The San Antonio Spurs fell short of knocking off the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs struggled to execute late in the game, getting outscored 29-19 by the Knicks.
For former Knicks star Jeremy Lin, who is now an analyst for the NBA Finals, the Spurs made a massive mistake by heavily relying on Victor Wembanyama late in Game 1. He felt that Wembanyama had a difficult time getting good looks down the stretch.
“The focus for sure is the second half where they were minus-17, but specifically even in the fourth quarter, I didn’t love the late-game offensive game plan,” Lin said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “It was too much Wemby ISO. It just seemed like everything was difficult, everything was hard, everything was contested.”
“The focus for sure is the second half where they were minus-17, but specifically even in the fourth
Lin would have loved to see more creative actions from the Spurs to allow Wembanyama to get quality looks at the end of the game.
“Can we get him in more spontaneous, impulsive actions? Can we get him in some pin-downs? Can he set more screens? Can guards come set screens for him? It felt like every time down the floor they were giving him the ball, and KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns] was doing a great job of playing defense, and Wemby was tired,” he said. “So how are they able to create different actions so that the Knicks aren’t seeing the same thing every single time?”
Wembanyama finished the game with 26 points on 6 of 21 shooting from the field and 12 rebounds, but struggled to create good looks for himself against the Knicks’ defense led by Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns late in the game.
Meanwhile, the Knicks relied on Jalen Brunson, who dropped 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead New York.
The Spurs led by as much as 14 points in the first half, but scored their fewest quarter score in the final frame to concede the series opener.
Jeremy Lin Calls Out Spurs Bench For Game 1 Loss
GettyNew York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin calls out the Spurs bench after Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Jeremy Lin added that the Spurs’ bench should have been more productive in Game 1. L Lin particularly called out Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson, who only played eight minutes in the loss.
“Another piece that’s really important is Keldon Johnson, who played only eight minutes, Sixth Man of the Year, a lot of minutes went to Harrison Barnes,” Lin said. “I’m not sure what’s happening there, but there is going to be a different level of production that needs to be had from other players stepping in. Dylan Harper obviously had an amazing game, but we need Keldon Johnson.”
Johnson only had three points, shooting 1 of 4 from the field. Dylan Harper took the cudgels off the bench with 16 points, most of which came when he attacked Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.
Harrison Barnes, a former NBA champion, then played 12 minutes but went scoreless.
The Knicks’ bench outscored the Spurs in Game 1, 28-20.
Spurs’ Backs Are Against the Wall in Game 2
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates with Stephon Castle #5 and De’aaron Fox #4 after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder with a score of 111 to 103 to win Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
The Spurs are in a precarious position heading to Game 2. If they lose Game 2, they would be down 0-2 before the series shifts to New York.
Going to New York means the young Spurs will have to play in front of a rabid fan base hungry for their first NBA championship since 1973.
Game 2 of the series is on Friday, June 5, in San Antonio.
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