Finals MVP – Karl-Anthony Towns powered the Knicks’ Game 2 win in San Antonio with 21 points and 13 rebounds, setting up a 2-0 Finals lead while he climbs the MVP conversation on both ends against Victor Wembanyama.
When the Knicks left San Antonio with a 2-0 lead after Game 2, the script looked obvious to anyone watching closely: it wasn’t about momentum alone. It was about matchup reality, and Karl-Anthony Towns was the common thread tying it all together.
Towns scored 21 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the Knicks’ Game 2 win. The series has leaned heavily on him at both ends, even as the headlines elsewhere keep circling Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs’ star. who was such a force for San Antonio in the postseason—especially in the Western Conference Finals where he denied the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder—has been a sight to behold. But through two games in the Finals, Towns has forced the story back to New York.
The Knicks now sit two wins away from certifying the vision that came with a big decision two years ago: New York acquired Towns in a significant trade meant to give the franchise a major edge in the Eastern Conference. It’s an edge that hasn’t just shown up in flashes. Towns has put it on the floor again—again and again—against Wembanyama.
For San Antonio, the timing of those moments is the problem. The Spurs have had chances to flip the script in Games 1 and 2. but the numbers and timing haven’t swung their way. And that’s exactly where a Finals tension lives: basketball can shift overnight. If the Spurs—and more importantly Wembanyama—suddenly find the winning basketball that’s been within reach. the ladder can rearrange itself quickly. For now, though, Towns is climbing it.
Towns delivered one of the loudest milestones in Knicks Finals history on Friday in San Antonio. He became the first Knicks player to post a 20-point double-double in a Finals road game since Dave DeBusschere did it in 1973. And yes, that includes Patrick Ewing.
Jalen Brunson didn’t hide how central Towns has been. “He’s been great. He’s been phenomenal on both sides of the ball.”
On the Finals MVP ladder after two games, the top stays where the impact has been easiest to see.
1. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
2026 Finals stats: 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Towns’ case is stronger when you zoom in on who he’s playing against. He’s producing offensively, and his defense has helped keep Wembanyama in check for the most part. In the shooting department, Towns’ splits read 56-43-100—from the floor, the 3-point line, and the charity stripe. His passing from the high post has produced timely assists. and he has dropped a double-double in each of the two games.
The alternative is hard to ignore, too. Where would the Knicks and Towns be if that swap with Minnesota wasn’t made? Julius Randle was an All-NBA performer in his time with the Knicks but didn’t bring the shooting that the Knicks ultimately needed in this series against Wembanyama.
2. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
2026 Finals stats: 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Brunson’s case has a flaw you can’t skate around: he’s shooting 19-for-56 in the series. His cold stretches have come alongside the constant double-teaming tactics San Antonio has used, trying to make him uncomfortable every chance it gets.
Even with that, the Knicks are still up 2-0, and the reason is almost brutally simple. Brunson has delivered the eventual game-winning points in each game. His fourth-quarter buckets stand taller than his misses through three quarters. He’s clutch—six assists and five steals in Game 2 included.
3. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama finishes with 29 points and nine rebounds in Game 2 vs. the Knicks.
2026 Finals stats: 27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks
From a numbers standpoint, Wembanyama is having a solid series. There have been stretches where his impact has been significant at both ends. But the Finals also punish the moments you don’t make.
There’s an errant toss to a teammate with his back turned and, more painfully, crucial fourth-quarter missed shots. The sharpest example is the mid-range jumper that would’ve given the Spurs the Game 2 win. In New York. in a hostile atmosphere. he’ll need to atone—and quickly—if the Spurs are going to climb back into the series.
4. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
2026 Finals stats: 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists
The silver lining for San Antonio has been the composure of a 20-year-old who keeps showing up when the stage gets biggest. Dylan Harper is fearless, and in Game 2 he was 3-for-3 from the floor in the fourth quarter. He also assisted on the Wembanyama basket that briefly put the Spurs ahead late in the game.
Over the full picture, Harper has dropped double-figure scoring in both games off the bench. He’s shooting 54.5% and has only two turnovers in his 60 minutes of playing time. His role is growing by the game.
5. OG Anunoby, New York Knicks
2026 Finals stats: 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
OG Anunoby has risen in the way you want from a Finals defender: his ability to defend multiple players, even Wembanyama at times, has boosted the Knicks through two games. His strength and athletic ability has shown up when it matters most.
He’s also hitting 45% from deep. Scoring has taken a slight step backward compared to his regular-season numbers, but the dunk over Wembanyama stands out as a Game 2 highlight—one of those plays that don’t just add points, they shift the feel of a matchup.
For now, the ladder is being shaped by Towns’ certainty: double-doubles, efficiency, defense, and the kind of road-game milestone the Knicks haven’t seen since the era of Dave DeBusschere in 1973. The series is only two games old, but the stakes are already visible.
If the Spurs manage to turn their chances into wins, the story can change fast. If they don’t, the big man who came to New York two years ago in a trade aimed at giving the Knicks an edge in the East—and maybe more—may end up deciding this Finals one dominance at a time.
2026 NBA Finals Knicks Spurs Karl-Anthony Towns Victor Wembanyama Jalen Brunson Dylan Harper OG Anunoby Finals MVP ladder
2-0 already?? Wemby’s cooked or what.
I didn’t even realize it was 2-0, wow. 21 and 13 is pretty nuts though, Karl-Anthony Towns really said “main character.”
Game 2 dominance… but isn’t this the part where Spurs “adjust” in Game 3 and then everyone acts like it was never over? Also Wembanyama should’ve had more rebounds if he’s the best defender or whatever. I’m just saying stats don’t lie, unless they do.
Feels like the refs or something because Towns getting all those rebounds doesn’t happen every series. Like I’m happy for the Knicks but I’m also like… didn’t San Antonio win more big games than this earlier? Maybe the whole “MVP conversation” is just media push and Wemby will bounce back once he gets his fouls called.