Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs got a huge win in NYC (Photo via X)
We have a series. After losing a pair of contests at the Frost Bank Center, the San Antonio Spurs went out on the road and won a game in Madison Square Garden. Thanks to a monster game by Victor Wembanyama and clutch shots by De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, the Spurs now have life and could potentially tie the series on Wednesday night.
Stats: Spurs at Knicks
Spurs at Knicks – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama set the tone early for the good guys. He got all the way to the rim and hit his first four shots to ensure that San Antonio got off on the right foot. From then on, Wembanyama played a patient, clean, smart brand of basketball. His efficiency was amazing, as he finished with 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the field, 2-for-4 from deep and 8-for-9 at the line. The superstar Frenchman dished out six assists while turning it over only once. Defensively, he was great. He was strong on the boards, protected the rim with gusto and moved his feet well out on the perimeter. After the pair of disappointing home losses to begin the NBA Finals, Spurs couldn’t have asked for much more out of Wembanyama tonight. Well done.
Grade: A
De’Aaron Fox
Fox missed all five of his three-point attempts but otherwise he was solid. Let’s start at the end. He hit a self-created midrange jumper with 12 seconds remaining to give the Spurs a five-point lead and essentially seal the win. Fox’s passing, particularly to Wembanyama, was great. He finished with a team-high eight assists while turning it over only twice. Defensively, I was pretty darn impressed with Fox. He was tough against bigger players and stayed in front of New York’s guards. In the fourth quarter, he had a pair of blocked shots that illustrated his toughness on that end. All in all, the Spurs don’t win this game without Fox’s steady hand.
Grade: B
Stephon Castle
Castle looked like the best player on the court in the first half. Without his production in the opening two quarters, the Spurs would have been in a world of hurt. At intermission the 21-year-old had 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field. While Castle only had five points in the second half, his gigantic three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining will always be remembered. Offensively, his efficiency was vital. He shot well, passed it well, limited his turnovers and made smart decisions. Defensively, Castle was even better. He did wonderful work on Brunson and everyone else he went up against. He had some brilliant maneuvers that allowed him to avoid costly fouls in key moments. Awesome game by the youngster in a big-time moment.
Grade: A
Devin Vassell
Vassell stuck to his role and did great. Offensively, he only shot four times but scored 11 points mostly due to burying three three-pointers. Vassell staying within the offense was key, as was limiting his questionable decisions. Defensively, he was stout. He looked swift out on the perimeter, muscled up in the paint when it was needed and helped out on the boards. Vassell continues to play winning basketball … even with the lights shining as bright as possible.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
In 27 minutes of action, Champagnie provided a much-needed punch on the offensive end. He hit three three-pointers, a driving layup and a free throw. To go along with his 12 points, Champagnie had a couple slick passes and was the only starter to not turn the ball over. Defensively, I was impressed. The Knicks pick Champagnie to attack but he’s holding up pretty darn well. It’s rare when he allows a clear shot in one-on-one situations.
Grade: A-
Dylan Harper
Harper finished the game with a team-high nine rebounds. Those boards were anything but fluky. He grabbed contested rebound after contested rebound. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a guard on the Spurs have such an impactful rebounding night as Harper had tonight. Without his rebounding, the Spurs were toast. When he wasn’t rebounding, the 20-year-old was playing excellent, wise, disciplined defense out on the floor. Offensively, Harper passed the ball really well and went without a turnover in 32 minutes of action. The rookie led the bench with 13 points but, yes, it must be noted that he was 1-for-8 from three-point territory and 4-for-10 on two-pointers. Harper’s shot was misaligned but, man, he was otherwise so damn good.
Grade: A-
Keldon Johnson
The good: Johnson played with the palpable enthusiasm that has made him valuable all season long. I liked his effort on the boards and he had a couple of important finishes at the rim. Defensively, his toughness gave the Spurs an edge. The bad: Johnson was 1-for-4 from the free throw line. There were some unwise decisions with the ball and a couple silly fouls. Overall: Johnson played hard enough that his mistakes were overshadowed by his electricity boost.
Grade: B
Luke Kornet
It wasn’t the prettiest nine minutes of Kornet’s life. When he first stepped onto the court, the Knicks went right at him and had immediate success. Thankfully, the coaching staff switched up the defensive assignments and that allowed Kornet to eventually settle in a little bit. He got on the boards, had a few smart dishes and was disruptive enough to hold down the fort.
Grade: B
Carter Bryant
Bryant is obviously tasked with going in and playing as hard as humanly possible. I thought he did pretty well in his four minutes. The rookie nailed a three-pointer, had a gorgeous block out on the perimeter and delivered a couple bone-rattling hits.
Grade: Inc.
Mitch Johnson
Well done by Coach Mitch. I liked the rotation for the most part. Eliminating Barnes was smart, although the Bryant minutes in the Finals have seemed to coincide with Knicks runs. I thought he was wise about maximizing Wembanyama’s rest to keep him fresh at the end. Coach Mitch trusted Harper at the end — and I thought that was smart. He also coaxed good minutes out of KJ. As far as the offensive gameplan was concerned, getting Wembanyama going early was indeed smart. Getting him the ball closer to the basket was a wise adjustment. Defensively, the Spurs kept switching things up and that allowed them to keep the Knicks out of rhythm.
Grade: A-