23.5% (4-for-17) from 3-point range and have a negative point differential (-4), I would have guessed the Knicks were trailing 0-2 rather than leading 2-0 as the series shifts to New York.

How this has happened brings me to my second surprise: Karl-Anthony Towns outplaying Victor Wembanyama. Through two games, Towns is averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and four assists on incredible efficiency (55.6% FG, 42.9% 3P, 100% FT), leading all players in the series in plus/minus (+25). And he’s doing it against the reigning Kia Defensive Player of the Year.

When defending Wemby, Towns has held the superstar to 20 total points on 36.8% (7-for-19) shooting over 16:01 of matchup time, forcing as many turnovers as made baskets (seven each). Towns has only committed four shooting fouls against Wemby. KAT has a history of getting into foul trouble, so being able to successfully defend Wemby while limiting his fouls has been huge.

Karl-Anthony Towns delivers an efficient 21 points (8-12 FGs) in the Knicks’ Game 2 victory.

Flip the floor, and the success continues. In 11:54 of matchup time with Wemby as the primary defender, Towns has scored 16 points on 58.3% (7-for-12) shooting, including 50% (2-for-4) from deep against Wembanyama. Towns also has three assists against two turnovers while being guarded by Wemby, who has only blocked one of Towns’ shots so far in the series.

If the Spurs are going to get back into this series, this matchup needs to turn in their favor. They also have to hope Brunson doesn’t get back to his normal efficiency — he entered the Finals shooting 48.6% from the field and 35.2% from beyond the arc.

Biggest surprise is the minimal impact made by Keldon Johnson, the NBA’s 2026 Kia Sixth Man Award winner. Actually, Johnson’s performance has been mild throughout much of the playoffs, with the exception of a few stretches in the Western Conference Finals vs. Oklahoma City. Other than Dylan Harper, the Spurs’ bench is producing efforts that are inconsistent at best against the Knicks.

For example, whenever Victor Wembanyama sits, backup center Luke Kornet is being targeted by the Knicks; he has one point and four rebounds in the two games and is forcing Wemby back on the floor. But it is Johnson and his six points and four rebounds combined through two games — after averaging 13 and 5 during the season — that is most troublesome.

Big picture: The Knicks are on the most surprising playoff run most of us have ever seen, even though it was fair to consider them the favorites in the Eastern Conference. To win 13 straight games, have the best point differential (plus-17.6 per game) in NBA playoff history, and take the first two games of the Finals on the road against a 62-win team is simply incredible.

More specifically, it’s surprising that they’ve been able to defend at such a high level. The two least efficient series for any team in these playoffs are the Cavs’ 100.3 points per 100 possessions in the conference finals and the Spurs’ 100.5 per 100 in the Finals. The assumption for the last two years is that you can’t have an elite defense with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor, but the Knicks’ two start have more than held up on that end, their supporting cast has been amazing, and the game-planning from Mike Brown and his staff have been terrific.

Under the umbrella of “I’m stunned the Knicks have a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals,” I’m surprised at San Antonio’s inability to generate consistent offense and produce when necessary. Yes, the Knicks have been a great defensive team in the playoffs, so credit to them. But the Oklahoma City Thunder were also great defensively, and the Spurs found a way in the West Finals. San Antonio has been unable to do that in the Finals.

They were better offensively in Game 2 – but not good enough to win (eight missed free throws and regrettable Victor Wembanyama turnover didn’t help), and they haven’t been able to execute in crucial late-game minutes. Wembanyama had 29 points in Game 2, but 22 came in the second half after attempting just four shots in the first half. That’s not the sustainable offense that helped the Spurs reach the Finals. This also is the first time in the playoffs where it looks like the Spurs’ youth is causing issues – the Knicks’ veterans have played through their mistakes while the shellshocked Spurs seemed mired in theirs on this stage.

King won 3 consecutive titles with the Bulls from 1991-93 and was a beloved broadcaster for the team for over 20 years.

Stacey King, who played on three consecutive NBA championship teams with the Chicago Bulls from 1991-93 before returning to the organization as an Emmy-winning broadcaster, has died. He was 59.

The NBA released a statement regarding King’s passing.

“The NBA family mourns the passing of Stacey King, a three-time NBA champion and longtime Chicago Bulls television analyst. Stacey made his mark on the game as a player, coach and commentator. For more than 20 years on Bulls broadcasts, his passion, knowledge and unmistakable energy resonated with generations of fans. We extend our deepest condolences to Stacey’s family and friends and the Bulls organization.”

The Bulls announced that King died Sunday and said they were notified by a family member. No other details were immediately available.

“Stacey King was a cherished member of the Bulls family and one of the truly unique personalities in our organization’s history,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “His connection to Chicago, the Bulls and our fans spanned more than three decades — first as a player and later as the unmistakable voice that helped bring Bulls basketball into the homes of generations of fans. We will miss him deeply and remember the joy, energy, humor, candor and passion he brought to our organization, our broadcasts and our fans every day. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

King began his NBA playing career with the Bulls, who selected the 6-foot-11 forward/center out of Oklahoma with the sixth overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. He averaged 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds over his five seasons with the Bulls.

