Sarah Quintanilla

The San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks 115-111 on Wednesday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. The Spurs lost Games 1 and 2 at home, and the Knicks maintain a 2-1 series lead in the Finals.

The Spurs started Game 3 strong in the first quarter, ending it with a 33-22 lead, but they faltered to a 64-57 deficit following halftime. The game remained competitive in score until the end. The Spurs were able to maintain a lead in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks trailed close behind. The Spurs led 113-111 with 9.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. A foul on guard Stephon Castle allowed him to shoot two free throws, giving the Spurs the win, 115-111.

Center Victor Wembanyama struggled offensively in Game 2, only scoring seven points in the first half. He made several critical mistakes in the last minute of the fourth quarter. The game ended with the score at 105-104 with seven seconds on the clock. Wembanyama took the final shot and missed, giving the Knicks the win. He was able to redeem himself offensively in Game 3 from his previous performance. Wembanyama finished the game with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

“At home it really feels like playing six against five and here it feels like playing five against six. I agree with Luke [Kornet], it really shows what teams are made of,” Wembanyama stated.

The Spurs broke the Knicks’ playoff win streak of 13 games straight, which is the second longest streak in NBA history. If the Spurs win the series, they will become the first team in NBA history to lose two home games in the Finals and still win the championship.

Brunson led his team again with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists. Knicks forward OG Anunoby scored 28 points, five rebounds and one assist.

Castle scored 23 points, five rebounds and five assists, and guard Dylan Harper had 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

The Spurs and the Knicks will play Game 4 on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. The Spurs will return home to the Frost Bank Center on Friday at 7:30 p.m. for Game 5.