2026 NBA Finals: Important plays, lessons from Knicks-Spurs Game 3

Well, we have a series.

After the New York Knicks stole Games 1 and 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals on the road, the San Antonio Spurs returned the favor in Game 3 on Monday, silencing an energized Madison Square Garden crowd with a 115-111 win.

The Knicks are still favorites to win their first championship in 53 years, with a 2-1 series lead and two remaining home games, including Game 4 on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App). But no team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in an NBA playoff series, so Game 3 was a must-win for the Spurs.

They obliged, snapping the Knicks' 13-game win streak and maintaining the suspense that a Finals of this caliber deserves.

Let's break down San Antonio's crucial Game 3 win from all angles, from its most important plays and trends to the biggest lineup questions it sparked for Game 4.

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The most important plays of Game 3

San Antonio's greatest problem through two Finals losses was an inability to break down New York's defense. The Spurs ranked third in the regular season in offensive rating -- tied with the Knicks, incidentally -- but they had scored just 100.5 points per 100 possessions in the Finals.

For context, the worst offensive team this season, the Brooklyn Nets, averaged 108.2 points per 100 possessions -- nearly eight ticks better than the Spurs against the Knicks.

But the Spurs found a better rhythm down the stretch in Game 2, as they erased a 14-point Knicks lead, and they carried that pace right up to the start of Game 3, when they set the tone early with a flurry of buckets down low.

For the very first basket of the game, the Spurs used their killer "45 screen" set to getVictor Wembanyamaopen above the rim. Stephon Castle brought up the ball and drove after receiving screens from both Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie. With the Knicks defense rotating, Castle kicked out toDe'Aaron Fox, who drove and lofted an alley-oop pass, and Wembanyama leaped for an easy slam over a flat-footed Karl-Anthony Towns.

The next bucket also targeted Wembanyama down low. This time, Champagnie and Wembanyama set staggered screens for Castle at the top of the arc, which forced Towns away from the paint and the smaller OG Anunoby to wrestle with Wembanyama down low. But Wembanyama burrowed into an unguardable position and dunked right through the defender.

The Spurs weren't done. Just a couple of minutes later, they used their "45" set once again. This time, New York trapped Castle at midcourt, so he rose, feigned as if he would pass to Fox on the wing and -- after Anunoby bit on the fake and sprinted out to the perimeter -- dished to Wembanyama, who was wide open underneath.

At the first TV timeout of the night, five minutes into the game, Wembanyama had already scored nine points on 4-for-4 shooting, and Castle had already scored seven points on 3-for-3 shooting. The duo had three assists at that point, as well: two from Castle to Wembanyama, and one the other way around.

The Spurs' torrid pace slowed as the night continued. But the offense never stagnated as severely as it had for stretches in the first two games. They had quarters with 18, 19 and 21 points in those contests, but the Spurs never dipped below 23 in a quarter in Game 3.

In large part, that's because they kept pressure on New York's basket. When the Knicks went small without Towns or Mitchell Robinson on the floor, a basic pick-and-roll allowed Wembanyama to glide to the rim and dunk over Mikal Bridges.

And he beat Towns backdoor for another alley-oop to open the fourth quarter.

Through the first two games of the Finals, Wembanyama had converted just one alley-oop. Then in Game 3 alone, he scored off four lobs (including one tipped layup), which tied for his most in any playoff game.

Wembanyama also set 35 picks in Game 3, his third-highest total in any game this season, behind only Games 1 and 7 of the conference finals. In general, the Spurs have used Wembanyama much more as a screener as the stakes have risen: 36.5 screens per 100 possessions in the postseason versus 23.4 screens per 100 possessions in the regular season, per GeniusIQ.

Wembanyama finished with an efficient 32 points on 18 shots on Monday night, while Castle added 23 points on 14 shots. The duo shot a combined 59% after mustering a 40% mark through the first two games. And their 55 combined points were their postseason high in a non-overtime game.

The Spurs enjoyed other offensive strengths in Game 3, as well. They got into the bonus early in both the third and fourth quarters, securing more free throw opportunities. Role players Champagnie and Devin Vassellcombined to shoot 6-of-10 on 3-pointers. And the Spurs took better care of the ball, committing a postseason-low eight turnovers.

But Wembanyama's increased aggression, and the Spurs' increased urgency in putting him in advantageous situations near the rim, were the main catalyst for the team's best offensive performance in the Finals.

His average shot came from 17.3 feet away from the rim in Game 1, and from 15.2 feet away in Game 2, per GeniusIQ. His average shot distance in Game 3 dropped to 10.6 feet.

So it's no wonder that the Spurs' offensive rating leaped to 123.7 in Game 3 -- their second-most-efficient game of the postseason (behind their 30-point blowout win in Game 6 against Minnesota), and by far the Knicks' worst defensive rating of the playoffs.

A defensive possession to highlight

Just because San Antonio won Game 3 with its offense doesn't mean there weren't any defensive highlights Monday. And one possession was so extraordinary that it deserves a special carveout in this column.

The Knicks have received proper credit for their excellent ball movement in the Finals. They like to drive and kick, and drive and kick again, and drive and kick some more, all on repeat until the Spurs defense springs a leak and New York generates an open shot. The best example is this play that culminated in a Mikal Bridges 3-pointer in Game 2, which I highlighted in my piece after that game.

