The New York Knicks’ bid to take a commanding lead in the NBA Finals stalled Monday night as the San Antonio Spurs earned a 115-111 victory in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, handing the Knicks their first loss of the championship series.
Facing the prospect of falling into a 3-0 hole, San Antonio responded with its most complete performance of the Finals. The Spurs overcame a second-quarter surge by New York and executed down the stretch to trim the Knicks’ series lead to 2-1.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks, delivering a dominant two-way effort after criticism following a late-game mistake in Game 2. Rookie guard Stephon Castle added 23 points, including key free throws in the closing seconds.
The Spurs built an early double-digit lead before the Knicks answered with a 42-point second quarter. New York erased a 12-point deficit and appeared to seize momentum heading into halftime. But San Antonio regrouped during the break and outplayed the Knicks in critical stretches of the second half.
OG Anunoby paced New York with 28 points, while Jalen Brunson finished with 11 field goals but struggled for efficiency and committed five turnovers. Karl-Anthony Towns was held to 11 points, and Mikal Bridges scored just two as the Knicks’ supporting cast failed to match its production from the first two games.
The Knicks’ offense sputtered late. New York shot poorly from three-point range in the fourth quarter and was unable to generate enough quality looks against a Spurs defense anchored by Wembanyama.
San Antonio’s victory snapped New York’s 13-game postseason winning streak and restored intrigue to a series that had appeared to be slipping away from the Spurs after two narrow home losses.
“We went into attack mode,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game, describing the mindset his team adopted entering the must-win contest.
Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Spurs will attempt to even the series and the Knicks will seek to move within one win of their first NBA championship since 1973.
Watch the highlights from Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals on YouTube.
