Spurs Seek Game 2 Offensive Reset After 95-Point Finals Opener as 16 Assists Mark Season Low
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Spurs Seek Game 2 Offensive Reset After 95-Point Finals Opener as 16 Assists Mark Season Low
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Summary
San Antonio spent Thursday framing its 105-95 Game 1 loss as an outlier, with Victor Wembanyama saying the Spurs need a better mental state and a more "normal" offense in Friday's must-win home spot.
A 99.0 offensive rating, 16 assists and a 40-point second half captured the breakdown: too much hero-ball, too little cutting and screening, and rushed perimeter looks despite 42 mostly catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts.
Wembanyama's 6-of-21 shooting and the Spurs' 11-of-46 mark from outside mirrored earlier playoff openers, when San Antonio also started slowly before rebounding later in each series.
New York's defense is central to the adjustment challenge, having held the Spurs to 42 paint points and only eight from Wembanyama while willingly conceding 3s; the Knicks allowed 44.8% of opponent shots from deep this season.
That trade-off suggests Game 2 may again hinge less on schematic overhaul than on whether San Antonio restores ball movement and converts the jumpers New York is prepared to live with.