Knicks Edge Spurs, Take 2-0 NBA Finals Lead

The New York Knicks moved within two wins of their first NBA championship in more than five decades after holding off a late rally from the San Antonio Spurs to claim a 105-104 victory in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Friday night.

The Knicks now hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after surviving a dramatic finish that saw San Antonio erase a double-digit second-half deficit and nearly steal a road victory.

The series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday, with New York carrying significant momentum after extending its postseason winning streak to 13 games.

The game was decided in the closing seconds when Spurs star Victor Wembanyama missed an open 20-foot jumper with two seconds remaining, allowing the Knicks to escape with a one-point win.

“A great player got a great shot, it just didn’t go in,” New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 21 points, said on the ABC broadcast.

The narrow victory capped another resilient performance by New York, which overcame several swings in momentum throughout the contest. The Knicks also improved their remarkable postseason road record, winning their eighth consecutive game away from home.

San Antonio appeared poised to even the series after mounting a furious comeback in the fourth quarter. The Spurs trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half but found new life during a decisive stretch late in regulation.

They connected on six consecutive field-goal attempts and scored 14 unanswered points to erase the deficit and seize control of the game.

The Spurs had earlier led by as many as 12 points during the first half before offensive struggles in the second quarter allowed New York to recover. By halftime, the Knicks held a four-point advantage and gradually extended their lead through the third quarter.

The closing minutes, however, featured a sequence of dramatic momentum swings.

With the game tied at 104 and less than 15 seconds remaining, Wembanyama secured a defensive rebound after a missed shot by Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. Looking to initiate a potential game-winning possession, Wembanyama attempted a pass to teammate Stephon Castle.

Castle was not expecting the pass, and the ball struck his back before bouncing loose. Brunson quickly recovered the ball, creating a costly turnover for San Antonio.

Moments later, Wembanyama fouled Brunson as the Knicks guard attempted to maintain possession near the sideline. Brunson converted the first free throw to give New York a 105-104 lead but missed the second, leaving the door open for a final Spurs possession.

San Antonio then turned to its two stars. Guard De’Aaron Fox used a screen from Wembanyama before delivering the ball back to the 7-foot-4 center for the final shot. Wembanyama received a clean look from mid-range but could not convert, ending the Spurs’ comeback attempt.

Despite the miss, Wembanyama delivered another strong offensive performance, scoring 29 points while shooting 11-for-21 from the field. However, his involvement in the late turnover and the missed jumper overshadowed an otherwise productive night.

The Spurs’ offensive approach in the first half drew criticism from head coach Mitch Johnson, who noted that Wembanyama attempted only four shots before halftime.

“Not acceptable,” Johnson said of the limited involvement.

Throughout the playoffs, Wembanyama had emerged as the centerpiece of San Antonio’s unexpected run to the Finals, consistently finding answers to opposing defenses and leading the franchise deep into the postseason.

Against the Knicks, however, New York’s depth and physical frontcourt presence, led by Towns, proved difficult to overcome.

The Knicks received balanced scoring contributions throughout the lineup, helping offset a difficult shooting night from star guard Brunson. Although Brunson finished with 20 points, he struggled from the field, making just seven of his 25 shot attempts.

New York’s supporting cast once again provided a significant boost. After hitting 11 three-pointers in Game 1, the Knicks improved on that mark by knocking down 15 shots from beyond the arc in Game 2, creating enough offensive production to withstand San Antonio’s late surge.

The Spurs’ comeback effort was fueled in part by an emotional moment from Wembanyama during a timeout midway through the fourth quarter. With San Antonio trailing by 12 points, the young star delivered an animated speech to teammates before the Spurs returned to the floor.

The response was immediate, as San Antonio produced a three-minute stretch that tied the game and transformed the final minutes into a tense battle for control of the series.

Wembanyama later completed a three-point play with 39 seconds remaining to give the Spurs a 104-102 lead, their first advantage of the second half. It proved to be San Antonio’s final lead of the night.

Following the game, Knicks coach Mike Brown praised his team’s resilience in responding to multiple momentum shifts.

“They made a run, we made a run, they made a run, we made a run,” Brown said. “We could have folded a few times but our guys just kept fighting. They kept fighting, and the one thing I told them, you work on connectivity throughout the course of the year for moments like these.

And no matter what run they went on, no matter the time of the game, our guys just kept uplifting one another.”

With the victory, the Knicks are now halfway to ending a 53-year championship drought and will return home with a commanding series lead and a chance to move within one win of an NBA title.