Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will take the court for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Monday night, playing with desperation as they trail the Knicks 0-2 in the championship series.
The MSG crowd will be absolutely rocking for its first NBA Finals game since 1999, as the red-hot Knicks go after the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973.
Wembanyama looked somewhat affected by the pressure of playing in his first NBA Finals in Game 1 and Game 2. But as the 7-foot-4 Frenchman prepares for his first playoff game at MSG, he has a confident attitude about playing on basketball’s biggest stage.
Wembanyama was asked if the intensity of the crowd at MSG would affect him and the Spurs as they look to notch their first win of the series.
“Not really. It could be, but isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years,” Wembanyama replied. “I think I’m good at it, so it’s not a problem.”
Wembanyama made his Madison Square Garden debut in his rookie season as the Spurs’ No. 1 overall pick in 2024, recording 18 points, six rebounds and two blocks. He returned to MSG for another regular-season matchup earlier this year, recording 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in a 114-89 loss.
“It’s been very enjoyable playing here,” Wembanyama said of MSG.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
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