Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks held off a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback from the San Antonio Spurs to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals 105-104 on Friday night, with Victor Wembanyama missing a game-winning jumper at the buzzer.
Brunson hit a go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left after Wembanyama threw the ball off Stephon Castle’s back, and Wemby’s desperation jumper at the horn rimmed out.
Just like that, the Knicks come home up 2-0, two wins away from their first championship since 1973.
Wembanyama, who finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks, said afterward: “We can’t change the past. We’re already thinking about Game 3.”
Good luck getting in to watch it.
Speaking to reporters Sunday ahead of Game 3, Knicks guard Josh Hart didn’t hold back on the insane ticket prices for the game.
“I kind of wish the ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are,” he said. “I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time, unfortunately, aren’t able to get into the building. The cheapest ticket is $7K, $8,000. That’s ridiculous.”
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Things didn’t start out this way. Before the NBA Finals tipped off, the cheapest ticket for Game 3 stood at around $3,789, according to NorthJersey.com’s John Connolly.
However, after New York’s dramatic Game 2 win, it was reported that the lowest-priced single ticket had skyrocketed to more than $11,500 on StubHub.
But the market showed the first signs of softening on Sunday.
TickPick was reportedly showing two pairs of tickets dipping just under $7,000 each, hardly a bargain, but a notable drop from the previous $11,500 price tag.
Still, the average ticket price for Game 3 currently sits at around $17,398. And if you want to get near the court and celebrity row, you’re looking at over $100,000 for a single ticket.
Jaclyn Sienna India, founder of concierge agency Sienna Charles, told the Wall Street Journal her team has already spent as much as $176,000 for a single ticket. “If you’re not there, you’re a loser,” she said.
President Donald Trump and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani are both set to be in attendance for Game 3, alongside expected courtside regulars Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and Tracy Morgan.
The interest in this series has been off the charts. New York’s Game 1 win averaged 16.93 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched Game 1 since 2018 and up 90% from last year.
Demand is high, and unfortunately, that means a lot of the real fans won’t be able to afford to get in.
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