He played a total of eight seasons in the NBA during a career that also included stops in Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas. King posted career averages of 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds.

As a broadcaster, King endeared himself to a new generation of Bulls supporters. He spent more than two decades as a commentator on Bulls games.

“Stacey loved being a Bull,” Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “You could feel it in everything he did — the way he played, the way he called games and the way he connected with our fans. He had a unique gift for bringing people together and making every game feel personal. He brought an energy and love for the game that came through in every broadcast, helping fans feel connected to our team. Whether it was through a broadcast, a conversation or a photo with a fan, Stacey made people feel seen and valued.”

“We were fortunate to know him not only as a player and broadcaster, but as a friend. Stacey genuinely cared about people, and he made our organization better. We will miss him dearly, and his impact, memory and legacy will remain a part of the Chicago Bulls forever.”

King delighted fans with his memorable calls and nicknames. His enthusiasm was apparent every time the Bulls hit a big shot.

“We enjoy what we do,” King said last month on his “Gimme the Hot Sauce” podcast, a reference to a comment he’d frequently make after big plays. “It’s a fun job. It never seems like work for me. Every night, I go to work, win, lose or draw, I’m having fun.”

The Knicks are only the 3rd team to open the Finals with two wins on the road, and emotions run high as the series shifts to NYC.

On Chasing History presented by Michelob ULTRA, the Knicks hang on to top the Spurs seal a 2-0 lead in a thrilling Game 2.

NEW YORK – It gets late early in the NBA Finals, particularly when the road team grabs a 2-0 lead the way the New York Knicks did in San Antonio last week. That rarely has happened – think Chicago in 1993 and Houston in 1995 – but when it has, there’s been no digging out for the team that so quickly squandered its home court.

That reality forces some emotions into this 2026 championship series, whether the combatants acknowledge it or not.

The Knicks and the Spurs both prefer to block out yesterday and tomorrow, dwelling only on today as if each game were a self-contained pop quiz, unconnected to the others, their final grade coming weeks from now at the end of a semester. But they’d better be careful with mental gymnastics. Teams have been known to one-game-at-a-time themselves straight into summer if they don’t face their predicaments head on.

Things should feel dire to San Antonio, out of its comfort zone, trying to climb back into the series at Madness Square Garden. It needs to bother the Spurs that they held double-digit leads in both Game 1 and Game 2, only to get walked down by the Knicks and to come up short each time thanks to a handful of pivotal plays.

And it cannot be lost on the players and coaches that Gregg Popovich – the franchise’s “El Jefe” – made sure to send off the squad before their chartered aircraft took off Saturday afternoon for this Manhattan mission. The NBA’s all-time winningest coach, Popovich, 77, wasn’t ready for the Spurs’ playoff run to be over. Nor should they be.

“Pretty much his message was just, let the last two games go,” said guard Stephon Castle on Sunday. “It happened. They were very winnable games. We feel like we gave them those games.”

As deep and dark as their 2-0 hole appears – beyond 7-foot-4 center Victor Wembanyama’s standing reach, at least – one victory Monday in Game 3 (8:30 ET, ABC/ESPN) would open a world of new probabilities and possibilities for the Spurs.

Where they sit now suggests “never,” and going to 3-0 screams it; no NBA team in 15 tries all-time has pulled out of that tailspin. But getting to 2-1 offers legit hope – 14 teams have rallied from there to snag the title (50 have not).

The trick moving forward is to neither deny the situation nor to dwell on it.

“We’re at a stage now where the next game is going to be the biggest game until we’re not playing,” said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. “We have to continue to execute and compete and finish plays and move on to the next play. Understand that there [are] going to be circumstances, there [are] going to be outcomes throughout a game that may not go your way.

“When you break down the 96 minutes of the two games, the fourth quarter … we’ve done some things well. We have not played to our standard – New York has played very well, they have something to do with that.”

San Antonio knows there are plays it owns, physical mistakes or misjudgments that get blown into game-deciding gaffes. Happens to the best of ’em.

“If there’s a thematic thing,” Johnson said, “the biggest thing is we’ve put in some good, hard work at times and have not taken advantage of that hard work.”

Rookie guard Dylan Harper, asked for his approach to Game 3, said: “Desperation. I think for me I feel like I’m at my best when I play with that type of desperation. I think that’s what’s kind of needed for this occasion.”

Besides staying true to their preparation, the Spurs will try to stay focused as the potential crashers of the vast Garden party Monday. The Knicks will be hosting a Finals game for the first time since 1999. The city is abuzz.

“I just feel like it’s going to be mayhem out here,” Spurs wing Devin Vassell said. “We know it’s going to be crazy. The fans are going to be going crazy, outside the arena is going to be crazy, the media’s going to be crazy. We just need to be focused on us and everybody that is in our locker room and the team.”

