The NBA Finals return to MSG tonight. Spurs vs. Knicks. Let’s go.
Who: San Antonio Spurs (2-1) vs. New York Knicks (1-2)
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
When: 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET
Watch: ABC
We’ll see how everything plays out tonight, but the Spurs aren’t done yet? Game 3 featured several familiar elements for Kings fans. De’Aaron Fox, after struggling all series, came through in the biggest moments. And Mike Brown, on the receiving end of questionable officiating, had some choice words for the officials postgame. Ah, just like old times.
I’m rooting for a long series above all else, so, let’s go Spurs.
Prediction: Spurs 109, Knicks 107
Rooting for the Spurs tonight solely because I want this series to keep going and I think it’s pretty much over if the Knicks take this one. This Knicks team is pretty incredible though, and the Spurs are going to be around for a while so this might not be the last time we see these two match up in the Finals.
It’s a mix for me as well. I would like to see this very good ‘Nova Knicks (Wildcats and KAT) win this. Good for the Association as well, methinks. I am old enough to have been fanning hard for the ’70 and ’73 squads under Red Holzman. Along the way I moved to Sacramento and the rest is basketball Hell.
As much I like Brunson, Hart and Bridges, and how nice it is to see the talent of KAT produce something – OG Annunoby might be the Knick I am digging the most right now. He is their Dave Debuschere.
On the other hand… I can’t root against The Alien. Can’t. Won’t. And then there are the legacy buffs who just have to compare and contrast every damn thing – if Spurs go to Finals and don’t win – well, he ain’t no Michael Jordan (went to the Finals six times, and won every single time). Wemby will just have to get 7 rings, I suppose.
Even the NBA champion King, William Felton Russell can’t say that (HA! 13 year career, went to the NBA Finals 12 times! Won 11 of the 12 times (lost to the ’58 St. Louis Hawks with Bob Petit and Cliff Hagan. Hawks draft Russell in ’56, traded him on draft day for Cliff Hagan and Easy Ed McCauley. Russell wins the ’57 Championship, loses to Hawks the next season and then wins 8 straight, Eight! The only other year he didn’t win was to the ’67 76ers and Wilt/Billy C./Hal Greer/Chet Walker who had a 68 game season. Celtics and Russell (player/coach, no 7 assistant coaches, no Red Auerbach) win in ’68 and ’69. Russell retires.
TGJR probably remembers this stuff too. ElRonToro was probably there.
Should be big fun tonight. Knicks in Six.
Harder to get rings in a 30 team league as compared to 8 in Russell’s era . I think Debussere would be proud of the OG comparison
I thought the same about Anunoby, makes the necessary play in the moment like DeBusschere did. He was my favorite NBA player when I was a kid.
Jesus Christ, what a game. Down 29 points at one point only to claw back and win. Knicks now just one game away from winning it all.
The tip by OG was insane on the last play.
Also, ooof, not a good play by Fox. Getting the offensive rebound with less than 24 seconds on the clock only to try to shoot it instead of hanging on to the ball. Ultimately led to that game winning shot by the Knicks.
Did you hear Chuck after the game? “Deandre Fox is dumb!” Can’t wait to hear Matt George talk about Fox’s assists in this game, because you know, basketball is not just about scoring…
https://x.com/mike_daddino/status/2064945940125929630?s=20
Maybe because it was Fox, so I’m hyperfocused on him, but I was like that guy in the video screaming at each dumbass move he made. Lazy passes. That blind pass to Castle. Stupid three-pointers with time on the clock. Going for the layup. I was screaming, “Dribble out the clock,” thinking that is what he was going to do and then take his foul shots. Game over. And he goes for a layup?
Somehow, I don’t think he is fazed by the mistakes, by the loss. I know he’s more of an introvert but it looks like he plays with no passion, and I think because of that he zones out, makes bonehead plays.
Who’s playing with passion? Brunson. KAT. Even goddamn Landry fucking Shamet plays with more passion than Fox.
I had to apologize to my buddy who’s a Spurs fan.
The Spurs would be better off packaging Fox and a couple picks for Sabonis.
No foul on OG on Fox’s layup attempt? I didn’t see the game or lots of slow replays, but looked like a body on Fox there. I can understand not calling it in the Finals.
Also, was it not a backcourt violation on Alvarado when he dribbled across the half-court line and then stepped back over it?
Not sure about a foul in the OG/Fox situation, but, yes, that was a backcourt violation on Alvarado, or rather a violation the refs missed.
I think the rule is that the ball itself must go from the frontcourt to the backcourt. Although Alvarado’s body was mostly in the frontcourt, he kept the ball in the backcourt.
OG’s block:
From the opposite angle you can see OG got Fox on the arm. Still a dumb decision by Fox.
I got home to see the last 60 seconds. That was intense, but I guess I missed one hell of a comeback by the Knicks.
cardiac Kangz?
I guess we can move on from the debate as to whether the Kings should have kept Fox on a max deal and continued to build around him. He made a mistake that my son wouldn’t have made when he played high school basketball. Can’t handle the moment.
The question was never should the kangz keep him, it was obtaining the proper return, which they did not.
Some around here did say that Fox was a keeper.
I’d rather have Fox than Lavine and change. Fox has proven himself to be clutch plenty of times, but he’s not handling the 3rd option role very well when he thought he’d be the guy or at least robin. He’s been supplanted by Castle much sooner than thought.
