Knicks 105, Spurs 104: Four Takeaways After Wemby’s Late Mistake Dooms San Antonio in NBA Finals Game 2

Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals had everything an NBA fan could want in a Finals game. Incredible shotmaking by Knicks wings Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet. An MVP-caliber performance by Karl-Anthony Towns, who is altering his legacy in real time. A fiery fourth-quarter speech by Victor Wembanyama ahead of a 14–0 run with which the Spurs took a late lead.

Unfortunately for the fans in San Antonio, “everything” also includes heartbreak.

After a rough start in which he struggled against Towns, OG Anunoby and the other defenders that New York threw at him, Wembanyama exploded in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his 29 points. But in the game’s most consequential plays, the 22-year-old came up short.

After forcing a Jalen Brunson miss, Wembanyama grabbed the rebound and, in an attempt to force the ball up the floor, threw it to Stephon Castle, who wasn’t anticipating the pass. The ball went off his back. Brunson recovered the loose ball and was fouled. He knocked down one of two free throws to give the Knicks a 105–104 lead.

On the ensuing possession, Wembanyama got a decent look from 20 feet away but couldn’t knock it down, sealing a Knicks win. The series will now head to Madison Square Garden, and New York certainly doesn’t plan to let it return to San Antonio.

Read our four major takeaways from the Knicks’ thrilling Game 2 win below:

The Knicks collapsed, yet somehow survived

Deep exhale, Knicks fans.

It looked like New York had the game well in hand, cruising to a 2–0 lead in the series. Then that carefully stitched plan came apart at the seams. After OG Anunoby threw down a dunk with Victor Wembanyama draped all over him with 6:04 left in the game, the Knicks had a 97-83 lead and were already warming up the bus for the airport. Over the next 3:05, the Spurs reeled off a 14-0 run to tie the game with 2:59 remaining. Mike Brown’s squad looked shell-shocked.

The ensuing final three minutes were a back-and-forth punchfest as both teams threw their best at each other. Anunoby was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all his free throws, which seemed to calm the waters. Then the Spurs would rally and answer every punch with a haymaker of their own. Only a crucial mistake by Wembanyama (more on that later) helped New York come out on top. Even then, the Knicks left the door open for San Antonio to win it at the end.

Let’s be real: New York was lucky to come away with this win. The Knicks authored a complete collapse, but somehow had a few bounces go their way to escape with a win. If they wind up winning the title, no one will remember that awful three-minute stretch that almost cost them a nearly insurmountable lead in the series.

In the end, it was a bad fourth quarter, but they gutted out a tough win.

Karl-Anthony Towns has been the Knicks’ best player

For all the hype Jalen Brunson’s ability in big moments got entering the series—and justifiably so—one guy was overlooked coming into the Finals. And Karl-Anthony Towns has been New York’s best player through the first two games of this series. He put his stamp on Game 2 despite dealing with foul trouble.

Towns led the Knicks with 21 points and 13 rebounds on Friday night, while adding four assists, one steal and a block in 34 minutes. He was 8-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point range, showing the efficiency he has displayed all postseason. Crucially, he led the team in plus/minus at +11 while fellow star Jalen Brunson was a -10 on the night. It’s also worth noting that Towns guarded Wembanyama for most of his minutes.

In New York’s Game 1 win, KAT was just as important. He scored 18 points, had 12 rebounds, four assists and a block in 34 minutes. He was a +14 for the game despite facing off with Wemby.

Towns has been the forgotten man in a postseason run in which his point-per-game average has dropped to 17.0. Yet when the Knicks began using him as more of a distributor—he’s averaging 5.7 assists per game in the playoffs—that’s when they began to flourish. He is now the key to everything they’re doing on offense, as his ability to spread the floor is opening everything up.

He’s a six-time All-Star, but this series is already shaping up to be the best work he has done yet.

It was the best of times/worst of times for Victor Wembanyama down the stretch

Wembanyama took over in the second half and fourth quarter. He had seven points in the first half, then followed it up with 22 in the second to finish with 29 points on the night in an absolutely devastating loss. He did all he could, but he made one big mistake in clutch time that he certainly wishes he could have back.