Said veteran guard De’Aaron Fox: “We got to try to take the crowd out of it as quickly as possible. I think even like our Game 7 [at Oklahoma City], we never really let the crowd get into the game.”

The Knicks face the flip side of the Spurs’ emotions on virtually every front. Because they lead the series 2-0, complacency is a threat. Having survived San Antonio’s home court advantage, they know MSG guarantees them nothing – a bucket by Ben Stiller or Fat Joe would be their first.

“To be honest, I’m not doing too much walking around the city right now,” said Knicks wing Josh Hart on Sunday. “If you go to different places and people are singing your praises … it’s very easy to get complacent and to start feeling good. Then you start relaxing.”

The Knicks saw enough flaws during their film sessions to know they have much to clean up despite winning twice. Forward Mikal Bridges can share the Finals whiplash he felt back in 2021, when his Phoenix Suns opened 2-0 against Milwaukee, only to have the Bucks win four straight.

And as formidable as New York’s current 13-game winning streak seems, it was triggered by the scare of dropping two of the first three games in the first round against Atlanta. The Knicks stared at their own playoff mortality and have not forgotten the lesson.

“Just having that kind of understanding and desperation,” said center Karl-Anthony Towns. “We don’t ever want to put ourselves in that position again. So … maybe that’s what’s led us to this point of being on a heater.”

The Knicks know this much: If a series hole in the first round can prompt a team to string together 13 victories, so can a similar hole in the Finals ignite the Spurs to two, three or four in a row.

The Knicks have taken a 2-0 edge in The Finals by limiting the Spurs’ efficiency on the break & capitalizing on halfcourt offense.

The Spurs and Victor Wembanyama need to get out on the break and score more as the NBA Finals continues.

NEW YORK — In a series where offense has been hard to come by, transition opportunities are gold, yielding layups and open 3-pointers before the defense is set.

According to Synergy tracking, the Spurs have had 57 transition possessions over the first two games of the Finals. That (28.5 per game) is more than they averaged through the first three rounds (24.9) and a lot more than the Knicks have had in the series (39, 19.5 per game).

Dylan Harper leads the entire postseason with 96 transition points, and the Spurs’ five starters are all in the top eight (66 or more). Their last two (huge) buckets of Game 2 – layups from Harper and Victor Wembanyama – came in transition.

But overall, the Spurs have not been able to capitalize on all those transition opportunities as much as they did against their Western Conference opponents. They’ve scored just 0.84 points per possession in transition through the first two games of this series, down from 1.14 per possession through the first three rounds. That (0.84) would have been the worst mark in the regular season by a wide margin.

Spurs’ transition points per possession

Season/round	POSS/G	PTS/G	PPP	Rank
Regular season	24.1	27.7	1.15	13
First 3 rounds	24.9	28.4	1.14	6
Finals	28.5	24.0	0.84	2

via Synergy tracking

Credit the Knicks’ defense. They’ve made some fantastic defensive plays in transition in this series. Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart are all guys who can fly back on defense and use their length and athleticism to make those transition opportunities as difficult as possible for the Spurs:

“They’re a really good transition team,” Bridges said Sunday. “You got to get back, show bodies.”

Of course, going along with the Knicks’ overall mentality, Bridges isn’t satisfied with the stops they’ve gotten so far.

“I still think we got to do a way better job … I don’t think we are up to what we’re supposed to be doing as a team defensively in transition.”

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said Sunday that there’s no clear diagnosis for his team’s lack of efficiency in transition thus far.

“We’ve had a few turnovers in transition that are not as common throughout the season,” he said. “It really hasn’t been a real clear theme of why that is, other than not making the right play or not finishing those advantages out as we have throughout the season.”

Indeed, there’s been some general sloppiness, including Wembanyama’s game-deciding turnover in the closing seconds of Game 2. There’s been some settling for decent shots when better ones can be found later in the possession. And there’s been some forcing things that just aren’t there:

Toughest to swallow are the empty results that turn into transition opportunities on the other end of the floor.

“Going from looking like we’re probably getting a bucket to giving up a bucket,” Johnson said. “Those are big swings in this game when you start talking about the margin of error at this level.”

The Knicks have been similarly inefficient in transition in this series, going from 1.32 points per transition possession (best in the playoffs) through the first three rounds to just 0.85 per possession in The Finals. But it’s not as big of an issue for them, because they’ve found more success in their halfcourt offense. While the Spurs have just seven field goals in the last seven seconds of the shot clock over the two games, the Knicks have 18.

Stephon Castle struggled in Game 2, when he scored just two points on his six transition possessions. He couldn’t finish through Brunson, got stuffed by Hart, turned the ball over, and missed a pair of free throws after a transition foul.

Harper, meanwhile, continues to be the Spurs’ best weapon in transition, totaling 13 points on nine transition possessions in the series. He turned on the jets to drive through four Knicks for a transition layup early in the fourth quarter on Friday:

And he got the Spurs’ 14-0, fourth-quarter run started by taking a lead pass from De’Aaron Fox after a Knicks bucket and drawing a foul. But the Spurs will need more from everybody else if they’re going to win Game 3 on Monday (8:30 ET, ABC/ESPN), end the Knicks’ 13-game winning streak, and give themselves a real chance in this series.

