The San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, keeping their championship hopes alive Monday night at Madison Square Garden after dropping the first two games at home.
San Antonio avoided a 3-0 series hole behind a dominant performance from Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks to earn his first Finals victory.
The Spurs established an early advantage before New York surged with a 42-point second quarter to take the lead into halftime. San Antonio responded after the break and closed the game with key baskets from Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox in the final minutes. Castle added 23 points, while Fox delivered several late plays as the Spurs became the first team in the series to win on the road.
Jalen Brunson matched Wembanyama with 32 points for the Knicks, and OG Anunoby contributed 28. New York, which entered the night riding a 13-game postseason winning streak, suffered its first defeat since April 23 — the loss ended the second-longest playoff winning streak in NBA history and snapped a 46-day unbeaten run for the Knicks. Mikal Bridges was limited to two points and spent much of the fourth quarter on the bench, while New York struggled from long range late in the game.
Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Spurs will try to even the best-of-seven series before it shifts back to San Antonio.
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