Game ID: 42500403
San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks
Monday, June 8, 2026 at 8:30 PM ET
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
NYK 22 42 27 20 111SAS 33 24 35 23 115
NYK vs SAS ScoutingNYK vs SAS Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
NYK availability going into 5/23 · 1 day's restBACK Anunoby back 5/19 after 2, 33 min since (99% of 33)
NYK availability going into 5/25 · 1 day's restBACK Anunoby back 5/19 after 2, 32 min since (97% of 33)
NYK availability going into 6/03 · 8 days' restBACK Anunoby back 5/19 after 2, 31 min since (93% of 33)
NYK availability going into 6/05 · 1 day's restBACK Anunoby back 5/19 after 2, 31 min since (93% of 33)
NYK availability going into 6/08 · 2 days' restOUT Kolek missed 2 since 6/03, out tonight
NYK availability going into 6/10 · 1 day's restOUT Kolek missed 3 since 6/03, out tonight
NEW Shamet 21 to 27 min over the last 5
NYK availability going into 6/13 · 2 days' restOUT Kolek missed 4 since 6/03, out tonight
SAS availability going into 5/28 · 1 day's restBACK Fox back 5/22 after 2, 31 min since (100% of 32)
NEW Vassell 32 to 39 min over the last 5
NEW Castle 31 to 37 min over the last 5
NEW Wembanyama 30 to 39 min over the last 5
NEW Champagnie 28 to 35 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 5/30 · 1 day's restBACK Fox back 5/22 after 2, 30 min since (95% of 32)
SAS availability going into 6/03 · 3 days' restBACK Fox back 5/22 after 2, 31 min since (99% of 32)
NEW Wembanyama 30 to 36 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 6/05 · 1 day's rest
full strength
SAS availability going into 6/08 · 2 days' restNEW Wembanyama 30 to 37 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 6/10 · 1 day's restNEW Wembanyama 30 to 37 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 6/13 · 2 days' restOUT Barnes missed 2 since 6/08, out tonight
NEW Vassell 32 to 37 min over the last 5
NEW Wembanyama 30 to 41 min over the last 5
NEW Harper 24 to 30 min over the last 5
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
New York comes in 5-0 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 99, shooting 48 percent and 38 from three, 20 free throws a game; Brunson at 23 and Towns at 18 a game. That is 5 straight wins. It has won the glass by 5 a night. 2 days' rest. San Antonio comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 106, shooting 43 percent and 34 from three, 26 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 25 and Castle at 18 a game. 2 days' rest.
So: New York wins, and the game turns on the defense, New York allowing 99 a night to San Antonio's 106 and the line, where San Antonio takes 26 free throws a game to New York's 20. Call it New York 113, San Antonio 107.
5/23 @ CLE 121-108 — NYK notes
NYK won 121-108. NYK shot 56% (43 of 77) to CLE's 50%, 11 of 28 from three, and went to the line 27 times to CLE's 19 — 24 points from the stripe to their 12. Brunson led with 30 (10 of 19, 0 of 4 from three, 10 of 12 at the line); Bridges added 22, Anunoby 21. The hinge was Q1, 37-27: from level to 10 ahead, and the lead reached 17. Towns was the night's best plus/minus at +23.
5/25 @ CLE 130-93 — NYK notes
NYK won 130-93. NYK shot 49% (48 of 98) to CLE's 42%, 19 of 43 from three. NYK turned it over 13 times to CLE's 22. The glass went 60-33 for them. Towns led with 19 (8 of 11, 3 of 3 from three); Anunoby added 17, Shamet 16. The hinge was Q1, 38-26: from level to 12 ahead, and the lead reached 45. Shamet was the night's best plus/minus at +28.
6/03 @ SAS 105-95 — NYK notes
NYK won 105-95. NYK shot 41% (39 of 94) to SAS's 36%, 11 of 36 from three, and got to the line 18 times to SAS's 25. NYK turned it over 8 times to SAS's 13. Brunson led with 30 (12 of 31, 2 of 9 from three); Towns added 18, Anunoby 17. The hinge was Q4, 29-19: from level to 10 ahead. NYK trailed 48-55 at the half and won the second half 57-40. Hart was the night's best plus/minus at +22.
6/05 @ SAS 105-104 — NYK notes
NYK won 105-104. NYK shot 42% (37 of 89) to SAS's 47%, 15 of 38 from three, and got to the line 21 times to SAS's 27. Towns led with 21 (8 of 12, 3 of 5 from three); Bridges added 20, Brunson 20. The hinge was Q2, 31-18: NYK came in trailing by 9 and left it ahead by 4.
