Knicks Landry Shamet picks up rusty teammates as heroics continue in NBA Finals Game 1

SAN ANTONIO — The Knicks waited 27 years for this night.Landry Shamet had been waiting all his life.While several of his teammates struggled with the effects of a lengthy layoff and/or the magnitude of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Shamet delivered another strong performance off the bench, leading all reserves with 13 points (5-of-9 from the field, 3-of-6 3-pointers) in the Knicks’ 105-95 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center.After losing his rotation spot early in the postseason — by scoring a total of 14 points in six games in the first round while shooting under 29 percent from the field, then adding three points in the first two games against Philadelphia — Shamet has become Mike Brown’s most valuable reserve on the back half of the team’s 12-game winning streak.In the Eastern Conference finals, Shamet hit 11-of-12 3-pointers in the sweep of the Cavaliers.

The 29-year-old has now scored at least 12 points in five of his past seven games.“I’m a believer that everything you go through, everything might seem small or big, prepares you for where you’re ultimately headed in one way or another, even if it doesn’t line up perfectly, whatever the case may be,” Shamet said before Game 1.“Really grateful, like I said, for all the highs and lows I’ve been through personally.

Yeah, I mean, all I know right now is that I’m here.Like I said, I’m trying not to get too reflective, open up that can of worms of looking back on everything, quite yet.

There’s four more wins between me and doing that, that I’m more worried about.“One win at a time really.That’s where I’m at.

Definitely think that everything you go through, everything you live through, good and bad, prepares you for where you’re headed.” Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.Please provide a valid email.

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