Why fearless Spurs are dangerous threat to Knicks as they brush off Game 1 NBA Finals loss
Victor Wembanyama was strikingly calm.Stephon Castle was markedly confident.So what that the Spurs trail the Knicks 1-0 in the Finals? So what that those two guys are 22 and 21 years old, respectively? So what that no one thought they were ready for the league’s biggest stage?They’ve proved everyone wrong, and they’re hellbent on doing it again.The basketball world winced when Wembanyama suffered a concussion in Game 2 of the Spurs’ first-round series against the Trail Blazers and needed to enter the league’s concussion protocol.There goes the Spurs’ postseason run.It rolled its eyes when San Antonio lost Game 1 of its second round series to the Timberwolves.
So much for being the real deal.It started writing the Spurs’ obituary when they faced Game 7 of the Western Conference finals in Oklahoma City against the reigning champion Thunder and its two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.Welp, it was a good run.But the Spurs didn’t flinch in any of those moments.
They leaned on one another.Their belief in themselves over the last two months has deepened to form a well of confidence form which they now draw after squandering home-court advantage against the Knicks in a 105-95 loss on Wednesday.Said Wembanyama: “I’m not worried the slightest.”Added Castle: “We feel like we’re the better team.
We didn’t play well, and we still had a chance to win.”The Spurs led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter before they let their lead slip through their fingers in the final six minutes of that period.They were outscored in the fourth quarter, 29-19.Spurs coach Mitch Johnson didn’t even need to watch film to pinpoint where they need to improve.
It was obvious.It was glaring.San Antonio gave up a whopping 50 points in the paint.
It had only 16 assists.Wembanyama, who shot 51.2 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc this season, shot a woeful 6-for-21 from the field (28.5 percent) and 2-for-9 from deep (22.2 percent) in Ga...