Victor Wembanyama misses a jumper in the final seconds as the Knicks hold on to take a 2-0 series lead in The Finals.
SAN ANTONIO – In a game that had dramatic swings and wasn’t decided until the final possession, picking one turning point doesn’t do an ultra-competitive heavyweight throwdown justice.
Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals had turning points, and the Knicks were on the right side of enough of them to escape with a 105-104 victory Friday and a 2-0 series lead against the San Antonio Spurs.
From Karl-Anthony Towns’ big game to withstanding the Spurs’ late push, from Knicks coach Mike Brown’s critical coach’s challenge to Victor Wembanyama’s costly turnover and Jalen Brunson’s unsurprising clutch play, the Knicks found a way.
“They made a run. We made a run. They made a run. We made a run,” Brown said. “So, there was a lot of back-and-forth throughout the course of the game. Obviously, they made their run towards the end. And you know, we could have folded a few times.”
The Knicks return to New York for the next two games in great position. Just two previous teams have won the first two games of the NBA Finals on the road – the 1993 Chicago Bulls and the 1995 Houston Rockets – and both won championships.
Game 3 is Monday at New York’s Madison Square Garden (8:30 ET, ABC & ESPN).
Here are the key turning points from Game 2.
1. Karl-Anthony Towns’ huge second quarter
Karl-Anthony Towns builds on a strong Finals debut, racking up 21 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2.
The Spurs raced to a 37-25 lead early in the second quarter, and then Towns took over. He started his scoring spree with a 3-pointer, had nine points in a three-minute span and closed the quarter with a 3-pointer that gave the Knicks a 56-52 halftime lead.
Towns had 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and one block in the quarter and changed the direction of the game. He is not afraid to challenge Wembanyama offensively and defensively.
He finished with team highs in points (21) and rebounds (13) and also had four assists, and the Knicks were plus-11 with Towns on the court in Game 2.
Towns has been fantastic through two games, averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists and shooting 55.6% from the field and 42.9% on 3-pointers and 100% on free throws – all while trying to score against Wembanyama on one end and frequently defending him on the other.
Towns deflected credit when asked about his performance against the Spurs.
“It’s all about the team success, so for us to be up 2-0, it’s a testament to the coaches getting us a great game plan and to my teammates executing the game plan,” he said. “It’s a team effort, and we found a way to win these two games. It’s a shoutout to everyone coming together for the greater cause.”
Brunson offered praise with a caveat.
“He’s been great,” Brunson said. “He’s been pretty phenomenal on both sides of the ball, the things he’s been able to do throughout this entire playoffs but obviously here now, he’s been great. But we need more.”
2. Mike Brown’s challenge
The Spurs had come back from a 97-83 deficit and tied the score at 97-97. The Knicks had not scored in 3½ minutes, and momentum had swung San Antonio’s way.
New York’s OG Anunoby attempted a corner 3-pointer with Julian Champagnie defending. The ball went out of bounds after the shot and San Antonio was given possession. Brown turned to assistant coach Jordan Brink who is charge of quickly reviewing the play on a tablet and helping Brown decide whether to challenge the call.
Brown called timeout and asked for a replay review, and upon review, the initial call was overturned, and a foul was called on Champagnie giving Anunoby three throws. He made all three.
“Jordan, he’s been a master at this,” Brown said. “And I’ve said it before, man. I’ve got great assistants, even guys sitting behind the bench, my young guys. … Jordan is insistent. He’s been doing this now two years in a row. I rely totally on him. Every once in a while, I lose my mind, you know, get emotional, and try to stick it to the refs, even though I like all of them. But that never works. I try like heck to follow Jordan’s lead, and it was 100% his call.”
3. Wembanyama’s turnover late in the fourth quarter
Wembanyama grabbed the rebound off a missed shot by Jalen Brunson with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 104. Wembanyama took one dribble and threw the ball toward teammate Stephon Castle who had already turned his back on the play and was headed toward halfcourt. The ball hit Castle in the back, Brunson corralled the loose ball and was fouled by Wembanyama with 9.5 seconds left.
“I’m still very blurry. That’s the whole problem,” Wembanyama said. “I need to have more poise, more control over the game. I’m not going to go through the whole possessions, but that’s the general image.”
He added: “That’s the most frustrating thing, to throw it away after putting in all this work. What did I think? Urgency at this point. It’s like body reacts quicker than mind … 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.”
4. Brunson clutch again
Brunson has struggled with his shot against the Spurs, going 7-for-25 in Game 2 after going 12-for-31 in Game 1. But he has scored when necessary with the game on the line. His 13-foot shot with 39.3 seconds remaining evened the score at 104-104 and his free throw with 9.5 seconds left stood as the game-winning shot.
“I don’t know if you say [he had] a rough shooting night,” Towns said. “I see Captain Clutch doing what he’s always been doing since I got here. He’s a huge part when it comes down to winning the game. Number 11 can’t be messed with.”
Brunson finished with 20 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals.
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Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