But in a key moment in Game 3, with San Antonio holding an eight-point lead in the final five minutes, the Spurs shut down the Knicks' attempt at a repeat. Behold this beauty, as the Spurs cut off four potential shots in a row, before Wembanyama spikedLandry Shamet's layup off the backboard.

All five Spurs defenders rotated in concert throughout this possession, moving in sync with the ball around the perimeter. And at various points throughout, Wembanyama defended three different Knicks, the rim and both corners.

The Knicks almost certainly didn't plan to end their possession with Shamet challenging Wembanyama. But the Spurs' effort and coordination gave them no choice.

Three key Game 3 lessons

1.San Antonio closed with a three-guard lineup Monday, with Dylan Harper taking Champagnie's place among the starters. That wasn't a shocker, given that Harper was arguably their best player through the first two games of the Finals. Given that Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had used this particular five-man group for only 12 minutes all postseason before Monday, however, it was still a surprise.

The Spurs are undoubtedly small when Fox, Castle, Harper and Vassell surround Wembanyama. But they're also faster and more dynamic with the ball, and those attributes served them well in Game 3. Look for more of the three-guard group going forward in these Finals -- and, frankly, for the next few years, as Castle and Harper grow and Fox remains ensconced in San Antonio with his max extension.

2. Anunoby was the Knicks' most efficient scorer Monday, tallying 28 points on 9-for-13 shooting. It was one point off his playoff career high (set three times, including twice against Atlanta in the first round).

Unlike Jalen Brunson, Anunoby's buckets tend to come within the flow of the offense, rather than via heavy volume or possession. His usage rate in the playoffs is a below-average 18.1%.

But Monday's outburst suggests the Knicks might want to make more of a targeted effort to get Anunoby extra shots. His size and strength make him a difficult individual matchup for any of the Spurs' wings; heck, he has even blown past Wembanyama for multiple dunks in this series. And especially if the Spurs go to their three-guard lineup again, Anunoby could continue scoring both on the perimeter and at the rim.

3. The Knicks should still feel generally comfortable with their rotations, as one close loss following 13 consecutive wins is no cause for alarm. Yet one data point should give reason for concern coming out of Game 3: San Antonio outscored New York by 13 points in seven minutes with Mitchell Robinson on the floor.

There are two issues here, from the Knicks' perspective. The first, of course, is the minus-13 portion. Usually it's the Spurs who worry about surviving with their backup center on the floor, but in this case, the Knicks lost by an untenable margin without their starter.

Almost as worrying is the "in seven minutes" part, as that's the fewest minutes Robinson has played in a game this postseason (not counting one he missed due to illness). In part due to the foul situation, with Knicks coach Mike Brown wanting to avoid Hack-a-Mitch possibilities, New York went small with Anunoby at center for a few minutes on Monday.

New York doesn't typically play that way; Towns and Robinson played a combined 47 minutes in Game 1 and 48 minutes in Game 2. And the results with Anunoby at center were mixed, as the court opened up and both teams raced up and down the floor for layups. But it's a wrinkle worth watching in Game 4, to see if Brown returns to his usual center rotation or if he persists with the occasional change.

Notes and loose ends looking ahead to Game 4

One of the joys of playoff basketball is when role players step up in unexpected circumstances. Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson fit that bill in Game 3. Before Monday, he hadn't scored in double figures in any playoff game this season, and he didn't play at all in Game 2 on Friday.
But in search of a spark off the bench, Brown inserted Clarkson -- and Jose Alvarado, who provided his own bench production with multiple makes over Wembanyama -- in Game 3, and he reaped the rewards. A day after his 34th birthday, Clarkson scored 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including two 3-pointers late in the shot clock, and he was plus-8 in 13 minutes.

It's possible Clarkson doesn't score 10 points or play 13 minutes at all in the entire rest of the Finals. But for one night, he was a tremendously important contributor for New York.

Spurs backup Keldon Johnson had one of the more eventful games Monday, even if his box score stats (seven points, two rebounds and one steal in 17 minutes) look entirely normal. The Sixth Man of the Year also missed three free throws, committed a few foolish fouls -- including an unnecessary offensive foul that wiped out a Wembanyama 3-pointer after a Knicks challenge -- and generally looked out of control on offense.

And yet, Johnson finished with the best plus/minus in the game (plus-14), and his ability to play 17 minutes was critical for a Spurs team that is rapidly losing its depth. Johnson could have cost them Game 3, but he also played a big role in helping them win it.

Speaking of that dwindling depth for San Antonio: There is only one day off between Games 3 and 4 in New York, for the last time in this series. Conversely, there will be two days off between Games 4 and 5, 5 and 6 (if necessary) and 6 and 7 (if necessary).

That could matter for Wednesday's game, because at this point, especially at home, Brown clearly has more players he trusts than Johnson does. (That's an unusual position for the Knicks, following the Tom Thibodeau years.)

Johnson removed Harrison Barnes from the rotation in Game 3, and Carter Bryant played only four minutes. But after Wembanyama, Castle, Fox and Vassell all played at least 37 minutes Monday, it remains to be seen whether those Spurs stalwarts can turn around with just one day of rest and play with the same intensity and endurance in Game 4.

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