Victor Wembanyama came through when the Spurs needed him most, scoring 32 points and leading San Antonio to a 115–111 win, cutting the Knicks’ series lead to 2–1.
In what was virtually a must-win game, the Spurs jumped out to an early lead. Wembanyama scored nine in the first quarter, as San Antonio shot 60.9% from the field to build an 11-point lead, 33–22.
The Knicks heated up in the second. Jalen Brunson scored 10 points, and OG Anunoby added 11 as part of a 42-point quarter. New York took a 64–57 lead going into halftime.
The Spurs found their stroke from outside, hitting 5 of their 10 three-point attempts to re-take the lead, 92–91, after three periods.
Both teams’ defenses tightened in the final quarter, forcing perimeter shots. The Knicks went 2-for-14 from three-point range in the final 12, while the Spurs didn’t fair much better from outside. Still, Wembanyama grinded out 10 points and went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, part of his game-high 32, to lead the Spurs to a 115–111 win. Brunson matched Wembanyama with 32 and in a losing effort.
The Spurs look to even the series Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
