Spurs Face 0-2 Cliff as Knicks Eye Game 3 at MSG

Sport

By lines

June 7, 2026

The 2026 NBA Finals belong to the New York Knicks through two games. The Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs 2-0. Both Knicks wins came inside San Antonio.

Why the Spurs’ 0-2 Hole Is Nearly Fatal

San Antonio lost Game 1 by a 105-95 margin. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points in that Knicks win. San Antonio then lost Game 2 by a 105-104 score. Jalen Brunson hit the go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left. Victor Wembanyama turned the ball over before that Brunson free throw.

The Knicks now hold -500 title odds at most sportsbooks. New York opened the series as a +155 underdog. The Spurs have drifted to +380 to win the championship. ESPN pegs the Knicks at a 79.3% implied title probability. San Antonio carried home-court advantage into Games 1 and 2.

Karl-Anthony Towns tops the early Finals MVP ladder, per NBA.com. The Knicks lean on Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns for most scoring. New York forced Victor Wembanyama into a late turnover in Game 2. The Spurs scored only 104 points in that one-point Game 2 defeat. Jalen Brunson again closed the final possessions for the Knicks.

The Knicks joined rare company with two road wins to open these Finals. Only the 1993 Chicago Bulls and 1995 Houston Rockets previously opened the Finals with two road wins. Both the Bulls and the Rockets won those titles. Of 37 prior teams down 2-0 in the Finals, only 5 recovered to win.

These teams also met in the 1999 NBA Finals. San Antonio beat the New York Knicks in five games in 1999. That 1999 crown was the first of five Spurs championships. The Knicks reached the 2026 Finals by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers. New York returned to the Finals for the first time since 1999.

Game 3 tips Monday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Knicks can build a 3-0 lead at home. No NBA team has ever erased a 3-0 series deficit. Victor Wembanyama anchors the Spurs and must reverse two quiet finishes. San Antonio reached this series after a seven-game win over Oklahoma City.

The Spurs must win four of the next five games to claim the title. San Antonio needs Victor Wembanyama to control the paint at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks chase a first NBA championship since 1973. New York carried an 11-game playoff run into this series. A New York win would end a 53-year title drought for the Knicks. Game 3 decides whether the Spurs can extend the 2026 NBA Finals.