The Spurs magical run has been reduced to fantasy

Welp, the Spurs had a good run.Heading into Game 2 of the NBA Finals, it was obvious what was on the line.If they fell to the Knicks 2-0, their season would be over.There was no coming back from that against a team that had won 13 playoff games in a row.Not with the next two games at Madison Square Garden.Not with a city so excited to see their team in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years that the average asking price for Game 3 had soared past $10,000.Not with Karl-Anthony Towns playing some of the best basketball of his career.

Not with Jalen Brunson en route to establishing himself as a household name.For the Spurs, Game 2 was equivalent to Game 7.It was do or die.The Spurs essentially flatlined in a 105-104 loss.The Spurs’ magical run is over.

Have teams come back from a 2-0 deficit in the Finals? Yes, but it’s rare.Teams trying to claw their way out of that hole are 5-31.

No team has ever done it after losing two straight at home.Against the surging Knicks, it’s improbable.

Impossible.Fantasy.This was supposed to be the coming-out party for Victor Wembanyama as the next face of the league.

His inauguration into basketball royalty.His red carpet walk into the history books.Instead, he spent the first half of the game owned by Towns, who held the 7-foot-4 phenom to just seven points and five rebounds over that period before he exploded for 22 second-half points in a failed attempt to save his team’s season.“Lots of emotions of every type,” Wembanyama said.

“I mean, not every type, only the negative type.Yeah, I threw that one away.

I messed up.We didn’t play great as a team.

We needed to win that game.This game was ours.

But at this point, it’s done.Yes, am I going to regret it? Yes, of course.

Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”This was supposed to be the San Antonio’s reclaiming of the basketball world after missing the playoffs six straight seasons following 22 consecutive postseason...