This is a highly-anticipated Game 2 for no other reason than New York is holding its collective breath to see if its beloved Knicks can take a 2-0 series lead before the NBA Finals go back home to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday.
The underdog New York Knicks pulled off a Game 1 road victory behind a masterful performance from favorite son Jalen Brunson. Will the favored San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama bounce back on Friday evening? Is their youthful roster beginning to catch up with them or will the Spurs split at home and get everyone ready for a long series? There is plenty to be answered during Game 2! Follow along with Ballislife's LIVE log to stay informed!
Live updates will begin after tip-off
Starting Lineups
Knicks: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns
Spurs: DeAaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Victor Wembanyama
Injuries
Knicks: Mitchell Robinson (probable, hand)
Spurs: N/A
Line: SA -6.5
O/U: 217.5
FINAL: New York Knicks 105, San Antonio Spurs 104
(New York Leads 2-0)
Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points, 13 rebounds), Mikal Bridges (20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), Jalen Brunson (20 points, 7-25 field goal)
Spurs: Victor Wembanyama (29 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 turnovers), DeAaron Fox (20 points)
Fourth Quarter
0.00 - Brunson made one of two free throws with 7.5 seconds remaining. The Spurs recovered the rebound and called a timeout. The Spurs advanced the ball to half court. The Spurs set up action with Fox and Wemby on a pick and roll near the far elbow away from the bench. Fox probed, got the screen and found Wemby on the roll and he got a clean look at a jumper that was contested by Robinson and it was a bit long and the Spurs were not able to get another attempt. KNICKS win by one on Brunson's free throw. 105-104, NEW YORK (FINAL)
9.5 - Brunson missed a contested jumper, as Wemby contested, and he did grab the defensive rebound. Wemby, however, turned the ball over on the outlet pass as he didn't dribble up the court. Brunson picked up the loose ball and there was a foul. 104-104, TIE
30.3 - Spurs went 2-for-1 and Wemby missed a jumper. Timeout, New York on the defensive rebound. Is it Brunson time? 104-104, TIE
39.3 - Bridges turned it over, as the ball was not in Brunson's hands. Harper drove but waited, probed for a teammate and Wemby was running hard as the trailer and scored on a conventional 3-point play, with gave the spurs its first lead of the second half, 104-102, after making the free throw on the foul with 57.3. Jalen Brunson then answered with a HUGE fall away bucket that looked like the one at the end of Game 1. 104-104, TIE
1:24 - Now with under two minutes to go, Brunson scores underneath as the inbounder scored on a broken play to give New York a three point lead. Wemby tried to answer but air balled a 3-pointer. Harper is credited for a bucket on a goal tend. 102-101, NY
2:37 - It's DEFENSE! A big block by Wemby leads to a 3-pointer by Vassell and then a defensive stop leads to a Harper shot in the key to complete a 14-0 run to tie the game at 97 all. After that. Anunoby ended the run with free throws after a ref call on the floor is overturned as New York is given three free throws. These are the first fires throws for New York in the second half. 97-97, TIE
3:45 - Back-to-back buckets by Fox and Wemby and New York calls a timeout. TV commentator Richard Jefferson feels SA needs 3-pointers, but it really needs good shots and team work on defense. 97-92, NY
5:26 - DeAaron Fox hits a much needed 3-pointer for the Spurs, who are without Castle right now as he's on the bench nursing an injury. 97-88, NY
6:45 - Again, it's the Knicks, not the Spurs, playing with urgency and getting to the loose balls, and an offensive rebound leads to a 3-pointer by McBride. The shooting (and defense) of New York's role players has been the story of this game. 95-83, NY
7:45 - Bridges is 4-of-4 from 3-point, Shamet is 3-of-6 and KAT is 3-of-5. Both teams have led by 12 points, but right now SA is trying to cut its deficit under two possessions. The Spurs have also hurt themselves by missing eight free throws (15-of-23). 90-83, NY
7:45 - Bridges is 4-of-4 from 3-point, Shamet is 3-of-6 and KAT is 3-of-5. Both teams have led by 12 points, but right now SA is trying to cut its deficit under two possessions. The Spurs have also hurt themselves by missing eight free throws (15-of-23). 90-83, NY
8:18 - Dylan Harper scores and the Spurs' crowd is urging its team on. The game is ticking near eight minutes and Shamet hit another dagger 3-pointer after a missed alley-oop attempt to Wemby. 90-82, NY
9:45 - New York is the team playing with a sense of urgency and Shamet made the Spurs pay with a 3-pointer. Wemby answered with a 3-pointer but SA needs stops and good possessions. 87-80, NY
Third Quarter
0:00 - Bridges found Robinson on a nice back-door alley-oop to give New York a 84-73 lead and all the momentum with its stars on the bench. The Spurs' Keldon Johnson did get a bucket to stop the bleeding but the Knicks have all the momentum right now entering the fina period. 84-75, NY
1:35 - The Knicks are trying to steal some crucial minutes with Brunson and KAT on the bench and the veterans are come through, as Bridges hit a jumper after Miles McBride scored. Bridges is having one of the best playoff games on his career. 80-73, NY
