The New York Knicks were supposed to have this wrapped up. After stealing the first two games on the road in San Antonio, the city was ready for a parade to end a 53-year drought. Then Game 3 happened. Victor Wembanyama went into Madison Square Garden, dropped 32 points, swatted three blocks, and basically reminded everyone that he isn't some future prospect. He is the present.
San Antonio's 115-111 win broke New York's 13-game playoff win streak. Suddenly, the local media panic is setting in. The narrative has shifted from an inevitable sweep to a full-blown existential crisis for the Knicks. But if you think Game 4 is just about the Spurs building momentum or the Knicks bouncing back, you're looking at the wrong things. You might also find this similar story insightful: What Most People Get Wrong About the World Cup Referee Barred by the US.
The Mid-Series Adjustments Winning the Coaching Battle
Everyone wants to talk about the stars, but this series is being decided by the adjustments happening on the benches. In Game 3, the Spurs finally figured out how to counter the Knicks' pick-and-roll defense. De'Aaron Fox struggled to score, but he kept the defense moving, allowing rookie Stephon Castle to slice up the secondary rotations for 23 points.
The Knicks got lazy in their coverage after halftime. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges combined for just four points in the second half of Game 3. That can't happen again. New York coach Tom Thibodeau is notorious for running his starters into the ground, but he needs to find a way to get Jalen Brunson some help when San Antonio blitzes the perimeter. As extensively documented in detailed reports by FOX Sports, the results are significant.
Look at how the Spurs used Wembanyama in the fourth quarter. They didn't just dump the ball to him in the post. They used him as a high-screen playmaker, forcing Towns to defend on the perimeter. It dragged New York’s best rim protector out of the paint, leaving the baseline completely exposed for Castle and Fox.
Why Rim Protection Rules This Matchup
The absolute core of this series is what happens within five feet of the basket. New York won the first two games because they turned the paint into a mosh pit. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart scrambled everything, making life miserable for San Antonio's cutters.
But Wembanyama is a completely different problem when he plays aggressive. In Game 3, he stopped settling for jumpers. He took the ball right at Towns and Mitchell Robinson, forcing foul trouble and changing the geometry of the court.
- San Antonio's Key: If Wembanyama stays inside and acts as a passing hub, the Knicks' defense collapses.
- New York's Key: Brunson has to attack the chest of the Spurs' big men. Floating lane runners won't work against a 7-foot-4 frame.
The Knicks missed 11 straight three-pointers in the fourth quarter of the last game. That wasn't just bad luck. It was exhaustion from fighting through screens and trying to score over a human skyscraper on the other end.
The Real Pressure Is on the Knicks Perimeter
Let’s be honest about the Knicks. When Brunson isn't creating, the offense looks stagnant. Don't let the late three-pointer from Anunoby fool you; the execution down the stretch in Game 3 was terrible.
Bridges needs to become an offensive factor early in Game 4. If he is just standing in the corner acting as a floor spacer, the Spurs will keep helping off him to trap Brunson. The Knicks need to run Bridges off baseline screens and get him downhill before Wembanyama can set his feet in the paint.
It also comes down to defensive execution on Fox. He didn't shoot well in Game 3, but his speed still collapsed the defense. If the Knicks keep letting him get into the lane at will, it doesn't matter how well they guard the three-point line. The ball will eventually find the open man.
To survive Game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 lead back to Texas, New York has to do three things immediately. First, increase the pace. They are playing way too slow in the half-court, which allows the Spurs to set their defense. Second, put Hart on Castle from the opening tip to shut down that secondary scoring option. Finally, Towns needs to be aggressive from the jump. If he picks up two quick fouls trying to contest Wembanyama, the Knicks don't have the size to survive the rest of the game.
