The Spurs need another big game from Dylan Harper (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs are now in quite the predicament. The New York Knicks have a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals and Game 3 shifts to Madison Square Garden tonight. San Antonio was right there in both games at home but they were unable to pull out a victory in either contest.
The Spurs don’t have history on their side. No team has ever lost the first two games of the NBA Finals at home and come back to win the championship. That does not mean the Spurs are finished — but it does mean there is no soft way to frame what is in front of them. If San Antonio is going to get back into this series, it has to start tonight in New York.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
The Spurs have nobody listed on the injury report for Game 3. That is good news, especially after the backcourt had to be monitored so closely in the Oklahoma City series.
Just as important, De’Aaron Fox looked like he may finally be recovering from the ankle injury that has bothered him for weeks. In Game 2, Fox had 20 points, five assists and three rebounds while shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range (see the Final Grades). That is the version of Fox the Spurs need going forward.
New York Knicks Injury Update
Nobody is on the injury report for the Knicks either. Mitchell Robinson was questionable heading into the series, then probable heading into Game 2 and now he is no longer listed at all.
Robinson has played well in this series. He had two points and six rebounds in Game 1, then followed that with seven points, three rebounds, a block and a steal in Game 2. Those are not monster scoring numbers but he has given the Knicks rebounding, size, rim protection and another body to throw into the fight around Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
The Spurs will most likely stick with the usual group: Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Wembanyama. There is no obvious reason to panic after two close losses, especially since San Antonio has been in position to win both games. That said, there is at least a small chance Mitch Johnson changes the lineup to try to jumpstart his team. If he does, the most likely move would be elevating Dylan Harper into the starting five.
Beyond Harper, the Spurs need somebody else from the bench to give them something. Harper has done his job — and then some. The problem is that one bench spark is not enough in a Finals game when the margin is this thin. San Antonio needs another reserve to step forward, whether that is Keldon Johnson bringing more scoring punch, Luke Kornet surviving the non-Wembanyama minutes or somebody else giving the second unit a jolt.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Knicks
The Spurs are 1.5-point underdogs and the over/under is 216.5. The smart money is on the under. This has been a low-scoring series so far because both defenses are playing at a high level and there is no reason to expect that to suddenly change in Game 3. Add in the pressure of the moment and this will likely be more like a grind than a shootout.