Every possession, transition or otherwise, is critical.

“[Transition] is a huge part of the game for us,” Johnson said, “when we are at our best.”

We’ve yet to see the Spurs at their best, but another opportunity awaits.

Serving as an offensive hub and defending to a personal best, Karl-Anthony Towns has put himself in historically impressive air.

Karl-Anthony Towns leads the way as the Knicks hold on and take a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals.

NEW YORK – Some of the greatest individual showdowns within the NBA Finals framework of determining a season’s best team have come at the center position.

Wilt Chamberlain vs. Willis Reed or Nate Thurmond. Kareem Adul-Jabbar vs. Dave Cowens or Robert Parish. Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Patrick Ewing or Shaquille O’Neal.

And now the 2026 Finals is offering up another: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Victor Wembanyama. Two towering talents, stronger than you might expect, improbably skilled, passionate about winning, committed to his brothers in the locker room, cutting a wide swath through this postseason, and getting better day by day.

Chances are, you heard far more heading into this championship series about the San Antonio Spurs’ long, lean young star than about Towns. Wembanyama is the NBA’s next big thing, literally. He stands 7-foot-4, he’s got a European flair and he’s a little ahead of schedule, his future arriving in our present. He picked up his first major award this past season – the only unanimous Kia Defensive Player of the Year in that honor’s history – and at 22 has led the Spurs back to the Finals for the first time since 2014.

Towns, in relative terms, came into this round as another Wemby sparring partner, latest in the line of playoff big men that featured Portland’s Donovan Clingan, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and OKC’s Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. All of them posed challenges to Wembanyama and his team, all of them ultimately were dispatched.

Towns and the Knicks, however, spent the Finals’ first two games hitting the snooze button on this GOAT aspirant and dynasty in the making. They are positioned to make the Spurs wait another year at least, winning Games 1 and 2 at Frost Bank Center to become only the third Finals team to open with two road victories.

Individually, Towns not only has won his matchup with Wembanyama, he has been the most effective and impactful performer overall. If this were a best-of-three affair, the 7-footer would have been named the Finals MVP after New York’s 105-104 victory Friday in San Antonio.

As it is, he will do what he can to stay locked in for at least the next two games at Madison Square Garden Monday and Wednesday and whatever comes after. If – as they say in the postseason sports world – necessary.

“He’s been great,” said Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. “He’s been pretty phenomenal on both sides of the ball, the things he’s been able to do throughout this entire playoffs but obviously here now.”

Towns finding a flow state

At both ends, and for reading and reacting both on the court and off, this might be the best version of Towns yet. He is wrapping up his second season with the Knicks after nine years in Minnesota, and through the first two games has given New York just what it needs without trying to force too much.

“It comes with experience,” Towns said. “I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too much and it was the detriment to the team, and I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too little and it was a detriment to the team.

“It comes when you learn what truly is best for the team. Being able to find that balance of being aggressive and impacting the game with your skill set, but also utilizing that skill set to make others better. … I think right now, I’m doing the best I’ve done at it.”

Towns is averaging 19.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 4.0 apg in the Finals, while shooting 56% overall and 43% on threes. Defensively, he is holding opponents to 34.5% shooting, 16.7% from beyond the arc.

Unlike big-man days of yore, centers don’t spend entire games locked in bruising contact. But according to NBA stats, Towns has been more efficient when dealing directly with Wembanyama. Compare his 16 points, three assists, two turnovers and 58.3% shooting to Wemby’s 20 points, one assist, seven turnovers and 36.8% accuracy.

Karl-Anthony Towns has recorded the most assists by a Knicks center in a single postseason, with 90

Zoom out to look at Towns’ work in the 2026 Playoffs overall, his effective field goal percentage has jumped from 55.6% in the regular season to 64.5%. He is shooting better in the paint and taking a greater share of his shots from there. Yet Towns’ 3-point accuracy is up from 36.8% to 48.1% and he is both earning and making more free throws.

His work defending pick-and-rolls is up as well: In the 339 plays in which Towns has been the screener’s man, according to tracking data, the Knicks have allowed just 0.81 points per chance when the screen has led directly to a short, turnover or trip to the line, down from 1.02 in the regular season. Towns has blitzed 12.7% of ball-screens in the playoffs, more than double his rate (5.6%) in the regular season.

Then there’s this: Towns’ plus/minus this postseason through 16 games is +239. That’s second all-time to Steph Curry’s +244 in 2017, and the Knicks still have at least two games to play. He leads all Finals participants this spring at +25.

How does Towns explain his many improvements?

“Just consistently working on my game,” he said between Games 1 and 2. “No days off. Always consistently finding something to do to take my game to the next level. On the days you call off days, it’s a lot of treatment.

“Right after [Game 1], we got to a two-and-a-half-hour treatment session to just get right for the next game. The work never stops. When the cameras stop rolling and there ain’t no NBA trophy around, no basketball to dribble, you find another way to give yourself an edge.”

