By Camden Strong.
The San Antonio Spurs went into Game 1 as favourites with the likes of Victor Wembanyama at the forefront of these predictions. However, it was the Knicks who stunned the San Antonio Spurs after they reduced a 13-point deficit midway through the third quarter.
The Knicks came into Game 1 on an 11-game win streak, with many predicting that Wembanyama’s Spurs would wipe this record clean early into the NBA Finals. For the Spurs, this looked likely as San Antonio ended the first quarter eight points clear of the Knicks, but the biggest surprise for the Knicks was the early departure of star man Brunson, who limped off in the first quarter, only to return with 8 minutes left in the second.
It wasn’t until the second half of Game 1 that the Knicks began to fire on all cylinders, keeping Wembanyama quiet for long periods of the game. Jalen Bruson came alive again, ending the game with 30 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. It is the fourth time the Knicks have gone on to win in the second half of a game, having trailed by 10 or more points in the playoffs. The most notable being overturning a 22-point deficit in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers.
As Game 2 approaches, the Spurs will aim to nullify the threat of Karl-Anthony Towns on Wembanyama. It was a complete victory for Towns, whose defence kept Victor quiet with 12 of his 26 points coming from free throws. However, for the Knicks, after keeping Wembanyama and co quiet, they will look to further their lead in the final as they look to end their stint in San Antonio, adding to their recently acquired 12-game win streak after a 105-95 victory, their first NBA Finals win in 27 years.
After Brunson’s 30-point Game 1, he is likely to feel more pressure from the Spurs defence, which could also be the case for Towns and Anunoby, who had 12 himself in the fourth quarter. This potentially leaves Bridges as a beneficiary; he left Game 1 without an attempt from the arch, which could leave him almost forgotten by the Spurs’ defence, leaving an opening for him to shoot from deep. Bridges shot 37% from the arc on over five attempts this season. He also had a year under the Phoenix Suns, where he shot 42% from deep on their Finals run. During Phoenix Suns Game 2, Bridges had a 27-point game, taking a 2-0 lead versus the Bucks. He will likely have a similar role against the Spurs if left forgotten by the San Antonio defence.
(Image by Lesli Whitecotton, Pexels)
