NEW YORK – Victor Wembanyama produced 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks Monday night for the San Antonio Spurs, who got back into the NBA Finals by beating the red-hot New York Knicks 115-111 in Game 3.
The Knicks still lead the best-of-seven series two games to one. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday night in New York.
The defeat snapped the Knicks’ 13-game winning streak, the second-longest postseason streak in NBA history. The 2017 Golden State Warriors won their first 15 playoff games en route to the title.
New York’s previous loss was a 109-108 setback against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round series on April 23.
Stephon Castle contributed 23 points for the Spurs – 18 in the first half and five key points late in the fourth quarter.
Dylan Harper scored 13 points off the San Antonio bench while starters Julian Champagnie (12 points), De’Aaron Fox (12 points) and Devin Vassell (11 points) all got into double figures. Fox added eight assists.
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting for the Knicks. OG Anunoby had 28 points, hitting 9 of 13 from the floor, while Josh Hart put up 16 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 11 points, and reserve Jordan Clarkson scored 10 points.
Hart grabbed a team-high nine rebounds as New York finished with a 46-37 edge on the glass.
The teams shot a combined 27.1% (13-for-48) in the fourth. The Spurs maintained at least a two-possession lead for more than 10 minutes, but Brunson and Anunoby hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the final 34 seconds to pull the Knicks within 113-111 with 9.4 seconds to go.
New York had been 0-for-10 from 3-point range in the final period before those two treys.
Following a timeout, Castle sank two free throws with 6.8 seconds left. Mikal Bridges and Anunoby missed 3-pointers just before time expired.
San Antonio held on despite hitting just 1 of 9 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. The Spurs’ only 3-pointer of the period came from Castle with 1:53 left, putting the visitors up by seven.
Wembanyama scored the game’s first four points via dunks as the Spurs opened on a 7-0 run. San Antonio led by as many as 12 points before ending the quarter with a 33-22 edge.
A pair of free throws by Castle put the Spurs up 38-27 early in the second before the Knicks ended the half on a 37-19 run. Brunson scored 10 points during the surge, including a 3-pointer in the midst of an 8-0 run over the last 1:15 that gave New York a 64-57 lead at intermission.
Champagnie scored the first six points of the third quarter to spark a resurgent period for the Spurs, who outscored the Knicks 35-27 to take a 92-91 lead.
-Jerry Beach, Field Level Media
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