Growth doesn’t stop at reaching full height

Here’s one of those ways that doesn’t get talked about as much: Towns’ maturity. He is 30 years old, and the criticism that came early in his career – that he was “soft,” an indictment among athletes that goes beyond style of play to implicitly question everything about a fellow – is mostly gone.

People might remember that awkward situation when Towns’ former Minnesota teammate Jimmy Butler got in his and Andrew Wiggins’ faces during 2018 training camp. Butler, a self-styled “alpha” across his 15-year career, wasn’t happy with his contract so he went after the Wolves’ two young talents, each already signed to bigger deals. The veteran crossed several lines while barking about Towns’ and Wiggins’ commitment and toughness.

Towns has changed that narrative with his play, a tighter rein on his emotions and flailing limbs, and time. So much so that Charles Barkley offered a completely revised assessment after the “Inside The NBA” postgame show Friday.

“He was criticized in Minnesota,” Barkley said. “He was criticized in New York. But the MVP of the Finals is gonna be Karl-Anthony Towns. He played two of the best games I’ve ever seen a big man play. That man earned his flowers.”

This run to and so far through the Finals holds a greater significance for Towns, however, than proving wrong some critics.

The tragedy that hit him in April 2020 when his mother Jacqueline Cruz died due to complications from COVID-19 took Towns years to process. Only through time, reflection and faith – and with the love of his fiancée Jordyn Woods – has Towns managed to channel her memory into a positive influence in his play.

At this point, outside of San Antonio anyway, Towns has become a bit of a sentimental favorite because of his story and openness in sharing it. He has a basketball family for the time being in the orange-and-blue uniforms. And he plays now as if he still were that youngster playing to delight and entertain his mom, dad Karl and other family members.

“It means a lot for my mother,” Towns told reporters. “When she emigrated from [the Dominican Republic] to New York, she saw Madison Square Garden for the first time and saw the energy the city has for [MSG] and the Knicks … To be able to have this moment in Knicks history where we’re back here, means a lot to me, my loved ones, to be part of the Knicks history that’s doing this.

“You never know what life has for you. You never know if you’ll get another opportunity. But just appreciating it and being grateful that you do get this opportunity is everything.”

NEW YORK – The NBA Finals are so close to a 1-1 series instead of a 2-0 New York Knicks advantage over the San Antonio Spurs.

So close.

Had Victor Wembanyama not committed a turnover with 9.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter of a tie game. Had Wembanyama made the game’s final shot.

Had those things happened and not what transpired – a 105-104 Knicks victory in Game 2 on Friday – the discussion around the Finals would be different.

Instead of talking about a potential six- or seven-game series, the question is:

Can the Knicks sweep and win their first title since 1973 at home in Madison Square Garden … this week?

It’s possible. The Knicks are on an all-time heater, winners of 13 consecutive playoff games, and playing with the poise and confidence of a veteran team that understands the stakes and knows how to finish the job.

Can the Spurs get a win? Can they put pressure on the Knicks, who are the third team in Finals history to win the first two games on the road? The other two teams (1993 Chicago Bulls and the 1995 Houston Rockets) won titles. The Bulls took six games to beat the Phoenix Suns, and the Rockets swept the Orlando Magic.

“If there’s a thematic thing, the biggest thing is we’ve put in some good, hard work at times, and have not taken advantage of that hard work,” said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. “That’s been partially some undisciplined things of us, partially also New York has stepped up and made some plays at the end of clock and finished out possessions.”

Here are three things to watch (plus a bonus item!) during Game 3 on Monday in New York 

1.The Wembanyama-Towns matchup

KAT is showing off his skills recording the most assists (90) by a Knicks center in a single postseason.

Through two games, Karl-Anthony Towns has won the matchup against Wembanyama, and if the Spurs want to make this a tighter series, it needs to be even at worst and preferably, if you’re the Spurs, in Wembanyama’s favor.

Towns, who has been tremendous in the series at 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, won’t even nibble on the idea that he’s winning the matchup.

“It’s great when you get to go against a great player, a player that I’ve spoken about countless times that is going to be a generational player,” Towns said Sunday. “It’s something we’ve never seen in the NBA before. To be able to go and play in this moment against the best is all you could ask for.

“To be in this position right now at 2-0, speaks to our team, the resiliency, grit, what we’ve been able to do collectively as a group to put ourselves in this position.”

Victor Wembanyama finishes with 29 points and nine rebounds in Game 2 vs. the Knicks.

San Antonio found success with Wembanyama in the second half of Game 2. He scored 22 of his 29 points in the final two quarters – 12 in the third quarter, 10 in the fourth – and the Spurs got him shots at the rim. More of that is necessary in Game 3 for San Antonio.

The Spurs are winning the minutes when Wembanyama is on the court against the Knicks, but by just 1.5 points per game. That number needs to be higher so they can withstand the minutes Wembanyama is on the bench.

Limiting Towns offensively, preventing the Knicks from too many second-chance opportunities and protecting the paint are on Wembanyama’s priority list defensively, too.

