NBA Finals: Knicks hold 2-1 lead over Spurs amid officiating controversy and tactical shifts

The New York Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs 2-1 in the NBA Finals, continuing a pattern where the road team has secured victory in all three games played. Game 3, held in New York, saw the Spurs defeat the Knicks 115-111, ending New York’s 13-game winning streak. The series has been marked by tactical adjustments and statistical anomalies, particularly regarding the performance of key players and officiating decisions.

Victor Wembanyama recorded 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and two steals in Game 3, shooting 61.1% from the field. His average shot distance decreased from 17.3 feet in Game 1 to 10.6 feet in Game 3, correlating with an increase in his effective field goal percentage from 33.3% to 66.7%. This shift in shot selection, moving away from deep attempts, coincided with the Spurs’ first victory of the series.

Jalen Brunson matched Wembanyama with 32 points for the Knicks but required 25 shots to achieve his total. He committed five turnovers, matching his five assists, resulting in a 13-to-13 assist-to-turnover ratio across the first three games. This marks his worst assist-to-turnover ratio of the postseason, contrasting with his regular season average of 6.8 assists against 2.4 turnovers.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 11 points in Game 3 but failed to score in the fourth quarter for the third consecutive game of the series. He has shot 0-of-6 from the field in the final period across all three games, including missed attempts in Games 1 and 2. Despite this trend, Towns contributed eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in Game 3.

The NBA’s head of officiating, Monty McCutchen, confirmed that referees missed a foul call on Wembanyama for shoving Brunson in the back of the head during Game 3. The incident occurred while Wembanyama was guarding Brunson, and no foul was called at the time. McCutchen acknowledged the error on ESPN’s NBA Today, confirming the missed call after the game.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson reduced the minutes of Keldon Johnson, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, in Game 3. Johnson averaged 4.3 points and shot 38.5% from the field through the first three games, with shooting splits of 38.5/25/33.3%. The coach opted to play three guards for extended stretches, including De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, who were minus-17 in 19 possessions together.

The series began with an incident in Game 1 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, where a fan ran onto the court to take a selfie with Wembanyama. Two individuals were issued lifetime bans from all NBA arenas following the disruption, which occurred during the fourth quarter while the Knicks led 92-86.