Knicks vs. Spurs live takeaways: Can New York steal 2 NBA Finals road games?

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY Sat, June 6, 2026 at 2:10 AM UTC

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Editor's Note:Click here for live coverage and all the latest news from Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

If the San Antonio Spurs are to make the 2026 NBA Finals competitive, they absolutely must win Game 2.

The New York Knicks stole Game 1 on the road Wednesday, June 3, which means the Spurs cannot afford to fall into a 0-2 hole before the series moves  to Madison Square Garden next week. As it is, history is already against San Antonio; teams that lose Game 1 of the NBA Finals have gone on to lose the series 69.6% of the time (24-55).

It will be incumbent on Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama to bounce back from a tough showing in Game 1, one in which he shot just 6-of-21 from the field. Wembanyama has stressed that all the Spurs need to do is play to their identity.

"We just need to be normal," Wembanyama said Thursday.

That said, the Knicks are entering Game 2 Friday, June 5 on a 12-game postseason winning streak, something only three teams have done.

Here are live takeaways from Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs:

NBA Finals Game 2 score: Knicks 56, Spurs 52

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2

3

4

Knicks

25

31

Spurs

34

18

Victor Wembanyama is taking what the defense is giving him. He'll have to be far more assertive

At the half, after the Knicks had made several runs, Wembanyama had taken just four shot attempts. New York, of course, deserves credit for showing bodies any time Wembanyama touched the ball, but his response, mostly, was to drift around the perimeter.

He tried to drive and create opportunities for his teammates, but that led to two turnovers. During one of those, late in the second quarter, Devin Vassell passed him the ball on the right wing. Almost immediately after he saw the Knicks defense approaching, Wembanyama tried to dump the ball back to Vassell, who had started to relocate. The ball skipped out of bounds.

In short: Wembanyama was just out of rhythm in the first half.

It's often difficult, when opponents are game planning for a single player, for that person to find the balance between taking a steady diet of shots but not forcing them.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson will also need to find ways to manufacture easier offense for Wembanyama, because having him standing around, watching other players operate will make it difficult for the Spurs to win.

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Karl-Anthony Towns, once again, is the best player on the floor

Just like he was in Game 1, Karl-Anthony Towns is lifting the Knicks on both ends of the floor.

The offense has been stellar. In the first half, Towns dropped 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing 3 assists. Towns converted baskets from all over the floor, hitting three triples.

But it's his defense that is going to get the Knicks their first title in 53 seasons — as long as New York keeps this up.

Towns has been dominant on Wembanyama, using his size and strength to body Wembanyama and make him feel Towns' presence. Wembanyama is playing timidly, apparently perplexed about how to break through Towns' physicality. Frankly, it's determining the outcome of the series.

Desperate Spurs have ramped up their defensive intensity

The natural response was always going to be for San Antonio to play with a different level of urgency in Game 2. The Spurs, from the very first seconds of the game, played with a level of force and physicality they didn't have two nights ago.

For one, San Antonio's speedy and aggressive guards De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle were picking up full-court pressure on made baskets. Once the ball crossed half court, the Spurs also used stayed in front of New York's players with lateral quickness.

Then, once the Knicks tried to foray into the paint, Spurs defenders collapsed to show bodies and clog the area.

The Knicks opened the game shooting just 6-of-17 (35.3%) from the field and New York scored just 2 points in the paint in the first 7:44 of the game.

Spurs also made it a priority to get paint touches

In Game 1, San Antonio backed down from New York's physical defense and settled for jumpers. In the first quarter of Game 2, the Spurs spammed attacks in the paint to space the floor, setting up sprays to perimeter or high-percentage looks near the rim.

This is San Antonio's recipe for success. The Spurs led in points in the paint in the first quarter by a 18-8 margin.

The Spurs shot a blistering 65% from the field in the first.

The Knicks need to settle down with their fouls

In the first quarter, by the 5:45 mark in the period, the Spurs had already reached the bonus. Much like the way New York started Game 1, Knicks players appealed to officials several times, looking for calls. Then, on the other end, New York played a touch slower in the first quarter and resorted to cheap fouls when its defensive positioning had been compromised.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks vs Spurs live analysis, score: NBA Finals Game 2 takeaways

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