EN 
DE 
Jalen Brunson sank a go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left after San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama turned the ball over. Wembanyama then missed a jumper in the final moments, securing the New York Knicks’ 105-104 victory over the Spurs on Friday night. This win gave New York a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
Knicks coach Mike Brown called it “what a ballgame.” Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 points. The Knicks have now won 13 straight games—the second-longest streak in NBA playoff history.
“New York City showed up,” Towns said. “The fans showed up. The energy showed up. And we found a way to get it done.”
The Knicks join the 1993 Chicago Bulls and the 1995 Houston Rockets as the only teams to start the Finals with two road wins. Both those squads went on to win championships. New York, aiming for its first title since 1973, is in position to follow suit.
Wembanyama, who was quiet in the first half, ended with 29 points for the Spurs. De’Aaron Fox added 20 points.
“We can’t change the past,” Wembanyama said. “We’re already thinking about Game 3.”
The series moves to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday night. Former President Donald Trump, a New York native, plans to attend. Meanwhile, secondary market tickets for the worst seats at MSG approached $9,000 US, showing how eager fans are to witness the Knicks’ quest for a championship.
The Spurs trailed by 14 midway through the fourth quarter but stormed back, scoring 14 straight points to tie the game. Wembanyama’s three-point play with 57 seconds left gave San Antonio their first lead in nearly two quarters at 104-102.
“We showed tremendous desperation, urgency and competitive response,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Hopefully we can try to bottle that up … and try to play to that same level.”
But the Knicks answered with three straight points, all by Brunson. Despite making only his seventh field goal in 24 attempts on the night, Brunson scored to even the score again. After Wembanyama missed a long jumper, OG Anunoby grabbed the rebound for New York with 30 seconds left, and the Knicks called a timeout.
San Antonio briefly stopped the Knicks, but Wembanyama threw the ball away on the ensuing possession. Brunson was fouled, made the free throw, and the Knicks regained the lead. Spurs fans began exiting the arena, possibly for the final time this season.
With 7.5 seconds left, San Antonio called timeout. Fox inbounded to Wembanyama, who had a chance to win the game. His jump shot rimmed out, ending the contest.
“We had to get a stop. We hadn’t gotten a stop all quarter,” Towns said.
They got the stop. Now the Knicks head home, the hottest team in basketball, just two wins away from an NBA championship.