The New York Knicks moved within two wins of their first NBA championship since 1973 on Friday night, surviving a late San Antonio rally to defeat the Spurs 105-104 in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals and seize a 2-0 series lead.
The Knicks appeared in control for much of the second half before the Spurs erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit with a 14-0 run. Victor Wembanyama capped the surge with a three-point play that gave San Antonio a 104-102 advantage with less than a minute remaining.
New York answered immediately. Jalen Brunson tied the game and then delivered the decisive sequence after a critical Spurs turnover. With the score knotted at 104-104 and fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Brunson converted a free throw to put the Knicks ahead for good.
San Antonio had one final chance, but Wembanyama’s jumper at the buzzer missed, allowing the Knicks to escape with the victory and maintain home-court advantage heading into Game 3 at Madison Square Garden.
Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 20 points. Brunson struggled from the field for stretches but delivered in the closing moments, helping the Knicks extend their postseason winning streak to 13 games.
Wembanyama rebounded from a difficult Game 1 with a 29-point performance and nearly completed one of the most dramatic comebacks in Finals history. Instead, the Spurs were left to lament a costly late-game miscommunication that resulted in a turnover with the game tied. Wembanyama later accepted responsibility for the mistake.
The result leaves San Antonio facing a steep challenge. No team has won an NBA Finals after losing the first two games at home. The series now shifts to New York, where the Knicks will host Game 3 on Monday night with a chance to move within one victory of the championship.
