The NBA Finals aren't going the way many San Antonio Spurs fans had hoped, with the New York Knicks up 2-0. Those two home losses to the Knicks have exposed cracks in a team that once seemed destined to win a championship this season.
San Antonio's late-game execution has mostly been elite this season, with them boasting a 24-12 record in games that meet the clutch criteria. However, the Spurs have imploded against the Knicks down the stretch not once but twice.
In Game 1, the Silver and Black were up by one point entering the final minute but ended up losing by three. Never mind that they blew a 14-point lead in the second half with their offense practically no-showing. In Game 2, it was more of the same.
The Knicks exploited the Spurs' flaw they didn't even realize they had
San Antonio stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the final 8 minutes of the game and even took a 2-point lead into the final minute and a half. Then the wheels fell off.
Coach Mitch Johnson drew up an uninspiring play in which Victor Wembanyama got a contested mid-range jumper over Mitchell Robinson. Then, there was the play that will live in infamy with Wembanyama throwing an outlet pass to the back of Stephon Castle.
Jalen Bronson then stole the ball only to be pushed down by Wembanyama. Had he not fouled, San Antonio would have had a chance to stop the Knicks from scoring.
Instead, Brunson split a pair of free throws, and San Antonio lost by Wembanyama clanking yet another poorly drawn-up play. As far as late-game execution goes, it's hard to say that the Spurs didn't implode.
The Spurs suddenly don't know how to close games against the Knicks
It's entirely possible the Spurs can win Game 3, but winning both games in New York seems like a tall task. Especially with San Antonio failing to execute in the clutch.
Part of the problem seems to be with personnel. In Game 1, they should have closed with Dylan Harper instead of De'Aaron Fox. In Game 2, they close with the right lineup, but that lineup was all out of sorts.
They gave up multiple second-chance points in the final minutes of that game. Fox and Wemby also ran the most awkward pick-and-roll you'll ever see on the last possession of the game.
Perhaps the best strategy for the Spurs going forward is simply not to underestimate the Knicks. In Game 1, they had them right where they wanted them, but their offense decided to sputter at the worst possible time.
In Game 2, Wembanyama played like he was disinterested in the first half, only to finally show up in the second half in a big way. Had he had the same intensity for the full game, he could have easily gone for 40 points, and San Antonio wouldn't have been in that late-game situation.
Hopefully San Antonio will learn from those mistakes in time to make an actual series against the Knicks.
