Spurs expected to bounce back in Game 2 against Knicks after blowing late lead in series opener

I think most people love Spurs because there’s a giant alien on the pitch. On the other side is one of the shortest men in the league. Both are superstars, and both showed up to some degree in the series opener on Wednesday night. If you want to give me some credit, I’ll take that too because I hit the back of the Knicks and I hit the bottom. Let’s try again.

If you want to go back to the NBA Cup, this game was pretty similar. The Spurs were the better team for three quarters of the game and then the Knicks beat them late in the game. If San Antonio’s legs are tired from seven games against the Thunder, don’t expect them to get any fresher here. If it was just being young and not realizing they needed to finish the game, it might have been an easier adjustment.

The problem is, once Jalen Brunson moves on, there’s little you can do to stop him. I said I didn’t think he was as good as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and if he keeps shooting like he did in the last two minutes of Game 1, he might just make me eat my words. The first half was all Spurs, which makes sense; When the crowd energy of a home game and your tiredness after all the matches sets in, the second half really hits home.

The second half is also where the Knicks hit. They were down 14 points at one point in the fourth quarter when New York decided that was enough. They put it into gear and won the quarter by seven points to tie the game going into the fourth quarter. To open that quarter, OG Anunoby came alive. Brunson scored eight consecutive points for the Knicks while off the bench. Brunson later returned and took over; He scored 11 consecutive points and 13 points in the quarter for the Knicks.

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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson stands up to take a shot against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. (Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images))

The Spurs took the lead with about two minutes left in the game, but Brunson’s triple closed the game with an 11-0 run. So what adjustments can be made for Spurs to win here? They shot poorly and were two minutes away from taking a 1-0 lead in the series. They shot 36% overall and 26% from distance. Congratulations to the Knicks defense, but the Spurs need to shoot better here. They won the rebounding battle but lost the turnover battle.

I expect the team to look for more ways to force the Knicks to help and foul Victor Wembanyama. Instead of settling for shots from outside, expect them to pass the ball to him in the painted area. He was 3-for-10 from deep and 4-for-9 from the paint. It wasn’t overly efficient, but it was still effective. The same can be said for Brunson. At some point, I fully expect the Spurs to take an “everyone but him” approach to the Knicks’ scoring.

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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama reacts after making a basket in the first half of an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets on October 26, 2025 in San Antonio. (Darren Abate/AP Photo)

If that means letting players shoot open threes, the Spurs will allow it. I’m taking Spurs tonight because I expect a comeback game. The Knicks are locked in but the Spurs know they have to win this game and I don’t think they’re that far away from winning it. Call it a zigzag, call it whatever you want, but I’ll back Spurs’ -5.5 here. I also think the game will continue as the teams will be a little more liberal on offense after getting a feel for each other in Game 1.

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