Popovich Urged 0-2 Spurs to Reset Before Game 3 of NBA Finals

Q: Down 0-2, how can Victor Wembanyama solve the Karl-Anthony Towns puzzle in New York?

Victor Wembanyama’s best answer to Karl-Anthony Towns is to simplify the matchup: get deeper catches, attack earlier, and stop giving Towns chances to turn him over. Through two Finals games, Towns has been the series’ swing player. He has forced seven Wembanyama turnovers in the Finals, held him to 7-of-19 shooting as the primary defender, and owns the best plus-minus in the series. The pattern is clear: when Wembanyama faces up, dribbles into traffic, or settles on the perimeter, Towns and New York’s help defenders can crowd him and disrupt possessions. San Antonio needs Wembanyama to play more like a true interior big. That means sealing Towns closer to the rim, catching high and staying tall, and finishing quickly instead of putting the ball on the floor. He has the length advantage, and using it in the low post or as a hard roller can both raise his efficiency and put Towns in foul trouble. Wembanyama has admitted he was too passive early in both games; the Spurs need him setting the tone from the opening minutes in Game 3. Defensively, the Spurs still need Wembanyama’s rim protection, but they also cannot let Towns dictate the game as a stretch big and foul-drawer. The key is disciplined closeouts and avoiding cheap fouls on Towns’ drives and pump fakes. If San Antonio can keep Wembanyama on the floor, reduce his live-ball turnovers, and make Towns defend repeated paint actions, the matchup can shift. That is the path to extending the series in New York.

3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jun 8

Game 3 followed a direct message from Gregg Popovich, who told San Antonio to forget its first two home losses to the Knicks and focus only on the next game.
Fox, Wembanyama and Harper described Popovich as a postseason fixer whose interventions have come at key moments despite his stepping aside after a November 2024 stroke.
A closed-door speech after a 15-point home loss to Oklahoma City in the West finals helped spark a seven-game comeback, while texts to Harper preceded 30 points over Games 6 and 7.
The guidance has carried extra weight for a Spurs team led by players in their early 20s and first-year full-time coach Mitch Johnson after a 62-20 season and first Finals trip since 2014.