Stephon Castle Explains Wemby's Costly Pass to His Back in Spurs' Loss to Jalen Brunson, Knicks

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle said he missed the pass from Victor Wembanyama that led to a costly New York Knicks free throw late in Friay night's Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals because he was focusing on giving Wembanyama space to work.

"I didn't see him throw it to me," Castle said after the Game 2 loss, per ESPN's Michael C. Wright. "I see Vic has the ball, tie game. I was just trying to give Vic space."

Game 2 was tied at 104-104 with less than 15 seconds left when Wembanyama attempted a pass that bounced off Castle's back and was stolen by Brunson.

Wembanyama then fouled Brunson, leading to the free throw that ultimately made the difference in the Knicks' 105-104 win.

Knicks-Spurs Highlights

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Wembanyama got one final chance to win in the last two seconds of regulation, but was unable to get the shot off before time ran out.

Brunson told reporters he noticed Castle wasn't ready for Wembanyama's late pass, which is what allowed him to grab the steal.

"I just saw he wasn't looking, so I just tried to go get it," Brunson said after the Knicks win. "Didn't know if it was going to go out of bounds, I just didn't want Wemby to come back and get it. Just had to secure the ball."

Wembanyama took responsibility after the loss by telling reporters he "threw that one away" with the late turnover.

"That's the most frustrating thing, to throw it away after putting in all this work," Wembanyama said Friday night. "What did I think? I mean, urgency, at this point, it's like body reacts quicker than mind."

Wembanyama continued: "Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. "Am I going to use that to fuel me, and to fuel us next game? Absolutely."

Wembanyama and the Spurs will now be facing a 2-0 series deficit when the Finals swings to New York for Game 3.

Teams that win the opening two games of the NBA Finals have an all-time record of 31-5. The most recent squad to complete that comeback were the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks against the Phoenix Suns.

Wembanyama will look to help the Spurs make history when Game 3 tips off Monday night at 8:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.