Victor Wembanyama delivered his best performance of the series with 32 points, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. The win snapped New York's 13-game postseason winning streak and trimmed their series lead to 2-1.
Wembanyama's dominant display came after a disappointing Game 2 performance that left him searching for answers. "Really tried to relax after Game 2," he said. "The playoffs are like a whirlwind. It's hard to put your head out of the water. I need some time off, let my brain cool down." He came out energized, scoring nine points in his first nine minutes and setting the tone for the rest of the night.
The 7-foot-4 French star added eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks to his scoring total. Stephon Castle contributed 23 points and hit two crucial free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and OG Anunoby added 28, but their supporting cast struggled down the stretch. Outside of Brunson, New York shot just 3 for 20 from the field in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs built an 11-point lead in the first quarter before the Knicks responded by outscoring them 42-24 in the second quarter. The game remained closely contested throughout the third quarter, with neither team able to pull away significantly. The decisive fourth quarter saw the Spurs capitalize on turnovers, turning 13 Knicks mistakes into 21 points.
The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden added extra intrigue to the proceedings. President Donald Trump attended as the first sitting president ever to watch an NBA Finals game. He received heavy boos when his image appeared on the jumbotron during the national anthem. The event drew numerous celebrities to courtside, including Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended separately after purchasing a standing-room-only ticket.
The Knicks' frustration boiled over during the game, particularly regarding officiating calls. New York was whistled for three fouls in the first 64 seconds of the fourth quarter and took just eight free throws in the second half compared to San Antonio's 24. "Refs, you suck!" chants erupted multiple times throughout the evening.
Despite the loss, Brunson remained focused on improvement. "We've done our best to learn from wins over the past couple weeks," he said. "Now we have to learn from a loss. We knew there were things we were going to have to improve on going into the next game. So mindset stays the same."
Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday night in New York.