The San Antonio Spurs hold on in the final seconds to take Game 3 and snap the New York Knicks 13-game playoff winning streak.
• Download the NBA App
• Complete coverage: 2026 NBA Finals
SAN ANTONIO — There was perhaps a collective groan among Spurs Nation when a certain player who, moments earlier, stumbled over his feet and turned the ball over in a tense moment, and who frankly misfired most of the night … suddenly had the ball in his hands with the outcome at stake.
Yes — on the most crucial possession of the season for the San Antonio Spurs, this player then took the biggest shot of the season, with the Spurs’ life in the 2026 NBA Finals on the line.
Was he crazy?
Yes … like a Fox.
Suffice to say Game 3 wasn’t going well for De’Aaron Fox until that moment, and honestly, neither has the series. And that’s being kind. Fox has struggled with his shooting, made some mistakes, had stretches where he was hurting the Spurs.
But funny thing about the championship series: None of that matters in the moment of truth. All of those sins can be washed away with a play that tips the game in your team’s favor — a steal, defensive stop, rebound in traffic or, in Fox’s case, a pull-up jumper with 12 seconds left just when the Spurs suddenly looked familiarly vulnerable while holding a slippery three-point lead over the New York Knicks.
Didn’t we see this in the previous two games, both losses, those shaky situations that put the Spurs in this desperate situation, this must-win Monday?
Play of the Day: De'Aaron Fox drops a clutch jumper late in the 4th quarter of Game 3.
Fox waved off Victor Wembanyama — who carried the Spurs all night and common sense screamed that he should’ve been the shot-taker instead — then shook OG Anunoby off the dribble to calmly dropped the biggest shot of his life. Is that hyperbole? Maybe not. Again, given his issues, the electric atmosphere at Madison Square Garden that banged inside the eardrums of the Spurs, and the urgent stakes, this would be Fox’s defining moment in this series one way or another.
The jumper from the free-throw line proved to be the cushion the Spurs needed, for they next had to endure an Anunoby corner 3-pointer before wiping their brow and walking off the court with a suspenseful four-point victory, which shaved their series deficit to 2-1.
“I mean, making that shot, it’s a make-or-miss league a lot of times,” Fox said. “A lot of times it’s get to your spot. If you miss that shot, it is what it is. You try to make that shot more often than not, obviously. It feels good to hit a big shot down the stretch.”
In addition to the shot, Fox snuck behind Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and provided a big block with just over two minutes left to preserve a six-point lead.
Maybe the Knicks — and everyone who wondered about Fox in this series — must’ve forgot De’Aaron Fox was the first winner of the NBA’s Kia Clutch Player of the Year award, back in 2022-23? Well, everyone’s memory has now been refreshed.
Asked about the level of trust in Fox in those moments, Wemby said:
“It’s not even a question, that’s his identity. The trust is just complete. We know he’s as reliable as they get and experienced at that, so he brings everything we need.”
The Spurs are hoping to change the conversation in this series by employing a three-guard lineup of Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper down the stretch. This is their second-best weapon after Wemby. Castle scored 23 points in Game 3 and was a solid scoring support for Wemby, Harper once again scored in double figures and is the youngest player to do so in NBA Finals history (and also had a team-high nine rebounds) and Fox provided the biggest shot.
“The big thing (going forward) is how can we sustain the way that we’re playing,” said Fox.
He arrived in San Antonio with much celebration and anticipation two years ago from Sacramento. With the Kings, led helped lead a renaissance with that franchise, made them fun and interesting, put them in the playoffs for the first time in, like, forever.
But he wasn’t sure about the Kings’ future, and his contract was almost up. Fox looked for a max deal, and it became a situation where a separation was best for both parties.
Upon arriving in San Antonio and signing an extension with the Spurs, Fox (now 28) was the potential Missing Piece, an All-Star at the very crucial point guard position. He could provide scoring, leadership for a young core, and give the Spurs a pick-and-roll weapon with Wemby.
And all was well … until the Finals began and Fox looked lethargic. Yes, he suffered an ankle injury and probably isn’t 100% healthy this series, but everyone’s dealing with some level of discomfort this deep into the season.
Fox missed the first two games in the Western Conference Finals with the injury and shot just 36% in the series upon returning. He then missed 10 of 13 shots in Game 1 against the Knicks, and was 3-for-13 in Game 3 — missing all of his five attempts from deep as well — before his final shot.
“You just continue to play the right way,” he said, regarding those misses. “I think that’s all it is. Make or miss, I’m not just going to be forcing shots because I’m hot or because I’m missing shots.”
He tripped and fell and lost the ball just a few possessions before that shot, with a chance to extend the Game 3 lead.
Curiously, Fox had a Game 2 stare-down moment with Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, who rushed to the defense of his son Jalen after the players exchanged words, and the father yelled at Fox: “You’re not tough. You’re not tough.”
Well, Fox saved his response until the final seconds of the very next game. A tough response, it turned out.
If Fox hoop we gotta series! 👀
— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) June 9, 2026
He certainly is a key figure against the Knicks if only because the Spurs have been competitive through three games in spite of his troubles. As Lonzo Ball said Monday on social media: “If Fox hoop we gotta series!”
Well, it’s 2-1 Knicks. Maybe we do.
And maybe with that shot, Fox will turn the corner. This much is for certain: San Antonio won’t hesitate to choose him again in such situations, whether he’s shooting well or not. Because in the Finals, all that matters is what you do to secure the win. And Fox has a documented history of being clutch.
“I think Fox is such a smart player,” said Castle. “Having the ball in his hands late is like a comfort thing for us. I feel like whether he’s shooting the ball well or not, he generates a good shot for us pretty much every time. I think his ability to touch the paint against whoever, whether it’s a layup for himself like he did late or finding kick-outs … those are all big-time plays. I mean, the box score doesn’t always show it. The way he’s affected our team all year is the reason why we’re here.”
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
