Starting 5 Daily Newsletter
Starting 5: Knicks up 2-0 after 2nd straight Finals classic
Check the headlines after Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals, where the Knicks held off a late rally from the Spurs to take a 2-0 lead.
NBA.com Staff | June 6, 2026 3:36 PM
Brunson Game 2 déjà vu. After a thrilling Game 1 win, the Knicks prevailed in an unforgettable 4th quarter to take a classic Game 2 – grabbing a 2-0 series lead with their 13th straight win. Next stop? MSG on Monday (8:30 ET, ABC).
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION
🏀 June 6, 2026
- Classic, Part II: Knicks withstand furious Spurs rally, extend historic win streak for 2-0 Finals lead
- Towns Turns Game 2: An inspired KAT continues to deliver when the stakes are highest
- All Hands: Bridges highlights another complete team effort as Knicks join rare air
- No Quit Spurs: San Antonio storms back in defeat, heads to MSG eyeing Game 3 response
- Before The Storm: Go behind the scenes as the Knicks & Spurs prepped for Game 2 in San Antonio
BUT FIRST …
⏰ Up to MSG… The NBA Finals shifts to New York for Monday’s Game 3 (8:30 ET, ABC), with the Knicks looking to take a 3-0 lead, while the Spurs aim to cut their series deficit to 2-1.
- All Eyes On The Finals: Wednesday marked the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 since 2018, reaching 20m viewers on ABC, 1B+ views on social and ranking as the most-searched topic on Google.
- Forever Finals: Exactly 25 years ago today, Allen Iverson delivered an all-time Finals performance, dropping 48 points, punctuated by one iconic stepover, to lead the Sixers past the Lakers in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals.
1. ANOTHER CLASSIC: KNICKS TAKE 2-0 FINALS LEAD IN EPIC FINISH
Jesse D. Garrabrant + Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Game 1 of the NBA Finals felt nearly impossible to top. Then came Game 2. Not only did Friday end in history – with the Knicks earning their 13th straight win, the 2nd-longest win streak in a single postseason – but it delivered 48 minutes of Pure. Finals. Theater. And after 48 minutes, it came down to inches.
Knicks 105, Spurs 104: For the second straight game, a heavyweight bout between New York and San Antonio was decided in the final minute, where the Knicks answered a furious Spurs rally, before earning the win on a last-second defensive stand to extend their streak and take a 2-0 lead. Recap | Shaun Powell’s 4 Takeaways
“What a ballgame,” said Mike Brown. “It was a fantastic ballgame. They made a run. We made a run. They made a run. We made a run…”
“I ain’t got no words,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “That’s a hardwood classic.”
And what a classic it was.
- A classic that featured a KAT masterclass (21 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 8-12 FG)
- A classic that saw Victor Wembanyama (29 pts, 9 reb, 2 stl, 4 blk) and Jalen Brunson (20 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 5 stl) trade clutch buckets again
- A classic that featured monumental stakes, two double-digit rallies, a ferocious 14-0 4th-quarter run and endless star shotmaking
- A classic that found another gear every time it seemed impossible
- A classic that saved its best for last
So how did another epic Finals battle unfold? Let’s zoom in on a 4th quarter that was as frantic as it was unforgettable:
- The Timeout: With 6:45 to go and the Spurs down 12, staring at a 2-0 series deficit, Victor Wembanyama called a players-only huddle to galvanize his squad. It worked.
- Vet Response: De’Aaron Fox (20 pts, 5 ast, 8-12) jumpstarted the rally, scoring five straight points to reignite the Frost Bank Center and trim New York’s lead to seven.
- Rookie Eruption: Soon it was a 12-0 run. The arena was rumbling – and rookie Dylan Harper (15 pts, 6 reb) sent it into a frenzy with a tough runner. Tie game. 97-97. The Spurs had scored 14 unanswered points in exactly three minutes.
- Knicks Answer: Who else, but Jalen Brunson? After a Wemby oop and three OG Anunoby free throws, Brunson ended New York’s 4+ minute field-goal drought with a huge bucket, putting the Knicks up 102-99 with 1:56 left.
- Alien Again: Wemby answered right back, flying through a sea of defenders to bring the house down with an and-one. The building was shaking. Wemby cashed the free throw. For the first time all half, the Spurs led – up 104-102 with 57 seconds left.
- But Brunson Didn’t Blink: After hitting the Game 1 dagger with 37.8 seconds left, Brunson splashed a game-tying jumper with 39.3 seconds left – from nearly the exact same spot – before coming up with a massive steal off an errant Wemby pass and drawing a foul. With nine ticks to play, he split a pair to give New York a 105-104 lead. “When it comes down to winning the game,” said KAT postgame, “Number 11 can’t be messed with.”