3:19 - Spurs trying to gain momentum, but missed an alley-oop to Wemnby and let Bridges hit a wide open jumper. Wemby did convert a 3-oointer and then Castle takes Brunson off the dribble with a finish, as both teams make big offensive plays. The Spurs are definitely trying to seize momentum with KAT on the bench. 76-72, NY
6:01 - KAT was working on Castle inside after a dump off and he know four personal fouls with two in approximately 45 seconds. Big sequence. 72-64, NY
6:38 - Bridges nailed a 3-pointer off a double team of Brunson, as Spurs playing physical on the perimeter but the Knicks made them pay. The Spurs are trying to find a combination that will work and the strategy is to double Brunson, but Shamet made SA pay with a 3-pointer. 72-61, NY
9:20 - Not much credit was given by halftime TV commentators about the terrific team defense of the Knicks. Everything was about how KAT is dominating Wemby. Anunoby and Josh Hart came up with terrific defensive plays early in the quarter and it led to a big 3-pointer by Brunson and the Knicks now have a double-digit lead. 64-54, NY
HALFTIME: New York Knicks 56, San Antonio Spurs 52 (New York Leads 1-0)
Knicks: Karl Anthony-Towns - 17 points (3-of-5 3-point), 8-of-20 3-point
Spurs: Victor Wembanyama - 7 points, 5 points, 2 turnovers, 6-of-18 3-point
Second Quarter
0:00 - Bridges cut nicely to the front of the rim and scored to give the Knicks the lead with 38.3 seconds, as Wemby tuned the ball over on back-to-back possessions. After the second one, the Knicks made the home team pay with a 3-pointer by KAT from the corner with 9.1 seconds to go. The Spurs didn't score on their last possession. SA had a 12-point lead, but New York turned it around and took all the momentum going into the half. 56-52, NY
2:07 - The Knicks gets rewarded for their terrific ball movement by another 3-pointer by Bridges to cut New York's deficit to one. Then with 3:37 to go the Knicks took the lead on a driving lay-up by Landry Shamet, but the Spurs answer with a 4-point play on a 3-pointer by Vassell with 3:15 to go in the half. That was a big momentum shift after New York temporarily took the lead. 52-51, SA
4:56 - Robinson is called for a technical foul away from the ball while guarding Wemby. SA gets nothing but a free throw as Anunoby comes up with a steal and gets fouled. He is playing great defense here in the first half. He makes both free throws to keep New York in range. 47-44, SA
5:14 - Anunoby comes up with a clean block on Harper on a breakaway and Bridges answers with a 3-pointer. There is a timeout on the floor for a review on a hostile act by Josh Hart on Devin Vassell. The refs rule it a flagrant foul, penalty 1 on Hart, which is his third personal. 46-42, SA
7:01 - Fox almost loses the ball, and is looking for a foul. The Knicks want a double-dribble violation on his drive, but it ends up being a conventional 3-point play. Alvarado then draws a 3-point shooting foul on Castle with the shot clock winding down under a second and it's Castle's third foul with 7:38 to go. Mikal Bridges nails a corner 3-pointer and the Knicks are in business. Timeout on the court. 42-39, SA
8: 00 - Castle is upset on a no-call on a drive to the basket. There is alot of contact and then a minute later, Dylan Harper is called for an offensive foul. Harper now has two fouls with 10 minutes to go in the half. KAT has something to say after a strong drive and Jose Alvarado fouls Castle hard. Game is chippy right now. 39-32, SA
9:21 - Stephon Castle is upset on a no-call on a drive to the basket. There is alot of contact and then a minute later, Dylan Harper is called for an offensive foul. Harper now has two fouls with 10 minutes to go in the half. KAT has something to say after a strong drive and Jose Alvarado fouls Castle hard. Game is chippy right now. 39-32, SA
First Quarter
0:00 - The Spurs take a double-digit lead (remember, they had a big lead late in Game 1) on a mini alley-oop from Harper to DeAaron Fox. The Spurs are extending pressure on the ball-handlers and have forced a couple of turnovers. With 12.3, Wemby scored on a drive after a shot fake behind the arch. 34-25, SA
2:01 - The Spurs are playing hack-a-Mitchell Robinson, which they can do without penalty until the two minute mark. With 2:29 to go, Bryant fouls Robinson. Out of six free throws, Robinson makes 3-of-6, including the final two. But at the same time, the Spurs score on two consecutive possessions. 29-21, SA
3:30 - With Wemby out of the game, the Knicks' Karl Anthony-Towns is attacking the basket. He gets a lay-up to cut his team's deficit to two points. Rookie Carter Bryant is in the game and trying to get physical with Brunson. 22-18, SA
5:45 - The Spurs are already in the foul shot bonus with plenty of time left in the first. Dylan Harper with a dunk and the Spurs now lead 20-13. The crowd is ready to explode, but will the Knicks respond? 20-13, SA
6:00 - Jalen Brunson nails a pull up 3-pointer, but Dylan Harper answers with a driving lay-up. San Antonio is playing inspired, but it's not necessarily translating on the scoreboard. 17-13, SA
8:30 - Julian Champagnie nails a 3-pointer and then Stephon Castle nails a shot off the glass. The Knicks already have 3 team fouls. OG Anunoby answers with a big 3--pointer for New York. 13-10, SA
11:00 - The San Antonio home crowd seems to know its team needs it tonight. They are extra loud very early. Julian Champagnie has scored SA's first five points. 5-2, SA
12:00 - Keep in mind, the Knicks have won 12 consecutive games and the team that goes up 2-0 in the NBA Finals is 32-5 all-time, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
