New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs
The Knicks’ premature championship celebrations will have to take a pause, as their series lead has been cut to 2-1 following the Spurs’ 115-111 win in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday evening.
After snatching the first two games in San Antonio, New York dropped their first home game of the series, with United States President Donald Trump in attendance. As such, the Spurs’ SBOTOP NBA 2026 odds have improved, and they’ll enter Game 4 on Wednesday night with a renewed sense of confidence at Madison Square Garden.
In the meantime, the Knicks will use the next few days to review what went wrong in Game 3. They’ll certainly treat Game 4 as a must-win match since they might lose their momentum for good if they drop the ball on Wednesday.
Talking Points
Wembanyama embraces villain role for the Spurs
After costing the Spurs in Game 2 with his late turnover and foul on Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama bounced back with a solid all-around performance in Game 3, filled with numerous NBA 2026 highlights. He had 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three blocks on 11-for-18 shooting from the field in 39 minutes. At 22 years and 155 days, Wembanyama became the second-youngest player behind Magic Johnson (20 years, 276 days) to record at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an NBA Finals game.
The Frenchman has been on the receiving end of the physical punishment of this series, but in Game 3, Wembanyama was the one dishing it out. He kept on attacking the rim, bumping and shoving his Knicks counterparts out of the way. Just ask Jalen Brunson, who felt that Wembanyama should’ve been called for a Flagrant 1 for receiving a shot to the head from him during the opening period.
Wembanyama got enough help from his teammates, as Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, De’Aaron Fox, Julian Champagnie, and Devin Vassell contributed 23, 13, 12, 12, and 11 points. Fox hit one of the biggest shots of the match when he hit the dagger to give the Spurs a five-point lead with 12.2 seconds remaining.
Brown bemoans Knicks’ free throw disadvantage
While head coach Mike Brown credited the Spurs for winning Game 3, he voiced his frustration at the officials, whom he felt were unfair to the Knicks last night. During his postgame press conference, Brown pointed out the Spurs’ 24-8 advantage in free throw attempts, and New York were in the penalty for the final 9:18 of the fourth quarter.
Last night’s defeat was the Knicks’ first in almost two months, ending a 13-game playoff winning streak. Their poor shooting in the second half certainly didn’t help, as they shot just 36-per cent, including going 7-for-27 in the fourth.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks in the losing effort, pumping in 32 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 11-for-25 shooting from the field in 35 minutes. OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jordan Clarkson added 28, 16, 11, and 10 points.
History
Monday marked the first time in more than three decades that the road team has won the first three games of the NBA Finals. When the Suns and Bulls faced off in 1993, the Bulls won the first two games in Phoenix before the Suns won Game 3 in Chicago.
Donald Trump became the first sitting United States president to watch an NBA Finals game, as he showed support for his friend, Knicks owner James Dolan. Trump, dressed in a dark suit and a red tie, drew boos from the Madison Square Garden crowd during the national anthem.
The Knicks were gunning for a 3-0 series lead over the Spurs, as no NBA team has ever come back from such a deficit. Mikal Bridges is certainly aware that the series is far from over, as he experienced being up 2-0 in the 2021 NBA Finals before the Suns didn’t win another game against the Bucks.
What are the odds?
As noted, the gap between the Knicks and Spurs has narrowed after Game 3, but the former still has the advantage. New York are priced at 1.77 to win Game 4, while San Antonio are at 2.12 in the Money Line market.
Games 2 and 3 were close, and the odds predict a similar outcome in Game 4. The highest potential winning margin for the Knicks in the Asian Handicap market is only -2.50 at 1.99. And betting for another low-scoring game is plausible, with Under 215.50 at 2.04, Under 216.00 at 1.98, and Under 216.50 at 1.93 all on offer.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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