6/08 vs SAS 111-115 — NYK notes
NYK lost 111-115. NYK shot 45% (40 of 88) to SAS's 46%, 13 of 37 from three, and got to the line 22 times to SAS's 32. NYK turned it over 13 times to SAS's 8. Brunson led with 32 (11 of 25, 3 of 5 from three, 7 of 8 at the line); Anunoby added 28, Hart 16. Q2 was theirs, 42-24, turning a 11-point deficit into a 7-point lead, but the other 3 periods went 91-69 against them. Shamet's -20 in 23 minutes was the worst on the floor.
6/10 vs SAS — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
New York comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 103, shooting 46 percent and 38 from three, 22 free throws a game; Brunson at 25 and Anunoby at 20 a game. It has won the glass by 7 a night. One day's rest. San Antonio comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 103, shooting 44 percent and 35 from three, 26 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 27 and Castle at 17 a game. One day's rest.
So: New York wins, and the game turns on the glass, where New York has been plus-7 a night and San Antonio plus-1. Call it New York 112, San Antonio 109, San Antonio keeping it close.
6/13 @ SAS — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 106, shooting 43 percent and 36 from three, 25 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 27 and Castle at 17 a game. Without Barnes (2 straight). 2 days' rest. New York comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 112 a night and allowing 103, shooting 45 percent and 39 from three, 22 free throws a game; Brunson at 27 and Anunoby at 22 a game. It has won the glass by 6 a night. 2 days' rest.
So: San Antonio wins, and the game turns on the glass, where New York has been plus-6 a night and San Antonio minus-0. Call it San Antonio 111, New York 110, New York keeping it close.
5/28 vs OKC 118-91 — SAS notes
SAS won 118-91. SAS shot 47% (41 of 88) to OKC's 37%, 15 of 41 from three, and went to the line 25 times to OKC's 12 — 21 points from the stripe to their 11. The glass went 52-42 for them. Wembanyama led with 28 (10 of 21, 4 of 9 from three); Harper added 18, Castle 17. The hinge was Q3, 32-13: a lead of 7 became 26. Champagnie was the night's best plus/minus at +24.
5/30 @ OKC 111-103 — SAS notes
SAS won 111-103. SAS shot 45% (40 of 88) to OKC's 45%, 17 of 40 from three. Wembanyama led with 22 (7 of 15, 3 of 5 from three, 5 of 7 at the line); Champagnie added 20, Castle 16. The hinge was Q1, 32-25: from level to 7 ahead. Champagnie was the night's best plus/minus at +16.
6/03 vs NYK 95-105 — SAS notes
SAS lost 95-105. SAS shot 36% (32 of 89) to NYK's 41%, 11 of 43 from three, and went to the line 25 times to NYK's 18 — 20 points from the stripe to their 16. SAS turned it over 13 times to NYK's 8, and NYK turned those into 8 steals. Wembanyama led with 26 (6 of 21, 2 of 9 from three, 12 of 13 at the line); Castle added 17, Champagnie 16. Q1 was theirs, 27-19, but the other 3 periods went 86-68 against them. They led by as many as 14. Vassell's -13 in 36 minutes was the worst on the floor.
6/05 vs NYK 104-105 — SAS notes
SAS lost 104-105. SAS shot 47% (37 of 78) to NYK's 42%, 11 of 29 from three, and went to the line 27 times to NYK's 21 — 19 points from the stripe to their 16. Wembanyama led with 29 (11 of 21, 2 of 6 from three, 5 of 8 at the line); Fox added 20, Harper 15. Q1 was theirs, 34-25, but the other 3 periods went 80-70 against them. They led by as many as 12.
6/08 @ NYK 115-111 — SAS notes
SAS won 115-111. SAS shot 46% (39 of 84) to NYK's 45%, 12 of 34 from three, and went to the line 32 times to NYK's 22 — 25 points from the stripe to their 18. SAS turned it over 8 times to NYK's 13. Wembanyama led with 32 (11 of 18, 2 of 4 from three, 8 of 9 at the line); Castle added 23, Harper 13. The hinge was Q1, 33-22: from level to 11 ahead. SAS trailed 57-64 at the half and won the second half 58-47. Johnson was the night's best plus/minus at +14.
6/10 @ NYK — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
New York comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 103, shooting 46 percent and 38 from three, 22 free throws a game; Brunson at 25 and Anunoby at 20 a game. It has won the glass by 7 a night. One day's rest. San Antonio comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 103, shooting 44 percent and 35 from three, 26 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 27 and Castle at 17 a game. One day's rest.
So: New York wins, and the game turns on the glass, where New York has been plus-7 a night and San Antonio plus-1. Call it New York 112, San Antonio 109, San Antonio keeping it close.
