NBA
HomeScoresRumorsHighlightsDraftB/R 99: Ranking Best NBA Players
Featured Video
The Knicks Keep Finding A Way 🗣️

NBA Finals Bracket 2026 Odds, Box Score Predictions for Spurs vs. Knicks Game 3

Zach BuckleyJun 8, 2026

It's getting late early for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals.

They did enough on their home floor to feel like they should be holding a 2-0 lead on the New York Knicks right now. But a blown double-digit second-half lead in Game 1 and some crunch-time miscues in Game 2 instead have San Antonio sitting in an 0-2 hole—with this series now shifting over to New York for Monday's Game 3.

"It felt like we did a lot of things wrong, but we were also relentless and kept pushing, but kind of wasted that effort," Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama told reporters. "I know it's not wasted because our lessons are learned. I know we're not going to make the mistakes of the past again. But in a moment like this, we need to make these things matter."

While the Spurs have managed to do a number on Jalen Brunson's shooting rates, the Knicks star guard has found his way to good volume and some huge late-game makes. Sprinkle in some timely shot-making from the supporting cast, and that was New York's formula for Game 2 success.

PlayerPTSFGREBAST
Karl-Anthony Towns218-12134
Jalen Brunson207-2556
Mikal Bridges208-1366
OG Anunoby175-1043
Landry Shamet135-1222
Josh Hart00-464

The Spurs, meanwhile, are struggling to find the right combination of stardom from Wembanyama and shotmaking from their guards. De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper delivered in Game 2, but they didn't get quite enough out of their big fella or the rest of their supporting cast.

PlayerPTSFGREBAST
Victor Wembanyama2911-2192
De'Aaron Fox208-1235
Dylan Harper156-1263
Devin Vassell144-995
Stephon Castle145-1444
Justin Champagnie82-641

The Spurs are, statistically speaking, in one heck of a jam, but they could shift a lot of narratives—to say nothing of momentum—by finding their way to a Game 3 victory. After laying out the scheduling particulars and latest lines for that contest, we'll break out the crystal ball for a couple of box-score predictions.

Game 3 Schedule, Broadcast Info and Odds

1 of 3
2026 NBA Finals - New York Knicks v San Antonio Spurs

Who: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs

When: Monday, June 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York

How to watch: ABC, ESPN App

Game 2 spread: Knicks -2.5

Game 2 total: Over/under 216.5

Series odds: Knicks -500; Spurs +385

*odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Prediction: Karl-Anthony Towns Grabs 15+ Rebounds

2 of 3
2026 NBA Finals - New York Knicks v San Antonio Spurs

For as strong as Karl-Anthony Towns has played to this point—he arguably has the loudest Finals MVP argument—this still goes down as a bold prediction. While he finished 16 games during the regular season with at least 15 rebounds, he's only that mark once in 16 playoff tries.

So, what fuels the pick? Well, for starters, opportunity. Towns is sixth in total minutes in the Finals (68.3), but the stat sheet says the Knicks might want to lean on him even heavier. Great things are happening when he's out on the hardwood. He's a series-best plus-25, and with New York sitting on a plus-11 advantage, that means the team has lost the non-KAT minutes by 14.

So, he should play a ton. His size and physicality are clearly giving Wembanyama some problems, and when the Spurs switch someone else onto him—because Wemby is almost always needed to contest shots—they just don't have anyone capable of keeping him off the glass.

And, not to sound too sports writer-y here, but he just feels like he's playing with a different degree of hunger. Remember, he was so often a popular punching bag earlier in his career, criticized for everything from a perceived lack of physicality to not being able to contribute to a contender. Now, he is rewriting the narrative of his entire career, and that drive could be felt everywhere—but especially on the boards.

Prediction: Dylan Harper Has 25+ Combined Points, Rebounds and Assists

3 of 3
2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability

When watching this series, it's been all too easy to forget that Dylan Harper is a rookie. Or 20 years old. Nothing about his first big-stage experience would suggest he's anything other than a seasoned pro.

He is the only Spur in this series with a plus/minus north of plus-2 (he's a plus-7) and one of only three with a positive mark in the metric. His 54.5 field-goal percentage is another team-best (by a country mile), and his 14 rebounds are tied for third-highest on San Antonio.

He is just delivering time and again, and doing it in all facets. With the Spurs understanding his need for more minutes (he played 32 in Game 2, up from 28 in the opener), and his versatility allowing his impact to surface in many different ways, his first Finals road game could be yet another eye-opener.

Now, tack on the fact Stephon Castle was bothered by an ankle injury in Game 2, and it just feels like we're on track to see an awful lot of Harper come Monday night. That should mean, then, that we're also about to see an awful lot of production from the wise-beyond-his-years newbie.

TOP NEWS

Indiana Pacers v New York Knicks - Game Five

MSG Finals Tickets Sold For $550K

Utah Jazz v Chicago Bulls

Stacey King Dies at 59

2018 Lottery Re-Draft 🔄

The Knicks Keep Finding A Way 🗣️

TOP NEWS

Indiana Pacers v New York Knicks - Game Five

MSG Finals Tickets Sold For $550K

Utah Jazz v Chicago Bulls

Stacey King Dies at 59

2018 Lottery Re-Draft 🔄

Potential Ja Morant trade ideas

Golden State Warriors v Sacramento Kings

Potential Sneaky Trade Targets 🫣

Ranking WR Groups After A.J. Trade 🙌
Bleacher Report3h

Ranking WR Groups After A.J. Trade 🙌

web

TRENDING ON B/R