The San Antonio Spurs are now in a precarious position after losing Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. The Spurs were doomed by some bad endgame decisions and missed opportunities from their stars, allowing the Knicks to pound at the right time and snag a 2-0 lead.
For former Knicks star Jeremy Lin, the Spurs shot themselves in the foot by showing their inexperience in high-pressure moments such as the NBA Finals on top of accumulated fatigue from their previous playoff series in the Western Conference.
“The Spurs have so much heart. 14-0 run to come back into the game, but the last 30 seconds, just so much inexperience,” Lin said during ESPN’s SportsCenter after Game 2. “Whether you want to call it youth, whether you want to call it fatigue, it just wasn’t it.”
Lin then lambasted the Spurs’ reliance on Wembanyama late in the game, detailing his shot selection and late-game decisions in Game 2 against the Spurs.
“The first play: another isolation for Wemby with 30 seconds, tough shot over Mitchell Robinson. Then you have a turnover, then you have a foul. I mean, they had the game where you have the ball with 12 seconds left, it’s a tie game, there’s no way you should be able to ever lose that game,” he said.
“The Spurs have so much heart. 14-0 run to come back into the game, but the last 30 seconds, just so much inexperience — whether you want to call it youth, whether you
Wembanyama put up 29 points on 11 of 21 shooting but bungled late in the game, turning the ball over in the dying seconds before fouling Jalen Brunson, who drained the game-winning free throw.
Wemby had a chance to win the game for the Spurs with a mid-range jumper but missed the shot.
The Knicks led by double digits in the fourth quarter but squandered the lead late before the Spurs threw away a prime chance to tie the series.
Jeremy Lin Thinks The Spurs Were Unsure With Their Late-Game Decisions
GettyThe San Antonio Spurs lost Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals to the New York Knicks.
Jeremy Lin did not mince words for the Spurs, calling them out for looking unsure late in Game 2, which has cost them the win.
“If the roles were reversed, the Knicks get the ball, what do they do? They will immediately find Brunson and he will immediately find the mismatch that he wants,” Lin said. “But the Spurs, when they get the ball, they’re not really sure. So Wemby’s dribbling up, Castle’s not even looking for it, they don’t know who’s going to take charge, is there a timeout to be called or not. It just seemed, as Wemby said, very blurry.”
As usual for the Knicks, Jalen Brunson took control as he had 20 points, albeit on an inefficient 7 of 25 shooting from the field.
Spurs need not only to contain Brunson in the endgame, but also to clean up their miscues to finally score a victory in the NBA Finals.
Victor Wembanyama Takes Responsibility For Game 2 Botch
GettySan Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama reacts during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks on June 3, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Despite the Spurs’ loss, Wembanyama’s global star power helped drive one of the most-watched NBA Finals openers in recent history.
Victor Wembanayama took responsibility for the late Game 2 botch, but believed it would only fuel him for the rest of the series, despite now being down 0-2.
“I threw that one away. I messed up,” Wemby said. “Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I gonna use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
Game 3 will be the chance for Wemby to bounce back. It will happen on Monday at Madison Garden in New York.
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