Sports

Spurs 115, Knicks 111: Four Takeaways From Victor Wembanyama's Dominant NBA Finals Performance at MSG

By Dan Lyons, Ryan Phillips & Blake Silverman Sports Illustrated

Updated June 9, 2026 12:20 AM

The NBA Finals returned to New York for the first time this millennium, with tens of thousands of fans on hand shelling out, in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars to begin a two-game coronation for the Knicks. After 13 consecutive playoff wins, including two on the road against the Spurs to open the Finals, New Yorkers were ready for a weeklong party to pay off the "Knicks in four" chants that have permeated every block of the metropolis and every corner of the sports-adjacent internet for days.

And yet, you can hold down a true superstar for only so long. And Victor Wembanyama is certainly a superstar.

The 7'4" Spurs center had strong moments in Games 1 and 2, but also struggled mightily with a physical Knicks defense led by Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. On Monday, he refused to be denied, posting by far his best game of the series so far while getting a huge assist by Stephon Castle and strong efforts up and down the roster.

By the end of the game, it was the Knicks who were pressing. After two MVP-worthy games, Towns faded into the background. Mikal Bridges had just two points on five shots. Landry Shamet recorded what felt like his first six misses from deep in the last six weeks.

New York is still in tremendous shape, up 2–1 with another home game Wednesday, but these Spurs proved they are far too talented to count out. After a statement win on the road in Game 3, here are our four major takeaways from the Spurs' 115–111 win.

Wembanyama stepped up in the biggest game of his career

Victor Wembanyama played his best game of the NBA Finals so far in Game 3. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Wembanyama showed why he's soon to be universally hailed as the best player in the NBA. He was everything the Spurs needed Monday night. Facing a 2–0 deficit in the Finals and the most hostile crowd he likely has faced to this point in his young career, Wemby was the best player on the floor.

The 22-year-old center had a game-high 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks, with only one turnover, in 39 minutes. He was 11-for-18 from the field, 2-for-4 from three-point range and, crucially, 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. It was a herculean performance given the odds he and his team were facing. He was everywhere on both sides of the court. His mere presence deterred shots all night, and he matched that importance on the offensive end.

Wembanyama started off the game looking to get touches close to the rim. He led San Antonio with nine points in the first quarter as the team took a 33–22 lead after one period. He ended just as strong, with 10 points in the fourth quarter to help close it out for the Spurs. It's worth noting that Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns had his worst game of the series, finishing with just 11 points and eight rebounds. Credit the Spurs' star for that as well.

If Wembanyama can replicate this performance in Game 4, San Antonio has a real chance in this series. He proved he's fully capable of stepping up in the Finals when his team needs it. Now he must go do it again.

Knicks' fourth-quarter struggles come back to bite them

Jalen Brunson had 32 points but hit just 11 shots against an aggressive Spurs defense in NBA Finals Game 3. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Knicks went cold in the fourth quarter as they missed their first 10 three-point attempts of the final frame. Fortunes turned with two big threes, one from Brunson and another from Anunoby, but by then, it was too little too late for New York. The Knicks went 7-for-27 from the floor in the fourth quarter. The Spurs struggled to get it going in the fourth, too, but New York wasn't able to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to get back into the game late.

San Antonio's defense came up big with Wembanyama's presence near the rim, plus stellar pressure provided on the perimeter from the Spurs' backcourt. These Knicks have found a way to win throughout the postseason, but the magic finally ran out in Game 3 as New York's incredible 13-game win streak came to a close. Towns wasn't able to get going after a stellar start to the series; he had just 11 points on 10 shots in 38 minutes of play. He took only two threes the entire game, and neither found its way through the net.

Mikal Bridges struggled offensively, too, with just two points on a 1-for-5 night from the field. He had a huge Game 2 with 20 points and four threes, but early foul trouble hampered his effectiveness on Wednesday night. Brunson, Anunoby and Josh Hart all had big nights in Game 3, but Brunson was fairly inefficient once again as he finished the game 11-for-25 from the floor.

The Knicks have the weapons to win no matter how Brunson shoots, but a forgettable game from Towns, Bridges and Landry Shamet made Game 3 too much to overcome. Most of all, however, New York lost Game 3 due to its collective ineffectiveness in the fourth quarter. The offense finally came alive in the last minute of the game, but by that point, it was too late.

