The NBA Finals return to New York City for the first time since 1999.

Lock in, Enjoyers! Game 3 is TONIGHT!

🎉 Happy birthday Anfernee Simons, and “Big Country” Bryant Reeves! 🎉

The Knicks are heading back to the Garden just two wins away from basketball immortality.

In a physical Game 2 that came down to the final seconds, New York escaped San Antonio with a 105-104 win.

The Knicks led by as many as 14 points halfway into the 4th, but the Spurs ripped off a 14-0 run to tie the game with 3:00 to go. Still tied with 14 seconds left, Victor Wembanyama (29 PTS, 9 REB, 6 STL/BLK) threw an outlet pass off the back of Stephon Castle before fouling Jalen Brunson (20 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 5 STL) with 9.5 seconds remaining. After Brunson split the free throws, Wemby missed a clean elbow jumper at the horn, sealing Game 2 for New York.

Karl-Anthony Towns (21 PTS, 13 REB) is looking like the frontrunner for Finals MVP through two games and is combining an aggressive offensive attack with some staunch defense on Wemby. While Brunson otherwise struggled from the field (7/25 FG), Mikal Bridges (20 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 4 3PM) stepped up and hit some timely jumpers. In addition, OG Anunoby continues to show no fear in taking Wemby to the bucket.

For San Antonio, this one’s gotta sting…

The Spurs were at home with a chance to even the series before heading back to New York, but the Knicks have done everything they can to make Wemby uncomfortable, throwing multiple defenders at him and keeping the intensity high all game long. Still, Game 2 did bring one of the best De’Aaron Fox (20 PTS, 5 AST, 8/12 FG) outings since their Minnesota series. Gregg Popovich addressed the team on Saturday prior to their flight to New York. Perhaps some championship wisdom from El Jefe can help the Spurs fare better in Game 3?

Only five teams in NBA history have come back from down 2-0 in the Finals, and the Spurs will try to become the first to do it after losing both games at home.

The Knicks now sit at 13 straight playoff wins, the second-longest playoff streak in NBA history, trailing only the 2017 Golden State Warriors.

👽 How will Wemby respond?

Wemby sounded calm and collected in his media availability ahead of Game 3.

While he’s put up solid numbers through two games, some are questioning Wemby’s aggressiveness and focus. The Knicks have been more than happy to live with him taking outside shots, using multiple defenders, crowding his space, and trying to keep him away from easy looks around the rim.

Will we see Wemby answer the Knicks’ physicality? Or will they continue to cause him issues?

🏀 Which Reserves Will Step Up?

Reserve play might be the key to unlocking the remainder of this series.

For San Antonio, we’ve seen some stellar play by Dylan Harper (15 PTS, 6 REB) as an offensive engine and spark plug, but the remainder of the bench mob leaves a lot to be desired. Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson has played a total of 23 MIN over the last 2 games with just 6 PTS to show for it. 

For New York, they are hoping to see some more stellar play from Landry Shamet (13 PTS, 3 3PM) who chipped in 30 minutes last night while Josh Hart dealt with foul trouble. His shooting and IQ present a unique challenge for San Antonio to deal with. Mitchell Robinson is still dealing with a broken fifth metacarpal bone, but he chipped in some solid minutes in relief of KAT.

With the first two games decided by fourth quarter play, perhaps one extra burst off the bench can swing a game in either team’s favor?

🏀 Some Extracurriculars

With the NBA Draft on June 23rd rapidly approaching, this is the perfect time to break out a mock draft!

SROS has you covered! Check out his mock 3.0 ⬇️

The basketball world mourns the loss of an icon, as Stacey King has passed away at the age of 59.

King was a star big man at the University of Oklahoma before being selected with the 6th pick in the NBA Draft in 1989. He went on to win three rings as a rotational big man for the Chicago Bulls’ first three-peat from 1991-93.

King helped nurture a new generation of Chicago Bulls fans, serving as a broadcaster of his former team since 2006. His voice is forever linked to many of the iconic moments in Bulls’ history in the 21st century.

Thank you for all the memories. Rest in Peace, Stacey King.

Dearest Enjoyers, thank you for letting us be a part of your Monday routine! We’ll be back on Wednesday to chat about how Game 3 went!

In the meantime, let’s take a second to pause and think about three things we’re grateful for today.

Brian Shkabari