“We need to capitalize (and) actually use all the efforts we did,” Wembanyama said. “It felt like we did a lot of things wrong, but we also were relentless and kept pushing, but kind of like wasted that effort.

“Even though I know it’s not wasted because our lessons are learned, I know we’re not going to make the mistakes of the past again, but in a moment like this we need to make these things matter.”

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2. What will Brunson deliver at home?

Jalen Brunson has been fantastic in the final minutes of the fourth quarter through two Finals games. No surprise. He was the 2024-25 Kia Clutch Player of the Year and thrives in those moments. In the 2026 NBA Playoffs, Brunson leads the league in fourth-quarter scoring at 9.3 points per, and among players who have played in at least five games in clutch time, Brunson is second in scoring at 4.3 points per game.

He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and scored the Knicks’ final three points in Game 2.

Yet he is 19-for-56 (33.9%) from the field and 4-for-17 (23.5%) on 3-pointers in the Finals.

“He’s a great player,” said Spurs guard Dylan Harper. “I feel like he kind of likes moments like that. He steps up in those big moments. I think for us we have to keep doubling down on our game plan, kind of just seeing what works and just keep going to that.

“He makes big shots. That’s kind of the type of player he is. But for us, we can’t get too down on things like that. We got to just keep on applying the pressure.

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3. Role players

Georges Niang discusses what makes Mikal Bridges such a good player on The Association.

The Knicks’ role players have delivered. Mikal Bridges scored 20 points on 8-for-13, and Landry Shamet had 13 points on 3-for-7 3-point shooting in Game 2. And he’s not a role player in the traditional sense because he’s an All-Defensive selection, but OG Anunoby had 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in Game 2 and 17 points in Game 1.

New York’s bench has outscored San Antonio’s 55-39. The Spurs can counter the Knicks’ depth if they get all-around performances in the same game from Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

Madison Square Garden will be on fire. It’s the first Finals game at the arena since 1999.

Expect pandemonium. Expect a joyous and excited crowd.

Knicks alumni will be there: Patrick Ewing, Bernard King, Walt Frazier, Larry Johnson, John Starks, Latrell Sprewell, Stephon Marbury, Allan Houston.

Stars will be courtside: Spike Lee. Ben Stiller. Mariska Hargitay. Timothée Chalamet. Tracy Morgan. Tina Fey. Chris Tucker. Fat Joe. Anne Hathaway.

“We got to be desperate for these fans.” Towns said. “Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give them something to cheer for, give them something to get loud for and also give them something to believe in.

“I talked about the word ‘hope.’ Hope has been brought back to the city. We’ve revitalized that word. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time. We have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”

San Antonio guard Julian Champagnie has developed into a key contributor for the Spurs on their title run.

Spurs guard Julian Champagnie is averaging 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in the playoffs

• Complete coverage: 2026 NBA Finals

SAN ANTONIO – When the Philadelphia 76ers waived Julian Champagnie on Feb. 15, 2023, he didn’t know what was next for his NBA career.

He dreaded the worst-case scenario.

“I thought it was over, I ain’t going to lie to you.,” Champagnie said. “We’re always told how small the window is to get your foot in the league and stay there and make a career for yourself.

“Getting waived with no warning, no nothing, no explanation or anything, it was tough for a 22-year-old kid who was just thinking I was going to chase my dreams and telling myself you could do this. Obviously, I had no clue where I was going to end up. My agent told me it could be anywhere.”

Anywhere turned out to be with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs claimed Champagnie off of waivers the following day, and in the redemptive words of Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter in the classic song St. Stephen: “One man gathers what another man spills.”

The Spurs saw Champagnie’s potential.

“I put my head down and said, ‘Make it work. Whatever they give you, make it work. Whatever they need you to do, make it work. And just find that spot on the team,’ ” Champagnie said. “I feel like the best thing about me, I try to just fit in where I can. And I think that’s what I did when I got here. And it’s been treating me good so far.”

Champagnie, 24, developed into a starter and key contributor to San Antonio’s ascent alongside Victor Wembanyama.

In the playoffs, Champagnie is the Spurs’ sixth-leading scorer at 11.4 points per game plus 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field and 40.2% on 3-pointers. In Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, he had 10 points and was a plus-24 in his 25 minutes, and in Game 7, he scored 20 points, including 18 on 6-for-10 3-point shooting.

He continued his hot 3-point shooting in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, scoring 16 points on 5-for-10 from 3-point range.

“I love my teammates, love the coaching staff, love everybody at the organization,” Champagnie said. “It’s a great place to be. There’s no better place that I could be, honestly, truly. So shoutout to the San Antonio Spurs on taking (a chance) on a kid from Brooklyn.”

The guy from Brooklyn returns to New York for Games 3 and 4 of the Finals, and the Spurs, down 2-0 in the series, will need Champagnie’s shooting if they want to send the series back to San Antonio.

Regardless of the Spurs’ situation, Champagnie is thrilled to play the Knicks in Madison Square Garden in the Finals.

