Spurs Rally With Improved Ball Movement As Wembanyama Leads Game 3 Win In The NBA Finals

San Antonio kept the NBA Finals alive with a 115-111 victory over the New York Knicks, cutting the series deficit to 2-1 and snapping New York’s 13-game playoff winning run, while the Knicks also stayed without a Finals home win at Madison Square Garden since 1999 after another tense night.

Victor Wembanyama answered for the late error in Game 2 by driving this response, finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks, shooting 11-of-18 as San Antonio finally protected another early double-digit lead in the opening quarter after failing to do so in the first two games.

The French centre became only the second San Antonio Spurs player to post at least 25 points in three straight NBA Finals games, joining Tim Duncan on that list, while six Spurs players reached double figures, with Stephon Castle providing strong support through 23 points, five rebounds and five assists in an efficient display.

Mitch Johnson highlighted how improved teamwork shaped the San Antonio Spurs offence in this NBA Finals contest, saying: "We made some strides in terms of the ball movement and playing with our team-mates, setting screens, trusting the basketball would find the right guy for our shot. We showed better poise at times. We finished the game still with some things that need improvement, but stronger than we did the last few games."

On the New York Knicks side, Jalen Brunson again led the scoring with 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting at 44 per cent, yet head coach Mike Brown focused on missed fundamentals and the free-throw gap, as the Spurs attempted three times as many foul shots in the second half during key stretches.

Johnson also described how San Antonio Spurs players adjusted their decision-making during this NBA Finals win, adding: "We were in attack mode, but also as a collective group, it showed itself in terms of something would happen, whether it was an initial action or a guy trying to get to the paint. If they didn't have a clear advantage, they were looking for their team-mates. Because we were doing that throughout the night, it was much clearer for team-mates to expect where the ball was going and when it was going to get to them, and then what to do with it when it got to them."

Brown criticised several areas after the New York Knicks dropped this NBA Finals game, stating: "There are some controllables that we did not do a good job of doing. We allowed them to hit first at the beginning of the game. We allowed them to hit first in the beginning of the second half. We turned the ball over, and we were stagnant offensively, and we allowed them to get to the paint, and we did not pay attention to detail to what we are supposed to do defensively."

The result left the New York Knicks ahead 2-1 but under renewed pressure, while the San Antonio Spurs carried momentum from stronger ball movement, better composure and a more balanced attack into the next NBA Finals meeting, knowing similar focus on details at both ends would again be required.