The San Antonio Spurs are only 1.5-point underdogs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks — a surprising betting line given that they will travel to Madison Square Garden trailing 0-2 in the series.
It’s worth noting that the Spurs opened as 5.5-point home favorites in Game 1, and despite dropping the opener, that line grew to 6.5 points for Game 2. Based on those lines, it’s rather surprising that the Knicks are favored by just 1.5 points in Game 3.
Perhaps the oddsmakers expect Victor Wembanyama and Co. to play desperately to avoid falling to a 0-3 hole — a deficit that no team has recovered from in NBA playoffs history, let alone the NBA Finals.
Can Spurs Make NBA Finals History?
While several teams have overcome a 0-2 deficit in the NBA Finals — most recently the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 — no team has ever captured the championship after losing their first two games at home. In 1993, the Phoenix Suns dropped their opening two home games against the Chicago Bulls before losing the series in six games. Two years later, the Orlando Magic were swept after losing their first two games at home.
As such, the Spurs will have to defy history to overcome the red-hot Knicks, who are on a 13-game winning streak in the postseason. Spurs rookie Dylan Harper has urged his teammates to approach the rest of the seres one game at a time.
“The biggest thing for us is just staying together, not putting our heads down,” Harper said after the 105-104 loss in Game 2, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
“You’ve just got to focus on the next game. It’s not the first to win two. So we can’t really hang our heads. We’ve just got to come out with a mentality of being more desperate.”
Spurs vs Knicks Game 3
Despite going down 0-2, the Spurs can take several positives from their Game 2 loss. For one, they showed a lot of grit by going on a late 14-0 run to tie the score 97-97 with 2:59 left. Many analysts believe they unlocked a formula to beat the Knicks at the end of the game, specifically the manner in which they kept Jalen Brunson in check.
Another positive was the performance of De’Aaron Fox, who shot 8-of-12 from the field and finished with 20 points and five assists after his Game 1 stinker.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps believes the Spurs can turn the tide despite going down 0-2.
“…Don’t close the book on San Antonio just yet,” wrote Bontemps. “The West champs had chances to win both games in this series, and the Knicks managed to sneak away with victories in the closing moments. The Spurs proved they can win big road games in the last round against Oklahoma City.
“Perhaps Wembanyama and the Spurs have a few more left. They’ll need to win at least two games in the atmosphere waiting for them in Monday’s Game 3 and Wednesday’s Game 4: the first Finals games inside Madison Square Garden in 27 years.”
Spurs vs Knicks Game 3 will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
Spurs Get Surprisingly Good News Ahead of Game 3 vs Knicks