How the Spurs Won Game 3, Kept Their Finals Hopes Alive

The 115-111 win of the San Antonio Spurs over the New York Knicks was built on control, efficiency, and timely responses.

Even after New York exploded for 42 points in the second quarter to flip the momentum, San Antonio answered with a 35-point third quarter and held the Knicks to just 20 points in the fourth.

The Spurs shot 46% from the field and 35% from three, while the Knicks finished at 45% and 35% from deep. The difference came from the way San Antonio managed the margins around those shots.

Victor Wembanyama was the clearest statistical separator. He finished with 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, hit 2-of-4 from three, went 8-of-9 from the free throw line, and added eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three blocks.

That is a two-way control line. The Knicks got 32 points from Jalen Brunson and 28 from OG Anunoby, but Wembanyama’s combination of efficiency, playmaking, rim protection, and late-game defensive presence gave San Antonio the most complete performance on the floor.

San Antonio also won the possession battle through discipline. The Spurs had 28 assists against only eight turnovers, while the Knicks had 18 assists and 13 turnovers.

That five-turnover advantage helped offset New York’s rebounding edge, where the Knicks won the glass 46-37 and doubled San Antonio on the offensive boards, 12-6. In a game this tight, the Spurs’ ability to value possessions and create cleaner offense mattered more than the Knicks’ extra rebounding opportunities.

The free throw line was another decisive number. San Antonio attempted 32 free throws and made 25, while New York went 18-of-22. That gave the Spurs a seven-point edge in made free throws in a four-point win.

Stephon Castle’s 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists gave San Antonio another steady creator, while Julian Champagnie, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and Dylan Harper all reached double figures. It was not a perfect offensive night, but the Spurs got enough balance around Wembanyama, took better care of the ball, and won the late-game math that turned Game 3 in their favor.

The numbers tell part of the story, but the final two minutes showed why San Antonio is still very much alive in this series. With the Spurs leading by just four, Stephon Castle drilled a three-pointer with 1:47 remaining to push the advantage to 111-104. It was the first three-pointer made by either team in the fourth quarter and came at a crucial moment after both offenses had struggled to generate clean looks.

Rookie Dylan Harper missed two significant attempts from beyond the arc that could have changed the complexion of the game. New York then relied on individual shot-making, with Jalen Brunson knocking down a clutch three to cut the deficit to three before De’Aaron Fox answered with what felt like a potential dagger, extending the Spurs’ lead to 113-108.

Even then, the Knicks refused to go away. OG Anunoby buried an incredibly difficult corner three to make it 113-111, catching a pass outside his shooting pocket and knocking it down despite a strong contest from Harper. It was New York’s second consecutive three-pointer after opening the quarter 0-for-10 from deep, briefly injecting life back into Madison Square Garden.

The Spurs stayed composed. Castle calmly knocked down two pressure-packed free throws, and San Antonio’s defense came up with the stops it needed as the Knicks failed to convert their final opportunities. After dropping the first two games of the series, the Spurs finally delivered in the biggest moments, combining late-game execution, timely shot-making, and defensive resilience to turn a potential 3-0 deficit into a series that suddenly feels very much alive.