- The Final Stop: New York needed one last stand to hold off the surging Spurs, and 7-footer Mitchell Robinson provided it, contesting a Wemby jumper that just missed off the back iron before time expired.
The Knicks had won another thriller. Their 13th straight win stands alone as the 2nd-longest win streak in a single Playoff run in NBA history – trailing only the 2017 Warriors (15) – and they’re now just two wins shy of their first NBA title in 53 years.
But for coach Brown, the win was about a team that refused to break.
“It’s an amazing feeling as a coach to know how mentally tough your team is no matter what the situation is,” said Brown postgame. “To see them continue to fight and fight and fight and fight…
“No matter what the score is, no matter how much time is on the clock, it’s just a fantastic feeling … You don’t experience what I’m experiencing with this group a ton – and it is a freaking joy to be around.”
2. TOWNS’ TURNING POINT: INSIDE KAT’S HUGE GAME 2 & MASSIVE FINALS
Eric Gay-Pool/NBAE via Getty Images
Emotional heartbeat. Playoff playmaker. Primary Wemby defender. For weeks, Karl-Anthony Towns has been impacting all aspects of the season’s biggest games for the team he grew up rooting for — including team leading scorer Friday. And, as NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt points out, he was also responsible for one of Game 2’s biggest turning points.
After the Spurs seized their biggest lead, 37-25, early in the 2nd…
“… Towns took over. He started his scoring spree with a 3-pointer, had 9 points in a three-minute span and closed the quarter with a 3-pointer that gave the Knicks a 56-52 halftime lead. Towns had 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in the quarter and changed the direction of the game…
Towns has been fantastic through two games, averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists and shooting 55.6% from the field, 42.9% on 3-pointers and 100% on free throws… All while trying to score against Wembanyama on one end and frequently defending him on the other.” | Read More
In helping swing the 1st-half momentum, Towns poured in 17 of his team-high 21 points before the break, netting out a +11 plus/minus for the game.
“He’s been great,” said Jalen Brunson of KAT. “He’s been pretty phenomenal on both sides of the ball, the things he’s been able to do throughout this entire Playoffs.”
Said Charles Barkley: “He has played two of the best games I’ve ever seen a big man play.”
Towns with his father postgame (Ronald Cortes/NBAE via Getty Images)
Beyond the Finals, KAT is leveling up along with his Knicks in a Playoffs run to remember.
- Towns has dialed in his defense this postseason, with his DefRtg (99.1) improving by double digits since the regular season (111.8)
- KAT’s offense has also jumped up from a 118.8 regular-season OffRtg to 123.9 in the Playoffs, the 3rd-best OffRtg of the postseason (min. 7 GP)
- All-Around Elite: KAT is one of just three players in these Playoffs to average 15+ pts, 10+ reb and 5+ ast, joining Nikola Jokić and Jayson Tatum
Postgame, his team up 2-0, Towns looked to the sky. In one of the biggest moments of his career, he could feel the presence of his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, he said.
“It builds you up, and it strengthens you beyond measure,” KAT said postgame of that personal loss … “But I take [Game 2] as a sign my mom is here with me, so I appreciate her so much.”
“I do it for everyone in the city that welcomed my mother when she immigrated over,” Towns said
KAT looks to carry his strong play back to that city next week for Games 3 and 4, with a championship two wins away.
3. BRIDGES SHINES, KNICKS DEPTH DELIVERS AGAIN
The Knicks’ 13-game Playoff win streak hasn’t been fueled by one star. Or even two. It’s been powered by contributions across the board night after night. Game 2 was the latest example.
While Karl-Anthony Towns shined on both ends, and Jalen Brunson played closer (again), it was Mikal Bridges and New York’s supporting cast that steadied the ship throughout. On a night where Jalen Brunson started cold and KAT faced foul trouble, Friday marked a performance that could go down among the best of Bridges’ career, writes NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner.
Ronald Cortes/NBAE via Getty Images
Bridges – who at one point made eight straight shots – joined Walt Frazier (4x) as the only Knicks in franchise history to record 20+ pts, 5+ reb, and 5+ ast while shooting at least 60% in an NBA Finals game.
And he wasn’t the only Knick to answer the call as the pressure mounted.
