SAN ANTONIO : Jalen Brunson came up with a decisive late steal and converted the go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds remaining as the New York Knicks edged the San Antonio Spurs 105-104 on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
The Knicks, chasing their first NBA title since 1973, claimed their 13th consecutive postseason victory and moved within two wins of a championship.
“It’s a team effort. We found a way to win these two games,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds.
The decisive play came when Spurs star Victor Wembanyama inadvertently threw the ball off teammate Stephon Castle in the backcourt. Brunson pounced on the loose ball, drew a foul and split a pair of free throws to put New York ahead by one.
“I saw he wasn’t looking so I just tried to go get it,” Brunson said. “I just didn’t want Wemby to come back and get it.”
San Antonio had one final opportunity, but Wembanyama missed a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer.
“Of course, I liked the shot,” Wembanyama said. “We just need to score. I just need to score.”
Wembanyama finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, but also committed four turnovers. He accepted responsibility for the costly late giveaway.
“I threw that one away,” he said. “I messed up. We needed to win that game. This game was ours.”
Brunson scored 20 points after his 30-point performance in Game 1. Mikal Bridges also scored 20 points, while OG Anunoby added 17. Landry Shamet chipped in 13 points off the bench as New York overcame a late collapse after surrendering a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
For San Antonio, De’Aaron Fox scored 20 points, while Dylan Harper added 15 off the bench. Castle and Devin Vassell finished with 14 points each.
The series now shifts to New York for Game 3 on Monday, with Game 4 also scheduled to be played at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
