San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson praised Victor Wembanyama’s approach after San Antonio beat the New York Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
After dropping the first two games of the NBA Finals at home, Wembanyama responded with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks as the Spurs cut the Knicks' lead to 2-1. SNY Knicks shared Johnson’s postgame comments on X, formerly Twitter, after San Antonio snapped the Knicks’ 13-game postseason winning streak.
“I don't think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than strong performance and him being on his front foot in terms of attack mode”
"I don't think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than strong performance and him being on his front foot in terms of attack mode"
Mitch Johnson on Victor Wembanyama's Game 3 performance: pic.twitter.com/npLtoFSXRc
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 9, 2026
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Wembanyama’s Game 3 effort followed a difficult end to Game 2, which left the Spurs trailing 2-0 in the series after a last-second mishap where he passed the ball into an unsuspecting Stephon Castle’s back. Needing a crucial road victory to avoid a 3-0 hole, Wembanyama delivered his strongest performance of the series to secure his first career NBA Finals win.
The 22-year-old forward shot 11-of-18 from the field as the Spurs took down New York in the Knicks’ first home Finals game since 1999. His dominant performance handed New York its first defeat since dropping two games to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round while giving the Spurs a crucial first victory of the series.
Johnson’s comments reflected the coaching staff’s confidence in Wembanyama under pressure. Rather than framing the performance as unexpected, Johnson pointed to the superstar's aggressive approach as the standard San Antonio expects from its franchise star.
The series remains in New York for Game 4, with the Knicks leading the NBA Finals 2-1 and the Spurs back in contention after their Game 3 road win.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson praised Victor Wembanyama’s approach after San Antonio beat the New York Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. After dropping the first two games of the NBA Finals at home, Wembanyama responded with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks as the Spurs cut the Knicks' lead to 2-1.