The New York Knicks are in cloud nine, as they are now just two wins away from breaking the franchise's 53-year title drought after earning a hard-fought 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals. It was a team effort that helped the Knicks withstand a late surge from the Spurs, and in the end, it was Jalen Brunson who dealt the finishing blows in the form of a tough midrange bucket to tie the game at 104, and an all-important steal to earn free throws in the end to seal the deal.
Brunson, however, did not have a good game whatsoever. That did not prevent him from being impactful towards the end, but overall, the Knicks would not have been in an advantageous position to begin with had it not been for the play of Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns was dominant in the first half, outplaying Victor Wembanyama, and he made the Spurs star's life difficult all night long.
Towns' impact cannot be limited to the box score, and he's been drawing rave reviews for his excellent all-around play. Even Charles Barkley has been thoroughly impressed with how the Knicks star big man has performed.
“The MVP of the Finals is gonna be Karl-Anthony Towns. That man earned his flowers,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA.
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"The MVP of the Finals is gonna be Karl-Anthony Towns. That man earned his flowers"
Charles Barkley has LOVED the play of Karl-Anthony Towns in the first 2 games 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/GxwXO0SK4I
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 6, 2026
Towns, if the series had ended today, certainly would have a strong case to win NBA Finals MVP honors. He has not backed down at all from the challenge of defending Wembanyama, and he's been very dominant on the glass. It's his ability to attack the basket and be aggressive on offense that is warping the frontcourt battle in a way that Chet Holmgren could never do against the Spurs.
The job is far from over for the Knicks, and they know this. But with two games at home coming up, the stars may be aligning for Towns and company.
The New York Knicks are in cloud nine, as they are now just two wins away from breaking the franchise's 53-year title drought after earning a hard-fought 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.