“That’s every kid’s dream,” he said. “I remember my first time playing in the Garden. I was at St. John’s. I was just in awe of how much greatness has gone through there and what that means for a kid from the city. Being able to go back there and compete for a championship, there’s no better feeling. No better feeling.”

He played high school ball at Bishop Loughlin and spent three seasons at St. John’s. He brings the hard-earned lessons of New York City playground basketball to the NBA.

“You have to win or you can’t go back on the court for a while,” he said. “Then obviously there’s no foul calls out there. They’re not giving you no weak fouls, especially when you’re playing with the older guys. There’s a lot of trash-talking, a lot of physical stuff.

“Figuring out how you can play on those courts, definitely I feel like it translates into playing on the NBA court. Obviously, the talent is different. But you take little tidbits, the trash-talk, the physicality, perseverance and how to get through and actually win a game. You take those things with you throughout your whole career.”

Champagnie entered the 2022 NBA draft but was not selected. The Sixers signed him to a two-way contract, and he appeared in just two games for Philadelphia.

The Spurs pounced when the Sixers waived him.

“When I got here, Coach Pop (Gregg Popovich) told me I had a niche, which is shooting the basketball,” Champagnie said. “There were other areas of my game I had to work on – being more nasty, rebounding, playing defense, stuff like that. That’s been the working point since.”

After San Antonio defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson raved about Champagnie’s contributions.

“Julian has been phenomenal,” Johnson said. “He’s had games where he’s missed shots and he’s had double-digit rebounds. His spacing causes gravity, whether he makes shots or not. And at times when we haven’t scored, he’s made huge shots. He’s been an absolute unsung hero because some of those other guys have the basketball in their hands more and they’re probably a part of maybe more highlights other than making threes.

“And Julian’s been an integral part of our team defense, team rebounding and all that leads to us playing fast, which is our best version of our offense. And when he’s the recipient of it, he usually makes it, but he’s been absolutely phenomenal.”

From wondering whether he’d play another NBA game to playing in the NBA Finals in his hometown, Champagnie found his place in league. He set a Spurs single-season record with 195 made 3s in 2025-26 and set a franchise single-game record with 11 3s against the Knicks on Dec. 31.

“I wouldn’t be who I am today without the Spurs organization,” he said. “I give a lot of credit – really all the credit to them.”

Before the Cleveland Browns dealt Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams and shook up the NFL world, another “trade” of a pass rusher had been the largest story of the offseason for a time.

Maxx Crosby getting traded to the Baltimore Ravens was a colossal transaction that grew more monumental when it collapsed after Baltimore canceled it, Crosby returned to the Las Vegas Raiders and the league was left scratching its collective head.

That was in early March. Some three months later, Crosby has turned the page on the craziness.

“It’s water under the bridge,” Crosby said last week, via The Associated Press. “It’s a long time ago. A lot of things I learned about what’s going on and what this league can bring. A lot of adversity, a lot of different things you can’t really anticipate. But I’ve been through a lot in my life. It’s nothing to me.

“I’m here and I want to be here and I’m excited to be here. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

A day after the trade’s undoing in March, Crosby released a social media statement – which featured a gif of legendary pro wrestler The Undertaker emerging from a flaming column – proclaiming, “[I’m] A Raider. I’m Back.”

He also spoke on his shortly thereafter on his podcast, The Rush, and tabbed the nixed trade as one of the most “up-and-down roller coasters” of my life.

This past week was his first time facing reporters, though. He made it clear he’s moving forward with the Raiders.

“Everyone knows my love and appreciation for this organization,” Crosby said. “That never will change. (The trade is) part of the business. There are lot of other things that don’t need to be discussed, but ultimately I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Crosby missed the final two games of the 2025 season despite his desire to play out the season for the 3-14 Raiders, who placed him on injured reserve.

Crosby subsequently underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in January.

The five-time Pro Bowler was traded to the Ravens in March after seven seasons with the Raiders and 69.5 sacks (third in franchise history). In exchange, the Raiders were set to receive two first-round picks in exchange.

Concerns about Crosby’s injury were ultimately the cause of the Ravens reneging on the deal.

The pass rusher is expected to be good to go around training camp in July, though concern is likely to linger until then.

While Crosby wasn’t away from the Raiders for long, he’s returned to a vastly new team.

Las Vegas has restocked its roster, adding No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, along with veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins, with one of them set to take snaps from former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.

Klint Kubiak will be Crosby’s fourth full-time head coach since he was drafted in 2019.

Rob Leonard will be Crosby’s fourth full-time defensive coordinator.

And the defense is loaded with new faces such as fellow pass rusher Kwity Paye and linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. Before he can truly get into the mix with his new running buddies, Crosby has to heal up.

Then his journey back to the Silver and Black should be complete after one heck of an offseason.

“This has been a long road to recovery,” Crosby said. “It’s probably the longest rehab I’ve been through, but ultimately it’s been the best by far and we’re not even to the finish line. … I’m real close, but I’m at that point where I forget. I need to relax a little bit. That’s kind of been the biggest battle right now because I’m almost back to being out there.”