6/13 vs NYK — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 106, shooting 43 percent and 36 from three, 25 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 27 and Castle at 17 a game. Without Barnes (2 straight). 2 days' rest. New York comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 112 a night and allowing 103, shooting 45 percent and 39 from three, 22 free throws a game; Brunson at 27 and Anunoby at 22 a game. It has won the glass by 6 a night. 2 days' rest.
So: San Antonio wins, and the game turns on the glass, where New York has been plus-6 a night and San Antonio minus-0. Call it San Antonio 111, New York 110, New York keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
SASCB C. Bryant
DF D. Fox
DH D. Harper
DV D. Vassell
JC J. Champagnie
KJ K. Johnson
LK L. Kornet
SC S. Castle
VW V. Wembanyama
NYKJA J. Alvarado
JB J. Brunson
JC J. Clarkson
JH J. Hart
KT K. Towns
LS L. Shamet
MB M. Bridges
MM M. McBride
MR M. Robinson
OA O. Anunoby
SAS/NYK the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Victor Wembanyama carries Spurs to 115-111 win that cuts Knicks' NBA Finals lead to 2-1
NEW YORK -- — Victor Wembanyama has his first NBA Finals win — and the New York Knicks suddenly have a lot of work left to end their 53-year championship drought.
Wembanyama had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists, carrying the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 victory Monday night that cut the Knicks’ lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
San Antonio is trying to make a first-of-its-kind NBA Finals comeback, and the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama , with his array of skills, makes anything look possible.
“I’m sure Victor has numerous sources of motivation,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I don’t think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance.”
The Spurs handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days and potentially salvaged their season in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that included President Donald Trump .
The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history, snapped and missed a chance to move to the brink of their first title since 1973. Their previous loss occurred on April 23 in a one-point defeat to the Atlanta Hawks . They won the next three against Atlanta, swept Philadelphia and Cleveland and took the first two games against the Spurs.
The run stirred New York into a frenzy, with raucous watch parties, fans paying outrageous sums of money for tickets and “Knicks In Four” becoming a daily greeting on streets, subway cars and in workplaces.
But Wembanyama and the Spurs ended the streak and ruined the Knicks' first home NBA Finals game since 1999.
“At home, it really feels like playing six against five. Here, it feels like five against six,” Wembanyama said. “It really shows what teams are made of.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown complained about the Spurs’ 24-8 advantage in free throw attempts in the second half.
“I tell the guys, it’s a seven-game series for a reason,” Brown said. “They are a great team. They are well-coached. They have an iconic player. It’s not going to be easy.”
Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox hit big shots late as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole, which no NBA team has escaped. Now they can tie the series Wednesday night and are guaranteed another game at home, with Game 5 scheduled for Saturday.
Castle finished with 23 points as the Spurs got started in their quest to become the first team to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two games at home.
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and OG Anunoby had 28 for the Knicks.
Fans who endured long lines to get in with the extra security measures in place — and some who paid five-figure sums for the chance to do so — were treated to a back-and-forth game as the NBA Finals returned to Madison Square Garden for the first time in 27 years.
Wembanyama, whose turnover late in Game 2 cost the Spurs dearly, didn’t make many mistakes Monday. He had 10 points in the final quarter, helping San Antonio build just enough of a cushion to withstand Brunson's latest comeback attempt.
Minutes after Trump was booed loudly when he was shown during the national anthem, the Spurs got off to an ideal start. Wembanyama dunked for their first two baskets and they had a double-digit lead 4 1/2 minutes into the game. San Antonio made nine of its first 11 shots, with the Knicks and their fans frustrated by the referees and the home team’s sloppy play, and led 33-22 after one.
The Garden crowd didn’t really start to rock until Anunoby’s 3-pointer capped an 11-2 surge that cut it to 40-38. The Knicks got their first lead of the night on Brunson's 26-footer as part of a big burst to finish the half. New York led 64-57 at the break.
But the Spurs went back ahead in the third quarter and led 111-104 on Castle's 3-pointer with 1:53 to play. Castle then closed the scoring with two free throws with 6.8 seconds left after Anunoby's 3-pointer cut it to two.
The Knicks had piled up massive scoring margins while romping through the Eastern Conference playoffs, then were just good enough in the two games in San Antonio. This time, a horrible start to the fourth quarter put them too far behind.
A star-studded crowd that included Derek Jeter and Eli Manning, champions of New York teams in other sports, was hoping to see the Knicks move closer to a third NBA title. But with Karl-Anthony Towns limited to 11 points and Mikal Bridges saddled with foul trouble, a team that had been so potent in the postseason struggled for long stretches.