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NEW YORK -- Victor Wembanyama recorded 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in his first NBA Finals win, carrying the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 victory on Monday night that cut the New York Knicks' series lead to 2-1.
The Spurs handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days and potentially salvaged their season in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that included President Donald Trump.
"The fans are great," Knicks Coach Mike Brown said. "The energy around the city, the energy in the building. It's off the charts. You love it."
Added Karl-Anthony Towns, "Of course our fans brought it. They always do. Of course they lived up to the expectations and exceeded them. We didn't do our job to give them something to cheer for after the game."
The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history, snapped and missed a chance to move to the brink of their first championship since 1973.
Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox hit big shots late as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole, which no NBA team has escaped in any round. Now they can tie the series Wednesday night and are guaranteed another game at home, with Game 5 scheduled for Saturday.
"(Castle) might be the most mature player on our team," Wembanyama said. "He's been in big games before. ... i'm not surprised by this. He's shown over and over again he's capable and that we are right to put our trust in him"
Castle finished with 23 points as the Spurs got started in their quest to become the first team to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two at home.
"They were down 2-0," said New York guard Josh Hart, who finished with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. "You knew they were going to come out with a sense of urgency and a sense of desperation. We should've started the game off better. We should've started the third quarter off better."
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and OG Anunoby added 28 for the Knicks, who lost for the first time since April 23 in Game 3 of their first-round series against Atlanta.
"We weren't as connected as we normally are," Anunoby said. "We had some mental mishaps and allowed some easy buckets"
Fans who endured long lines to get in with the extra security measures in place -- and some who paid five-figure sums for the chance to do so -- were treated to a back-and-forth game in the NBA Finals' first trip to Madison Square Garden since 1999.
Wembanyama, the 7-4 Frenchman whose turnover late in Game 2 ended the Spurs' hopes, didn't make many mistakes Monday and against was disruptive on defense with three blocks and two steals. He has 10 blocks and 5 steals through the first three games of the series.
"I'm sure Victor has numerous sources of motivation," Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson said. "I don't think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance."
Wembanyama scored 10 points in the final quarter, helping the Spurs build just enough of a cushion to withstand another Brunson-led comeback attempt. Brunson finished with five of New York's 13 turnovers.
"Offensively, we were about as stagnant as I've seen us all year," Brown said. "You're in an NBA Finals game and you have 13 turnovers to their eight, and on those 13 turnovers they generated 21 points and on their eight turnovers we generated seven, it's going to be tough. The turnover situation, the free-throw situation, the attention to detail about keeping them out of the paint and taking away the vertical threat were not good tonight."
Brown was critical of the officiating crew after the game. San Antonio attempted 32 free throws to New York's 22.
"I want to make sure I get something clear, Coach Mitch Johnson and the Spurs, they won the game tonight," Brown said. "They came and took the game, but I will say this, I never thought I'd be in an NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free-throw attempts in the second half to the other team's eight. I don't think I complain much about officials, or the fairness when it comes to free-throw attempts ... maybe we were fouling, but they fouled too. ... All the shots we took, we got fouled four times?
"Again, I don't complain much. I never thought I'd see that in an NBA Finals game, and I saw it tonight. It's tough to overcome when you're playing against a great team."
Minutes after Trump was loudly booed while shown during the national anthem, the Spurs got off to an ideal start. Wembanyama dunked for their first two baskets and they had a double-digit lead 4 1/2 minutes into the game. San Antonio made nine of its first 11 shots, with the Knicks and their fans frustrated by the referees and the home team's sloppy play, and led 33-22 after one.
The Garden crowd didn't really start to rock until Anunoby's three-pointer capped an 11-2 surge that cut it to 40-38. The Knicks got their first lead of the night on Brunson's 26-footer as part of a big burst to finish the half. New York led 64-57 at the halftime break.
But the Spurs went back ahead in the third quarter and led 111-104 on Castle's three-pointer with 1:53 to play. Castle then closed the scoring with two free throws with 6.8 seconds left after Anunoby's three-pointer cut it to two.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots as New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defend during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots as New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defend during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past San Antonio Spurs defenders during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past San Antonio Spurs defenders during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby shoots against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (Geoff Burke/Pool Photo via AP)
New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby shoots against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (Geoff Burke/Pool Photo via AP)
President Donald Trump watches Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Knicks owner James Dolan and Kai Trump. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump watches Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Knicks owner James Dolan and Kai Trump. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)