Playoff berths have been commonplace for the Houston Texans since Will Anderson Jr. arrived.

Just as it’s been for the duration of the franchise’s quarter century existence, however, Anderson and Co. have never advanced past the Divisional Round.

The two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher isn’t afraid to set his Texans’ expectations to a championship level in 2026, though.

“Most definitely,” Anderson said, via team transcript, this past week when asked if the team had Super Bowl aspirations.

Entering his fourth season and fresh off signing a massive extension, Anderson has become one of the NFL’s highest-regarded pass rushers and one of the Texans’ leaders. Hence, he’s holding the squad to the highest expectations.

“I think the additions they went and got in the offseason have been great,” Anderson said. “I think what we want as a team is right in front of us. I told the guys today when we broke it down, ‘It’s a confidence thing.’ I said, ‘Everybody in this circle who believes that this is a Super Bowl team, raise your hand.’ Everybody raised their hand.

“I said, ‘Well, the front office, the coaches, they made the decision to bring you here because they thought you could help us win that Super Bowl, so you’re a Super Bowl-caliber player.”

Anderson has proven himself to be of the highest-caliber players.

The 2023 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Anderson is coming off a second Pro Bowl campaign and a first All-Pro selection. His 2025 season was all kinds of tremendous as he earned runner-up honors for AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year after tallying career bests of 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 35 tackles, 20 for loss and 23 QB hits.

Anderson’s been complemented by veteran edge Danielle Hunter to become the lynchpins of a defense regarded as one of the NFL’s best.

Anderson sees Hoston’s roster as one boasting elite talent throughout.

“I look at this team and we’ve got Super Bowl caliber players all over the field,” he said. “It’s just about taking that next step.”

That next step must be taken in the winter, but as of the spring, the strides that can be made are being made, according to Anderson.

“I’ve thought since the four years I’ve been here, this has been the best OTAs that we’ve had, offensively and defensively,” he said. “Everybody is locked in I love the rookie class that we got. “

Houston began its draft by taking guard Keylan Rutledge to bolster an offensive line that’s been a bugaboo for the squad over the past few seasons. In the second round, Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald arrived to stack more talent in a defense that was sixth in total defense a season past.

“We want to be a staple defense,” Anderson said. “We want to be a household name defense. We want to be one of the greatest defenses to be out there. But I think it starts at this time.”

If it ends in February with a Super Bowl celebration, Anderson and the Texans will very likely become a household name.

Replacing Myles Garrett, swiftly becoming an all-time pass-rushing great, is a task the Cleveland Browns are unlikely to accomplish.

Still, maintaining the team’s defensive prowess in the seasons to come could be in the realm of reality as the Browns’ roster boasts a historical first when it comes to its youthful talent.

Obtained in the Garrett trade with the Los Angeles Rams was Jared Verse, the 2024 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’ll join Cleveland linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year, making the Browns the first team to roster defensive rookies of the year from each of the last two seasons since the AP began awarding DROTY in 1967.

The closest such scenario came in 1980, when the Atlanta Falcons celebrated linebackers Al Richardson and Buddy Curry sharing the AP DROTY honor.

“Man, that boy can fly,” Verse, 25, said Wednesday during organized team activities, via Cleveland.com’s Ashley Bastock, of Schwesinger. “Nah, he can work. I like that a lot. I like knowing that with that behind me that I can — I don’t got much to worry about.

“I can play freely because I don’t have to worry if something gets by me. He’s going to be able to handle that. He’s going to be able to clean everything up. So no, that’s the exciting factor there.”

Schwesinger’s coming off a first season in which he tallied a team-leading 156 tackles, along with 11 for a loss, nine QB hits, a pair of interceptions and 2.5 sacks.

In L.A. last season, Verse was a Pro Bowler for a second consecutive campaign to begin his career, posting 7.5 sacks to go with 58 tackles, 27 QB hits and three forced fumbles.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Schwesinger, 23, said of playing with another ROTY. “But again, I mean we’re focused on going into 2026 and we both won’t be rookies, so just kind of building. I mean obviously you don’t get that if you’re doing something wrong. I think he’s someone that’s going to be really valuable to what we do and fit right in here and I think being able to work with him is going to be a whole lot of fun.”

Garrett set a new single-season sack record in 2025, racking up 23 in total. He was a unanimous choice as AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, so Schwesinger’s shared the field with award-winning talent before. Going forward, it’ll be up to the linebacker and the Browns’ new top pass rusher to lead the way in the front seven.

The Browns are hoping Schwesinger and Verse can lead a defensive unit that was No. 1 in total yards in 2024, but dropped to 19th last season.

However, Schwesinger is taking plenty of what he learned from Garrett with him along the way.

“I mean he’s a great player, Hall of Fame player,” Schwesinger said. “I think being able to be with him for my rookie year has helped me and there’s things that I took from him that I’ll continue to take and I think he’s going to go be successful wherever he’s at.”