Knicks Fans Ignite Game 3 at MSG in First NBA Finals Home Game in 27 Years

Q: How did the Knicks build a championship contender using a strategy that ignored their own high draft picks?

The Knicks became a contender by treating high draft picks as trade chips, not as the foundation of the roster, and by building around Jalen Brunson with proven veterans who fit him. Under team president Leon Rose, New York largely bypassed the traditional rebuild-through-the-lottery model. The clearest example was moving RJ Barrett, the franchise’s own No. 3 pick from 2019, in the deal for OG Anunoby. Rose also traded out of the 2022 lottery, using that flexibility to clear cap space for Brunson and to stockpile assets later used in bigger moves. The Knicks then pushed further, sending major draft capital to acquire Mikal Bridges and dealing Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns. The centerpiece of the strategy was Brunson, signed in 2022 on what became one of the league’s best-value contracts. Once he emerged as the team’s engine and an MVP-level guard, the front office targeted players who complemented him rather than waiting for drafted prospects to develop. Josh Hart, Anunoby, Bridges and Towns all fit that plan as defenders, secondary creators or floor-spacers. Relationships also mattered. Rose’s long ties across the league, Brunson’s Villanova connections, and the organization’s comfort with players it knew well helped New York identify targets and move decisively. The result, as this Finals run shows, was a roster built less on homegrown lottery stars than on aggressive trades, contract discipline and a clear idea of fit around Brunson.

Q: Once swept by the Spurs in the Finals, what is coach Mike Brown's new strategy for dominating his old rivals?

Mike Brown’s approach against the Spurs is to pull Victor Wembanyama away from the rim, punish San Antonio with corner 3s, and lean on Karl-Anthony Towns as both a playmaking hub and a primary defensive body on Wembanyama. Brown was swept by San Antonio as Cleveland’s coach in the 2007 Finals, but this Knicks team is built very differently. Offensively, he has centered the attack on Jalen Brunson’s creation while using Towns’ shooting and passing to stretch the floor. That has helped collapse the Spurs’ defense and create open corner 3-point looks, an area where New York has thrived in this series. The idea is simple: if Wembanyama stays near the basket, the Knicks get clean perimeter shots; if he steps out, driving lanes open. Brown has also made Towns central to the matchup on the other end. Towns has been asked to defend Wembanyama with physicality, while wings such as OG Anunoby help crowd his space and make catches and finishes difficult. Through two games, that plan had helped limit Wembanyama’s efficiency and put New York up 2-0 entering Game 3. More broadly, Brown’s edge is experience. Since that 2007 loss, he has added championship experience as an assistant and arrived in New York with a more flexible system than the rigid structures of some of his earlier teams. Against his old Finals rival, his strategy is not revenge in rhetoric but control in execution: spacing, shooting, targeted defense, and composure under Finals pressure.

3 articles · Updated · Newsday · Jun 9

Madison Square Garden roared before tipoff Monday as Knicks fans filled the arena early, chanting “Let’s go Knicks!” and turning pregame wristband lights into a multicolor spectacle for Game 3.
The 27-year wait for a Finals game at MSG drove the frenzy, with fans booing the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, exploding for the Knicks’ introductions and chanting “Dee-Fense!” on San Antonio’s first possession.
Donald Trump’s visit added another layer of intensity and security: NYPD closed surrounding streets from 4 p.m., barricades ringed the arena and employees faced long entry lines hours before the 8:30 p.m. start.
Inside the building, celebrities including Timothee Chalamet, Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan were in place, while Trump drew a mixed reaction of cheers and boos when shown saluting during the national anthem.
The scene matched what Knicks players and coach Mike Brown had anticipated, underscoring how long-denied Finals basketball at the Garden has turned the crowd itself into part of the event.