Knicks take – Victor Wembanyama’s late-game swing—from a misread pass that set up Jalen Brunson’s free throw to a missed game-winning jumper—helped the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-104 on June 5 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals and take a commanding 2-0 lead as
The Knicks didn’t just win Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday, June 5—they did it on a night where the margin tightened down to seconds, then to a single miss.
New York outplayed the San Antonio Spurs again, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the series as it turns to New York. The final score was 105-104, decided by a free throw from Jalen Brunson with 9.5 seconds left.
Brunson got to the line after a bad pass from Victor Wembanyama in the closing seconds. The Spurs were trying to get up the floor on a defensive rebound, and Wembanyama tossed a pass ahead. Stephon Castle wasn’t looking—so the ball bounced off his back. Brunson scooped it up, and then Wembanyama fouled him, sending Brunson to the line.
There was still time after that. The Spurs had a chance to win the game themselves, but Wembanyama’s would-be game-winning jumpshot rimmed out.
Now, with Madison Square Garden set to host the next two games, the Knicks are two wins away from a sweep and from claiming their first NBA championship in 53 years. New York has won 13 consecutive playoff games, including eight straight on the road.
New York also got another lift from Karl-Anthony Towns, who powered the Knicks on both ends. With the series now sitting at 2-0, his dominance over Wembanyama across stretches of the Finals has the Knicks close to erasing their 53-year title drought.
Towns led New York with 21 points—17 in the first half—on 8-of-12 shooting. He added 13 rebounds and 4 assists, and he stretched the floor, creating space for teammates to attack.
It was Towns’ defense that carried the sharper edge. Wembanyama. who entered the night as the Spurs’ centerpiece. looked timid in the first half and appeared perplexed by how to break through Towns’ physicality. At the half, Wembanyama had 7 points on just 4 shot attempts. He did score 22 in the second half, but that early deficit left San Antonio digging from behind.
The Knicks repeatedly turned Towne’s matchups into a series problem. During the late portion of the game. Mitchell Robinson also had massive defensive possessions against Wembanyama. but Towns was the reason Wembanyama looked lost early—drifting around the perimeter for much of the first half rather than finding consistent rhythm.
There were also turnovers tied to that lack of flow. Wembanyama tried to drive and create opportunities for teammates and ended up with two turnovers. In one, late in the second quarter, Devin Vassell passed him the ball on the right wing. Wembanyama immediately tried to dump it back to Vassell as Vassell moved to relocate. The ball skipped out of bounds.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson will now have to find ways to manufacture easier offense for Wembanyama. Having him stand around while other players operate didn’t work, and Wembanyama’s early struggles helped explain why San Antonio needed more time just to get competitive.
Even with the late push, the swing of the game started earlier—when San Antonio brought an urgency it hadn’t shown in Game 1. From the first seconds of Game 2, the Spurs played with force and physicality they didn’t have two nights earlier.
De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle picked up full-court pressure on made baskets. Once the ball crossed half court, the Spurs stayed in front of New York with lateral quickness. And when the Knicks tried to get into the paint, Spurs defenders collapsed to show bodies and clog the area.
The results came quickly. New York opened Game 2 shooting 6-of-17 from the field, for 35.3%. In the first 7:44, the Knicks scored just 2 points in the paint.
San Antonio’s approach contrasted with Game 1, when the Spurs backed down from New York’s physical defense and settled for jumpers. In Game 2’s first quarter, San Antonio attacked the paint, then spaced the floor—spraying perimeter or generating high-percentage looks near the rim.
That was the recipe for success in the opening stretch. In the first quarter, the Spurs led points in the paint by an 18-8 margin. They also shot 65% from the field in the first.
When it was time for late-game secondary scoring, Bridges delivered. Jerami (referred to in the source as Bridges) entered the fourth quarter 8-of-9. after making eight consecutive shots. and finished with 20 points. 6 rebounds. 6 assists. and 1 steal. He hit his first four 3-pointers of the game and added timely baskets throughout the night.
His hot hand mattered because it blunted the rough shooting night for Jalen Brunson, who finished at 7-of-25 from the floor.
Wembanyama did find a stronger rhythm later. He took 8 shot attempts and scored 12 points in the third quarter. But the slow start left San Antonio needing to play from behind, even as it fought its way back.
The Knicks. meanwhile. keep collecting proof that they can win even when the matchup centers on their opponent’s best weapon. Towns limited Wembanyama’s early options. New York pressed its advantage with bodies every time Wembanyama touched the ball. and the late sequence ended with Brunson at the free-throw line after that bad pass—followed by a missed shot attempt that could have changed everything.
Game 2 ended 105-104, and the series now sits at 2-0 in favor of the Knicks. With Madison Square Garden hosting the next two games, New York is one step from a sweep and from ending its 53-year championship drought.
The question left hanging in the air after Friday night’s final seconds is simple: when the Spurs need Wembanyama most, can they build offense that keeps him in rhythm instead of asking him to solve it alone?
Knicks vs Spurs NBA Finals Game 2 Victor Wembanyama Jalen Brunson Karl-Anthony Towns Madison Square Garden De'Aaron Fox Stephon Castle Mitch Johnson Jerami Bridges