For two games, the NBA Finals felt like they were slipping away from San Antonio. The Knicks looked bigger, tougher, and more prepared for the moment. Every time the Spurs made a run in Games 1 and 2, New York had an answer. The series wasn’t over at 2-0, but it was beginning to feel predictable.
Then Game 3 happened. And honestly, what struck me most wasn’t Victor Wembanyama’s 32 points. It was how different he looked while scoring them.
Earlier in the series, there were moments when he seemed eager to force his imprint on the game. That’s normal for a 22-year-old superstar carrying enormous expectations. On Monday night, though, he played with a level of patience that New York never seemed comfortable dealing with.
When the Knicks sent extra help, he didn’t rush. When Karl-Anthony Towns got physical, he didn’t force difficult shots. When the crowd erupted after a New York run, he didn’t start hunting possessions. He simply kept making the right read.
That’s a harder skill than scoring 30. By the fourth quarter, Madison Square Garden felt strangely quiet whenever the ball found Wembanyama. Not because Knicks fans weren’t engaged, but because there was a growing sense that every possession involving him was ending badly for New York.
The Spurs needed somebody to settle the game whenever it threatened to become chaotic. Wembanyama became that player. His final line — 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals — tells part of the story. What the numbers don’t show is how much control he played with.
For stretches of the second half, he dictated where everyone else on the floor needed to be. That’s a rare trait. Most young stars dominate through talent. The truly special ones eventually learn how to control the pace and shape of a game. Monday felt like one of those nights.
Victor Wembanyama’s Patience Changed the NBA Finals
The Spurs also made a subtle adjustment that deserves more attention. In the first two games, New York did an excellent job pushing Wembanyama away from his preferred spots. In Game 3, San Antonio worked harder to involve him higher on the floor, particularly through ball screens. It created more space for him to attack before help defenders could get organized.
The result wasn’t just better numbers. The entire Spurs offense looked more comfortable. San Antonio finished with 28 assists, but that stat alone doesn’t capture how connected they looked. The ball wasn’t moving for the sake of movement. Every pass seemed to have a purpose behind it. New York spent large stretches rotating defensively instead of dictating the action themselves.
That’s when the Spurs are at their best.
Stephon Castle deserves a lot of credit here as well. His 23 points will stand out in the box score, but I thought his willingness to attack the paint repeatedly was just as important. The rookie kept putting pressure on New York’s defense, forcing rotations and creating opportunities for everyone else.
There were moments when he looked completely unfazed by the environment, which is remarkable considering this was a Finals game inside Madison Square Garden.
The atmosphere was exactly what you’d expect. The building was loud before tipoff. Every Knicks run felt like it might blow the roof off the place. Fans sensed an opportunity to push their team within one win of a championship.
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Yet the Spurs never looked rattled.
That’s probably the most surprising part of the night. This is still one of the youngest teams in the league. They had every reason to panic after losing the first two games of the series. Instead, they looked like the more composed team for much of the second half.
I actually thought San Antonio’s defense was the biggest reason they won. Wembanyama’s scoring will dominate headlines, but New York’s offense felt uncomfortable down the stretch. The Knicks managed only 20 points in the fourth quarter, and many of their possessions ended with difficult shots late in the clock.
Towns never seemed able to fully establish himself as the offensive hub he’s been throughout much of the postseason. Jalen Brunson had his moments, but San Antonio did a better job crowding driving lanes and making every touch more difficult.
The Knicks didn’t suddenly become a bad offensive team. The Spurs simply stopped allowing them to play comfortably. That’s an important distinction. As impressive as Game 3 was, I’m not ready to declare a dramatic shift in the series.
New York still leads 2-1. The Knicks are still one of the best home teams in basketball. And championship teams usually respond well after disappointing losses. But the feeling around this matchup is different now. Before Monday night, the Spurs looked like a talented young team trying to survive against a more complete opponent.
After Monday night, they look like a team that may have finally found the answers it was searching for. More importantly, Wembanyama looked like a player who understands exactly what this stage requires.
A few hours before the game, he was sitting in a New York park sketching a statue and trying to clear his mind. A few hours later, he walked into Madison Square Garden and delivered the performance San Antonio’s season desperately needed.
Not every superstar responds to pressure by slowing the game down. Wembanyama did. And that’s why this Finals suddenly feels a lot more interesting than it did 48 hours ago.
