San Antonio (AFP) – Still hurting after the worst collapse in NBA Finals history, the San Antonio Spurs vow the New York Knicks will not win their first title in 53 years without a fight. The Knicks rallied from 29 points down to edge the Spurs 107-106 on Wednesday and seize a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with game five on Saturday in San Antonio.
“I feel like we’re going to go out next game with a sense of fire,” Spurs guard Dylan Harper said. “If we’re going to lose, we’re not going out like that. We’re going to put up a fight. We’re going to keep swinging.” After allowing the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, losing on an OG Anunoby tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining, the Spurs must regroup quickly.
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“It’s a tough loss. It’s going to take us a minute to get over it,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “But we still have belief in each other and confidence we’re going to win the next game.” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson still hurts but has confidence his team can win three in a row to swipe the crown. “I think it hurts everybody,” he said. “We put a lot into it. As much as it hurts, we’re still playing. I feel like we have a special group. We’re back at it and we believe we can get it done.”
The Spurs rallied from 3-2 down to oust 2025 champion Oklahoma City in the Western Conference final. “Backs against the wall. We’ve answered the call every time. This is no different for us,” Harper said. “We’re all going to bounce back. We’re going to show the world what we’re made of. It’s no time to complain, no time to point fingers. It’s time for us to step up. If we believe we’re who we think we are, then it’s going to show.”
Knicks scoring leader Jalen Brunson, however, is resolute that even one win shy of an epic title, his team can’t let down one bit. “There’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close,” Brunson said. “The most important thing for me is just focusing on what we’ve got to do to win game five. We have a lot to learn from and a lot to get better in order to do the things we said we want to do.”
Spurs’ 7-foot-4 (2.24m) Frenchman Victor Wembanyama faces a one-game suspension if he is whistled for another flagrant foul. “Of course, I’m going to be more careful,” Wembanyama said. “But it’s not going to change much.” The 22-year-old NBA Defensive Player of the Year says the team has a clear path to deliver their best effort to the finish. “Holding each other accountable. Communicating. Not pointing fingers. And after that, we either got it or we don’t,” Wembanyama said. “We’ve proven we can surpass these difficulties. Even though we haven’t been there before, I’m convinced we’re built that way and we’re going to use the better of this. It’s going to tighten us up.”
– ‘Staying disciplined’ – Spurs veteran De’Aaron Fox says the Spurs remain confident. “We feel like we have a team to be able to come back from this,” he said. “It looks like a steep hill, but this is something that has happened before. We’ve been in a position to win all these games. We have to figure out what we need to do to be able to put some of these games away.”
Castle has some ideas about that. “Finishing games and trying to maintain our leads has been tough for us,” he said. “It’s trying to stay out of foul trouble. It’s trying to make the right passes, staying disciplined.”
© 2024 AFP
