NBA Finals Bracket 2026 Odds, Box Score Predictions for Knicks vs. Spurs Game 2
The NBA clock moves quickly this time of year.
Case in point: The San Antonio Spurs are one game into their championship-round bout with the New York Knicks and already facing must-win pressure.
Granted, it's a theoretical must-win situation, since they're three full losses from elimination. But after letting go of the rope during their 105-95 loss in the series-opener, the Spurs would be in one heck of a jam if they dropped back-to-back games on their home floor and then headed to the Big Apple in an 0-2 hole.
For San Antonio, the task is two-fold. On one hand, it needs to do a better job of containing Jalen Brunson and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart off the glass.
| Player | PTS | FG | REB | AST |
| Jalen Brunson | 30 | 12-31 | 3 | 2 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 18 | 7-15 | 12 | 4 |
| OG Anunoby | 17 | 5-12 | 3 | 0 |
| Landry Shamet | 13 | 5-9 | 1 | 0 |
| Mikal Bridges | 9 | 3-6 | 3 | 3 |
| Josh Hart | 3 | 1-5 | 15 | 6 |
On the other, the Spurs must generate cleaner scoring chances for Victor Wembanyama, coax better shooting out of Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox and perhaps up the playing time for dynamic rookie Dylan Harper.
| Player | PTS | FG | REB | AST |
| Victor Wembanyama | 26 | 6-21 | 12 | 2 |
| Stephon Castle | 17 | 7-16 | 8 | 3 |
| Dylan Harper | 16 | 6-10 | 8 | 1 |
| Justin Champagnie | 16 | 5-11 | 10 | 1 |
| Devin Vassell | 9 | 4-11 | 9 | 3 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 7 | 3-13 | 4 | 5 |
The stakes couldn't be higher, so let's set the table with schedule particulars and the latest odds before finishing with a few stat sheet predictions for Friday's affair.
Game 2 Schedule, Broadcast Info and Odds
1 of 3
Who: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs
When: Friday, June 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas
How to watch: ABC, ESPN App
Game 2 spread: Spurs -6.5
Game 2 total: Over/under 214.5
Series odds: Knicks -134; Spurs +114
*odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Prediction: Victor Wembanyama Nets 30+ Points
2 of 3
Game 1 won't be remembered as a shining moment for Wembanyama. A 28.6 percent conversion rate feels impossibly low for a player of his caliber, let alone a 7'4" alien who can seemingly Nerf Hoop his way to a basket at any time.
He was, by his own admission, "bad." There are different ways to dissect the performance, but the star center cautioned that, "It's not more complicated than that."
Despite the shooting woes, he still finishing with a team-high 26 points—as a 22-year-old in his first Finals appearance (and first playoff run). The Spurs went his way time and again, as his 21 field-goal attempts were five more than any of his teammates put up.
San Antonio clearly trusts his talent, as it absolutely should. This prediction, then, will do the same: Trust him to deliver much more. Between the motivation to put that rocky performance behind him and the urgency to salvage a split before leaving the friendly confines of the Alamo City, there are reasons to believe the big fella will be at his best.
Prediction: Knicks Centers Grab 20+ Rebounds
3 of 3
New York didn't have an especially strong shooting night during its upset win. Not on its initial attempts of the possession, at least. Collectively, the Knicks netted just 41 percent of their shots overall and misfired on 25 of their 36 long-range looks.
Where they pushed the margin in their favor, though, was with their work on the offensive glass (10 rebounds) and their ability to convert those extra opportunities into buckets. While the Spurs actually snagged more offensive boards (14), the Knicks had a nine-point edge in second-chance points (23-14). And, remember, they won this game by 10.
"We had to find other ways to score," Knicks coach Mike Brown told reporters.
The Spurs will surely make this an emphasis in their Game 2 game plan, but it may not matter. The Knicks have serious size underneath with 7-footers Towns and Mitchell Robinson. And since Wembanyama is so often pulled away from the basket to contest shots or even switch out to the perimeter, the 'Bockers bigs are often left battling against players who don't have the bulk needed to push them away from the basket.
Look for the Knicks to keep hitting the glass hard in Game 2. While Towns and Robinson combined for 18 rebounds in Game 1, our crystal ball is calling for even more glass-cleaning in this contest.
.jpg?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Power ranking NFL defenses after Myles trade")