Spurs show off balance, resilience after struggling in San Antonio

Stephon Castle and other members of the young Spurs core gave Victor Wembanyama help in Game 3. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Wembanyama certainly had the superstar performance the Spurs were hoping for in Game 3, but he was far from alone in Game 3. Coming off two inefficient games at home, Stephon Castle answered the bell at Madison Square Garden, where, as a college star at UConn, he played plenty of big games. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, knocking down a pair of threes, including a massive fourth-quarter triple late in a dwindling shot clock to put San Antonio up 111–104. Castle added five assists and five rebounds.

De'Aaron Fox has struggled since returning from an ankle injury in these playoffs, with his workload coming into question given how impressive Dylan Harper has been as a rookie. Fox didn't have his best performance in Game 3, but he hit a huge stepback jumper to push the Spurs' lead to 113–108 with 12.2 seconds left in the game. That proved to be the decisive bucket.

Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell each hit three triples. Dylan Harper struggled with his shot but had four assists and a team-high nine rebounds.

It was an overall team effort, and an impressive win for a Spurs team that was dealt a pair of huge losses at home. Madison Square Garden was absolutely rocking early on, as anticipated, but San Antonio came out fast once again, withstood a huge Knicks run in the second quarter and closed things out with a strong second half, in which they quieted those boisterous New Yorkers.

It isn't the first time we've seen this core of early 20-somethings brush off the pressure of being down big in a series. Down 3–2 in the Western Conference finals against the defending champion Thunder, San Antonio scored two huge wins to advance to the Finals. Winning it all after going down 2–0 at home would put these Spurs in historic, uncharted territory, but that may be one of the advantages of their youth. They might not realize just how steep the hill they seek to climb is, and are therefore unencumbered by it.

We've got a series

Game 3 of the NBA Finals was a scrappy back-and-forth battle between the Spurs and Knicks. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

A whole lot of people considered this an impending sweep after the Knicks snuck out of San Antonio with two wins and a 2–0 series lead.

Not so fast.

In the face of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd and a legion of courtside celebrities, the Spurs answered the bell then punched back Monday night in Game 3. In fact, had they not blown it late in Game 2 at home, they might actually have the 2–1 lead in the series. Every play matters in the NBA Finals, and San Antonio appears to have learned that lesson after the fiasco to end Game 2.

When you examine the three games we've seen so far, it's clear this has been a very balanced series. Both teams have stars, solid cores and depth pieces that can hurt opponents. The Spurs are younger and more talented, while the Knicks have a roster full of hardened veterans. Each team is capable of winning any game, and both have had their moments in all three games thus far. It has been a back-and-forth series that has included several big runs that have swung momentum.

Game 4 is likely to be the hinge point of the series. If the Knicks win, they'll have a 3–1 lead and at least one more home game in the back pocket. If the Spurs win, they'll have regained homecourt advantage and have all the momentum.

Entering Monday night, it felt like we were headed for a coronation for the Knicks. Wembanyama and the Spurs changed that and turned the series on its head. Can they do it again? We'll find out Wednesday night.

Miss all of the Game 3 NBA Finals action? Catch up with our live updates below.

NBA Finals Game 3: Spurs at Knicks live scores, updates, stats

Recapping NBA Finals Games 1 and 2

New York has total control of the series entering Game 3, but it didn't always look that way ... especially early on in Game 1. San Antonio had a hot start to the opening game of the series, and an early knee injury that sent Jalen Brunson to the locker room seemed to spell trouble for the Knicks.

Instead, New York ate into the Spurs' lead with Brunson sidelined, and once he returned in the second quarter, San Antonio's early lead had been whittled down to three. The Spurs built another sizable lead in the second half, and went up by as many as 14 midway through the third quarter. But as we've seen in this Knicks playoff run, they're extremely difficult to put away.

Brunson was not efficient throughout Game 1, but hit numerous big shots down the stretch, including a three to give New York the lead late and a midrange jumper to seal the win with 37 seconds left.

Game 2 began in a similar manner, as San Antonio dropped 34 points in the first quarter and opened up an early nine-point lead, though the Knicks quickly closed the game, outscoring the Spurs by 18 in the second and third quarters. In an inverse of Game 1, it was the San Antonio superstar Victor Wembanyama who got things going in the fourth as the Spurs surged back with a 14–0 run, but it wasn't enough, as his late turnover and missed jumper slammed the door shut on a successful comeback, giving New York a 2–0 series lead and a chance to win the championship at the Garden this week.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Spurs 115, Knicks 111: Four Takeaways From Victor Wembanyama's Dominant NBA Finals Performance at MSG.

This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 6:08 PM.