- Shamet, who averaged 9.3 ppg in the regular season, tallied his second straight game with 13 points and 3 triples – all three of which came in the 2nd half
- Anunoby came up huge on both ends (17 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk), and matched Brunson with a team-high 10 points in the 2nd half
- Robinson added 7 points and played a key role in the game’s defining possessions, forcing misses on Victor Wembanyama’s last two jumpers – including the potential game-winner
The team effort led to more team history, as the Knicks have now won eight straight road Playoff games, tying the 2001 Lakers for the longest such streak in a single postseason.
Now, New York is just the third road team to open the NBA Finals with a 2-0 lead, joining the ‘93 Bulls and ‘95 Rockets – both of whom went on to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
4. NO QUIT: SPURS FIGHT BACK, EYE GAME 3 RESPONSE
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
The deficit stood at 14 points deep into the 4th quarter. Some teams might have folded. But not the Spurs.
San Antonio fought back, assembled a 14-0 run, and then took the lead with less than a minute left.
“We showed tremendous desperation, urgency and competitive response,” said coach Mitch Johnson. “Hopefully, we can try to bottle that up.”
- Firestarter: De’Aaron Fox sparked the comeback, drilling a 3 from the top of the arc before converting a driving layup on San Antonio’s next possession
- Points Party: The former Kia Clutch Player of the Year, who put up 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting, was followed by buckets from Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper
- Brand-New Ballgame: Their efforts earned a 97-97 tie with just under three minutes to go, and Wembanyama’s layup soon put San Antonio in front, 103-102
- Wemby Steps Up: The Kia DPOY and MVP Finalist shot 28.5% from the field in Game 1. Last night, he bumped up his efficiency, shooting 52.3%.
- Alien-Like Impact: In all, Wembanyama had 29 points, 9 boards and 4 blocks, with 10 points in the 4th quarter
Game 2 also entailed another strong outing from Dylan Harper. He’s still only a rookie, but continues to play beyond his years in big moments.
- Reliable Rook: After scoring 16 in Game 1, Harper finished with 15 last night, becoming just the third player 20 or younger to tally consecutive 15+ point games in the Finals
Despite the loss, San Antonio left Game 2 believing its late surge can carry over into Monday’s Game 3 at MSG.
Said Wemby: “I messed up… am I going to regret it? Of course. … Am I going to use that to fuel me, to fuel us, next game? Absolutely.”
“We’re going to go into Game 3, and if we play our brand of basketball up to our standard, we’ll be just fine,” said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. “Our guys are made of the right stuff.”
5. ON THE GROUND: ALL-ACCESS TO A PIVOTAL GAME 2
The hype ahead of such a pivotal Game 2 in San Antonio could be felt from the moment the teams walked into the building. Go behind the scenes to see everything that led up to another instant classic – and another Knicks win – in Game 2.
- Friday’s Fits: From subway chic to Texas tradition, and Bismack Biyombo’s all-business attire, players arrived for Game 2 in style
- Game 2 Player Correspondent Derik Queen couldn’t pass up the chance to get this close to the Finals before his second season. “Opportunity of a lifetime,” Queen said of his assignment. “We all dream to be here … being one step closer to it is amazing.” “It’s crazy. It’s loud! I can’t even hear myself,” Queen said of Frost Bank Center’s atmosphere, with the Jackals’ drumbeat building in the background
NBAE via Getty Images
- New York’s Celebrity Row roster was in the house again, with Timothée Chalamet mixing in among the crowd. San Antonio countered with former Spur Chris Paul and fam and comedian Shane Gillis.
- From Orbit: As on-court activity picked up, Wemby casually drained this flat-footed heave from the opposite foul line… on the first attempt.
- Captain Collects Himself: Brunson took a mindful moment under the hoop just before opening tip
- Last But Not Least: Wemby’s introduction to the crowd rounded up an electric Game 2 welcome for the host Spurs
- Back In The Big Apple: MSG was rocking like a home game when the final horn sounded of Game 2, with fans watching on the jumbotron
- “Two More To Go”: Take the rollercoaster ride of emotions that was Game 2 with Knicks superfan Chalamet
Related
- Knicks win 13th straight, take 2-0 edge in Finals — If Victor Wembanyama makes a last second shot, the series is tied. But the Spurs star misses, and the Knicks lead The Finals 2-0.
- Bridges lifts Knicks with clutch shooting — Mikal Bridges puts together one of his most clutch performances ever to help the Knicks secure a 2-0 lead in The Finals.
- Film Study: Focus on Brunson fortifies Knicks — The Knicks overcome a 12-point deficit in the first half to take a 2-0 series lead, leveraging a focus on their star guard.
- Knicks win endgame to stifle Spurs comeback — Game 2 of the NBA Finals had several turning points, and the Knicks were on the right side to escape with a 105-104 victory.