Spurs 95, Knicks 105 — and the score actually flatters San Antonio. This was a home Finals opener the Spurs led wire-to-wire in the first half and then handed away like they were scared of it. Here’s the autopsy.
They had it, then quit playing
Up 55-48 at the break, the Spurs got outscored 57-40 after halftime — 28-21 in the third, 29-19 in the fourth. A team in its first Finals walked into the locker room with a lead and came out playing not to lose. That’s not bad luck. That’s a soft team flinching under the lights.
Wembanyama bricked his way to a fake 26
Yes, 26 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks. Now look closer: 6-of-21 from the floor (28.6%), 2-of-9 from three, and twelve of his points came from the free-throw line. Strip the freebies and your franchise centerpiece shot the building down while jacking nine threes in a Finals game. Worst of all — six turnovers against two assists. When the offense needed a hub, he was a sieve.
De’Aaron Fox was a no-show, and that’s being generous
7 points on 3-of-13, 0-for-4 from deep, five fouls, three turnovers. Your second star, your supposed closer, contributed nothing and fouled like he was trying to get ejected to escape. In a 10-point loss, that’s the difference, full stop.
The three-point chuck-fest
11-of-43 from three — 25.6%. Forty-three attempts. A team shooting 36% overall kept launching from the perimeter instead of attacking a Knicks defense that gave up 42 paint attempts. That’s not a game plan, that’s a prayer.
They got bullied on the glass where it counted
Knicks: 23 second-chance points on 69% second-chance shooting, plus 50 in the paint. Josh Hart alone had 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and a +22 while scoring 3 points — he beat the Spurs without shooting, which should be humiliating. New York also turned 13 San Antonio giveaways into 19 points.
The brutal part: the Knicks won this ugly
Brunson went 12-of-31 (38.7%). Nobody on New York lit it up. The Spurs lost a game in which their opponent’s best player shot under 39% — because their own stars were worse and their compete level evaporated after halftime.
Bright spots, since they exist: rookie Dylan Harper (16 on 6-of-10) and Champagnie (16, 10 boards, 5 threes) were the only Spurs who looked like they belonged.
Bottom line — San Antonio didn’t get beaten by a juggernaut. They got out-toughed, out-rebounded, and out-composed, and their two stars combined to shoot 9-of-34. Game 2 is Friday. If Fox and Wembanyama play like that again, this series won’t reach a Game 6.
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