What a comeback — one for the ages. Did you all notice that when Brunson’s shot was partially blocked by Wemby that Fox got it and dribbled the full court. If he veers away from the basket, Knicks have to foul him and the Spurs were leading. Instead he goes for the layup and it is blocked by OG. There were 6 seconds left. Fox made a mistake — thought he was so fast it would be an easy layup. OG is a big time hero for NY.
I only caught the tail end of the game, but when he had that breakaway with a 1 point lead and went for the layup with the a defender closing I thought, “what are you doing?” He could have just dribbled out and away from the basket, killed a few more second before an intentional foul.
Adrenaline does funny things, I suppose.
Should the Spurs lose this series (it’s looking likely) I feel San Antonio fans are going to want to move on from Fox. It’s unfortunate because he’s a good guy and good basketball player. But that contract… yikes.
There is a very realistic scenario where he goes into camp next year making nearly $50M and is the 4th best player on the Spurs team. That’s nuts.
True about Fox and his contract vs. where he may be in the pecking order next year, but those four players (Fox, Wemby, Harper and Castle) total under $90m.
He is easily the most expendable with the rapid ascension of Castle and Harper, coupled with the fact that the core is gaining all of this experience at such a young age. Spurs fans are a bit spoiled with their homegrown stars over the decades. They just don’t warm to imported players all that well, it seems. And Fox did nothing to help matters last night.
I will still say that the contract concerns are a bit overstated. Fox will be roughly the 20th highest paid player in the league next season, and he will stand to drop down the list a few slots each year of his contract. It’s too much, but really too much by about the equivalent of an MLE contract. That is what the cost is to have Fox on your team – his contract costs you the chance to sign a bench piece to an MLE. That’s not nothing, but it’s not as egregious as the number looks. That’s just NBA contracts in the present day.
The Spurs do have a bit of time, but really only next season. Wemby will inevitably sign his rookie extension this offseason and the Spurs will have their 3 young studs under rookie deals for just one more season. After that, each are going to get their pay raise each upcoming offseason. It will be impossible to keep all four of them when Harper’s extension eventually kicks in, but there is time.
What they can’t predict is a slowing of Fox and his production. This time next year may see him relegated to a bench role and earning $50M. At some point they will have to move him, but I have to wonder if sooner makes more sense then later. Competitive windows are smaller in today’s NBA and who knows how Wemby’s body will hold up.
I think this Finals series series is showing the Spurs need another larger, longer, and physical presence in the rotation. Champagnie at the 4 isn’t going to cut it.
Harper really seems to be playing big on this big stage.
It is interesting to contrast the NBA Finals performances of Fox and Haliburton. Every time Halliburton had the ball in his hands, I felt something good was about to happen.
Every time Fox has the ball in his hands, I kept cringing in anticipation of a screwup.
Knicks win games 2 and 4 by one point each. Crazy to think how close this series is to being 3-1 in favor of the Spurs instead of the Knicks. Definitely not counting Wemby and his boys out of this one yet. I expect the Spurs to play furiously in game 5 and force a game 6. Not sure what happens after that.
All that said, this postseason has been absolutely unbelievable. Pure basketball heaven, as opposed to what we’re used to around these parts.
As Marty McFly might say:
It is their density
Obvious why Sacramento should not have a franchise.
Not really. Can you explain?
Randumb Game 4 thoughts:
Both coaches were terrible down the stretch, every play on O for both sides was iso ball for Brunson and Fox (I’ll get to him in a second, lol).
But a clutch move by Coach Brown giving big second half minutes to Alvarado over Bridges. That’s not an easy move to make. Bridges is an enigma. Overrated.
Fox shat the bed once again. Absolutely terrible play down the stretch. He’s the vet leader of an historically young Finals team and he blew it in the 2nd half. These moments are why the Spurs traded for him and gave him that bloated albatross of a contract. I haven’t a clue why Coach Johnson doesn’t play Harper over him down the stretch.
Brunson and OG deserve all the credit for this 3-1 lead. One more win and Brunson is going to be a NYC sports legend a long with guys like Eli and Jeter.
add Oguogua Anunoby
(and man, Josh Hart missed some all time hate by the skin of his teeth)
As the acronym goes IYKYK
(this is from a site called Hater report, but I am sharing it nonetheless)
Wemby is quickly approaching Draymond-territory. WTH?
https://x.com/NateGearySports/status/2064924748224614793?s=20
Strange and unnecessary… I suppose that does describe Draymond’s actions.
I would say that move Wemby did is worse because it could have ended OGs career. I recall a cheap shot when Wemby wrang Domas’ neck to get an offensive rebound on a free throw a couple years ago. I thought maybe that was due to his youth. But targeting OG’s knee like that? That’s dangerous play level of Yves Missi or worse.
It’ll take a very long time for any player to approach Draymoron territory.
That come back was INSANE. What’s amazing is the sheer number of horrible potentially game altering moments. The Josh Hart blown layup and missed box out, the Fox missed shots and brain fart at the end when he could have dribbled out the clock, the Wemby missed free throws… Just on and on. But OG Anunoby is an absolute monster. I’m glad Vivek (I’m calling every front office decision a Vivek decision because I think it is and because he deserves to wear all of it until something turns around) decided we didn’t need him on the team because he definitely wouldn’t have helped us on the wing…
You can take the Fox out of the Kings, but you can’t take the Kings out of the Fox.
Not for 4 years, 229 million I wouldn’t. LaVine is on the final year of his contract.
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