Covering the NBA gives you a chance to see a lot of posts from people and a lot of content that makes you shake your head. Almost every casual fan thinks the game consists of nothing but flopping, 3-point shooting only, and either the most skilled players ever, or the worst defenders ever. It is an era of hot takes and all-or-nothing mentality.
It is easier to just watch a highlight and draw a conclusion than watch a full game and see the beautiful passing and movement that sets up those corner threes that we get so bored with. Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals have delivered excellent basketball and I think Game 3 will be wonderful as well.
The San Antonio Spurs blew it. It wasn’t just that they lost Game 2 once; they lost it multiple times. I really don’t think there is even a slim chance the Spurs win the championship any longer. They took five games to beat the Portland Trail Blazers, six to beat Minnesota Timberwolves, and then seven to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a lot of basketball for a team that is basically 25 or younger in almost every key position. I’m not saying that from a fatigue level, but mentally, that’s a lot to manage. We are seeing that they are young and mistake-prone.
In Game 2, the Spurs had a big lead and surrendered it. In the fourth quarter, their leader, Victor Wembanyama, passionately pleaded with his team to get them back into the game. They responded, took the lead, lost the lead, tied it, then blew the game. They somehow got New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson to miss a clutch shot, and then they turned the ball over with a dumb pass – call it miscommunication if you want, I’ll call it dumb.
A Wemby foul and just one free throw hit gave the Spurs the ball back with about seven seconds on the clock. That means the entire playbook was open. Wembanyama settled for a 20-foot jump shot, arguably the worst shot in basketball.
Game over, and the Knicks escape despite blowing a late lead. What is a great sign for the New York squad is that they won that game with a ton of key players in foul trouble. I’m sure if they lost many talking heads would clamor about how the referees were unfair. The referees were terrible for both teams. They are letting a lot of physical play go, and as a viewer, I prefer that. I don’t expect that to be the case for Game 3, as I think they will be influenced heavily by the crowd whenever Brunson gets touched.
KNICKS SURVIVE TO TAKE 2-0 NBA FINALS LEAD AFTER JALEN BRUNSON’S CLUTCH SHOT SINKS SPURS
The Knicks don’t need to do anything different to win this game. Keep rotating out on shooters, keep finding the extra man with their passes. It hasn’t been complicated. They are making the game simple right now and the game is rewarding them.
Madison Square Garden is going to be rocking. Courtside is going to be filled with big names. President Donald Trump will be in the building, and regardless of what you think of him, he will get the most noise when they show him. It will be a madhouse. And you’re trying to tell me the Spurs are going to be ready for that? Not a chance.
I don’t know if it is because they’ve won 13 straight games, or if it is because Wembanyama is a public favorite, but the books continue to misprice the Knicks. I did take the Spurs last game, and for a significant portion of it, they did look like the better team. Still, the Knicks found a way to win. Now they are at home where the place is going to be a madhouse, and they will feast off of the energy (by the way, San Antonio seemed at best like a 50/50 Knicks/Spurs fandom split). Give me the Knicks on the moneyline.
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