After a great shot contest on Brunson, Wembanyama grabbed the rebound, started to dribble and looked up the floor. He noticed Stephon Castle open near the sideline and decided to dish it. Just before Wembanyama went to pass, Castle turned up the floor, assuming his star big man would take the ball up himself. The ball hit Castle in the back and landed in Brunson’s hands. Wemby quickly fouled the Knicks point guard to send him to the free-throw line. He made the first shot, which turned into the game-winning point.

Brunson missed the second free throw, giving the Spurs a chance to win the game at the buzzer and tie the series before it shifted to New York. With the game on the line, you knew the Spurs wanted to get Wembanyama the final shot. He got the ball for a pretty solid look, but his shot over Mitchell Robinson was too strong and the Knicks walked away with a shocking win.

The final moments of Game 2 weren’t great for Wemby, but the Spurs would not have come back in the fourth quarter or had a chance to win at the end if it weren’t for him. He got the deep ball going and absolutely took over on both ends of the floor in the second half, but his four turnovers were costly. And the last one stung as San Antonio could have had a great shot to win or at least take the game to overtime if not for the brutal miscue.

The Knicks can end the series at Madison Square Garden

The NBA Finals don’t have to return to San Antonio. 

There’s a lot of basketball to be played before that’s decided, but the Knicks took control in Game 2 and have looked like the much-better team thus far. Brunson didn’t have his usual scoring outburst, but big games from Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet made that a non-factor. 

Most importantly, New York’s physicality has limited Wembanyama at times over Games 1 and 2. He does have 55 points through the first two games, so he’s still had his dominant moments. But the Knicks have made it difficult, and whether it’s Julian Champagnie, De’Aaron Fox or Dylan Harper getting clean looks off the pressure on Wembanyama, New York has adjusted to take away the supplementary scoring.

The Game 2 win extended the Knicks’ playoff winning streak to a whopping 13 games. Only the 2017 Warriors had a better playoff heater with 15 straight wins on their way to the title. If the Knicks sweep the Spurs, they can tie Golden State in the record books as one of the most dominant playoff teams in NBA history.

We knew the first Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years would be special. Now that the Knicks have a shocking 2–0 lead, Monday night’s Game 3 in New York may be one of the best sports environments we’ve seen in years.

NBA Finals Game 2 recap: Knicks 105, Spurs 104

Recapping the New York’s Game 1 win over San Antonio

What ended up as a celebratory night for Knicks fans certainly didn’t begin that way. The Spurs were hot to start the game, outscoring New York 27–19 in the first quarter. The opening frame also saw Brunson exit to the locker room after San Antonio forward Harrison Barnes fell into his knee after a collision with Landry Shamet.

The Knicks’ bench has come up big in the postseason, and in Game 1 backup point guard Jose Alvarado helped keep New York afloat while Brunson was being treated—a period in which the Knicks ate away at the Spurs’ early lead. He returned to the floor with New York down just 31–28 in the second quarter. They’d get within two late in the second quarter, but a quick pair of buckets from De’Aaron Fox and Julian Champagnie extended the San Antonio lead to 55–48 at the half.

The Spurs kept the momentum to start the third quarter, building the lead out to 65–51 with 6:31 remaining, but this Knicks team—which opened the Eastern Conference finals by coming back from a 22-point mid-fourth-quarter deficit against the Cavaliers—was undeterred. They tied the game at 71 on a Brunson jumper less than five minutes of game time later, and entered the fourth tied at 76.

That is when New York hit the gas.

Led by 13 fourth-quarter points by the hobbled Brunson, New York outscored San Antonio 29–19 in the final 12 minutes. The Spurs made a late run, with a pair of Wembanyama free throws putting them up 95–94 with 2:16 left in the game, but the Knicks would score the final 11 points of the game, with Brunson hitting a huge three to take back the lead, and a pullup jumper with 37 seconds left to seal the deal.

More NBA Finals From Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.