The New York Knicks also won the second duel with the San Antonio Spurs and thus gained a huge advantage on the way to the title in the NBA Finals. In the end it was dramatic.
In a basketball game that was dramatically exciting at the end, the Knicks won 105:104 thanks to a mistake by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and are now leading 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. A team needs four wins to win the title; the next two games take place at Madison Square Garden in New York. US President Donald Trump announced he would be a spectator for at least one of the two games. Theoretically, he could be at the master party.
Towns makes life difficult for Wembanyama
“We won this game because we took a lead. We gave ourselves a chance to win this game and we did it.”said Knicks professional Karl-Anthony Towns on US television. The center made life difficult for Wembanyama again, even though the Frenchman ended up scoring 29 points and was the best scorer of the game: “He’s a great player, a once-in-a-generation player. I just tried to make it as difficult for him as possible. I’m just happy to be playing basketball.”
Knicks give 14 in the final quarter-point lead away
The Knicks gave up a 14-point lead in the final quarter when the Spurs went on a 14-0 run and equalized to 97:97 with three minutes left. After that, the game was hard to beat in terms of drama, the Spurs took the lead for the first time in the second half at 103:102 thanks to a goal from Wembanyama 57 seconds before the end. When the score was 104:104, the 22-year-old first won the ball strongly, only to immediately lose it again due to a bad pass. The mistake and the subsequent foul allowed Knicks leader Jalen Brunson to make two free throws – one of which he hit for a 105:104 lead. The Spurs had one last chance to win, but Wembanyama’s shot didn’t go into the basket.
Rare Away double pack for the Knicks
Since the Houston Rockets won the first two games against the Orlando Magic to start the series in 1995, no NBA team has managed a double on the road to start a final series. The Rockets also won the championship with four wins in four games. The Knicks have now won 13 playoff games in a row; only the Golden State Warriors, who won 15 games in a row in 2007, have achieved a longer streak.