2026 NBA Finals Game 2: Knicks 105, Spurs 104

Go crazy, New York. Or, perhaps more accurately, crazier. The red-hot Knicks are going home, two wins away from an NBA championship that the capital of the world has been waiting to see for generations. Jalen Brunson hit a go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left after a turnover by Victor Wembanyama moments earlier, then Wembanyama missed a jumper at the end of New York’s 105-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

The New York Knicks had no business winning Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals. They had already stolen home-court advantage from the San Antonio Spurs with a road win in Game 1, so they would have been forgiven a letdown two nights later. History suggested they would lose, likely by double digits: Entering this series, road teams that won Game 1 of the Finals were just 2-16 in the ensuing Game 2.

Deep exhale, Knicks fans. It looked like New York had the game well in hand, cruising to a 2–0 lead in the series. Then that carefully stitched plan came apart at the seams. After OG Anunoby threw down a dunk with Victor Wembanyama draped all over him with 6:04 left in the game, the Knicks had a 97-83 lead and were already warming up the bus for the airport. Over the next 3:05, the Spurs reeled off a 14-0 run to tie the game with 2:59 remaining.

The Spurs trailed by 14 points midway through the fourth quarter but used a run of 14-0 behind Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox to tie it at 97-97 with 3:00 remaining, then took their first lead of the half with less than a minute to go. Brunson responded immediately, knotting the game at 104-104 with a driving basket.

After Jalen Brunson missed his own attempt at a go-ahead midrange jumper, Wembanyama grabbed the rebound with 13 seconds left. San Antonio decided not to call its final timeout. But Wembanyama and Stephon Castle weren’t on the same page: As the center threw an outlet pass for his guard, Castle turned his head to sprint up the floor. The ball seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before bouncing off Castle’s back and right into Brunson’s hands.

Brunson got fouled, the Knicks had the lead back and before long Spurs fans were filing out of the arena — possibly for the final time this season. The Spurs called time with 7.5 seconds remaining. Fox took the inbound pass, then set up Wembanyama for a jumper that would have won it. The shot bounced off the rim, and it was over.

“I’m still very blurry, and that’s the whole problem. I need to have more poise, more control over the game,” Wembanyama said about the late-game foibles. About the turnover, he added, “I threw that one away. I messed up.”

“Of course I liked the shot,” Wembanyama said afterwards. “In moments like this, results matter more than process. We just needed to score. I just needed to score. That’s the whole point.”

Karl-Anthony Towns has been the Knicks’ best player. Karl-Anthony Towns should be the early favorite for NBA Finals MVP after a pair of strong games against Victor Wembanyama. Towns led the Knicks with 21 points and 13 rebounds on Friday night, while adding four assists, one steal and a block in 34 minutes. Crucially, he led the team in plus/minus at +11 while fellow star Jalen Brunson was a -10 on the night.

Given that opportunity, Madison Square Garden might set indoor decibel records on Monday, when the series shifts to New York for Game 3.

Also read: The 2026 NBA Finals Script Just Flipped: How the Knicks Overtook the Spurs in the Championship Markets