Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8
Wembanyama Backs Spurs to Overcome 2-0 Finals Deficit as Game 3 Looms at Madison Square Garden
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8

Wembanyama Backs Spurs to Overcome 2-0 Finals Deficit as Game 3 Looms at Madison Square Garden

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8

Summary

  • 2-0 down after two home losses, Victor Wembanyama said San Antonio is still built for the moment and must focus only on winning Monday's Game 3 in New York.
  • 105-104 in Game 2, the Spurs again let a winnable game slip away after Wembanyama's late turnover and missed final shot, following a blown 14-point second-half lead in Game 1.
  • Mitch Johnson said San Antonio's problem has been failing to convert hard work into results, citing undisciplined stretches as well as timely Knicks plays late in possessions.
  • 3-0 is the line the Spurs are trying to avoid: no NBA team has ever rallied from that deficit to win a playoff series, and no Finals team has come back after losing the first two games at home.
  • 22-year-old Wembanyama, in his first NBA playoffs, has driven the Spurs' surprise run to the Finals, including a seven-game West finals upset of defending champion Oklahoma City.

Insights

Facing an impossible 0-2 deficit, can the Spurs' young star lead a comeback for the history books?
How will this 'nightmarish' Finals debut, marked by critical errors, shape Victor Wembanyama's legacy?
The Knicks have a blueprint to stop Wembanyama. What is the Spurs' strategic counter to save their season?