Spurs Spoil the MSG Party: San Antonio 115, New York 111
The first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999 did not go to script. The San Antonio Spurs weathered a second-quarter Knicks blitz, took over with a 35-point third quarter, and held on to win Game 3 by a score of 115-111, claiming their first win of the series and cutting New York's lead to 2-1. Victor Wembanyama was the best player on the floor (32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks), and Stephon Castle (23) supplied exactly the secondary scoring the Spurs had lacked, all while De'Aaron Fox managed just 2 points. The Knicks are still in control of the series, but the sweep talk is over and Game 4 on Wednesday is now a swing game.
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Game 3 Box Score Highlights
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | FG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | 32 | 8 | 6 | 11-18 |
| Stephon Castle (SAS) | 23 | 5 | 4 | 8-14 |
| De'Aaron Fox (SAS) | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1-9 |
| Jalen Brunson (NYK) | 32 | 5 | 6 | 11-25 |
| OG Anunoby (NYK) | 28 | 5 | 2 | 9-13 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | 11 | 8 | 2 | 4-12 |
By quarter: Spurs 33-24-35-23, Knicks 22-42-27-20. New York led 64-57 at the half; San Antonio outscored the Knicks 35-27 in the third to lead 92-91 entering the fourth.
How the Game Turned
San Antonio came out sharp and led 33-22 after one. Then the Garden erupted: the Knicks dropped 42 points in the second quarter, flipped the game, and took a 64-57 lead into the break. It looked like the script was holding, with New York's home crowd carrying them toward a 3-0 stranglehold.
Instead the Spurs answered with their best quarter of the series. Wembanyama controlled both ends, Castle kept attacking, and San Antonio's 35-27 third put them back ahead 92-91 with twelve minutes to play. The fourth was a grind, but the Spurs made the plays down the stretch, the part of the game that had cost them both losses in San Antonio, and closed it out 115-111.
The remarkable subplot: De'Aaron Fox, the Spurs' second star, scored just 2 points on 1-of-9 shooting and San Antonio won anyway. After two games in which the supporting cast disappeared late, Castle (23) and a balanced effort around Wembanyama did the job. For New York, Brunson bounced back to 32 but again needed volume to get there (11-of-25), Anunoby was excellent (28 on 9-of-13), and Karl-Anthony Towns had a quiet scoring night (11) against Wembanyama's rim protection.
How Our Game 3 Best Bets Did
- Knicks -2 (-110): ❌ LOSS. The Knicks lost outright 111-115.
- Brunson Over 27.5 Points (-115): ✅ WIN. 32 points, the bounce-back we called for.
- Towns Over 22.5 Points (-110): ❌ LOSS. Just 11 on a quiet night against Wemby.
- Knicks team total Over 105.5 (-110): ✅ WIN. New York scored 111.
- Knicks -2 1H (-115): ✅ WIN. The Knicks led 64-57 at the half, a 7-point cover.
Net: 3-2 on the card. The two Knicks-offense overs (Brunson bounce-back and team total) and the first-half line all cashed, but the side, Knicks -2, lost when San Antonio flipped the game in the third. New York's offense showed up; the result did not.
Post-Game 3 Series Futures
| Market | Post-G2 | Post-G3 (today) |
|---|---|---|
| Knicks to win Finals | -450 | -270 |
| Spurs to win Finals | +350 | +220 |
| Brunson Finals MVP | -130 | +115 |
| Wembanyama Finals MVP | +200 | +130 |
| Knicks to win in 5 | +260 | +230 |
| Series to go 7 games | +450 | +360 |
Illustrative as of Tuesday morning. A 2-1 lead with the next game at MSG keeps the Knicks clear favorites, but Wembanyama's Game 3 and Brunson's shaky shooting tightened the MVP market.
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What It Means: 2-1 and a Swing Game 4
The Knicks avoided giving away home court but missed the chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead that no NBA team has ever surrendered. They still lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 at the Garden, and a win Wednesday would put them up 3-1 with three chances to close. For San Antonio, Game 3 was the lifeline: the Spurs proved they can win a tight one, and they got there with Fox scoring just 2, which is both encouraging and a sign of how much more they may have.
History still favors New York; teams leading 2-1 in the Finals win the title roughly 70% of the time, and the Knicks were 35-6 at MSG this season. But the margin for error shrank, and Wednesday is the difference between a near-clinch (3-1) and a tied series heading back to San Antonio.
Game 4 Preview: Wednesday at the Garden
Game 4 is Wednesday June 10 at Madison Square Garden, 8:30 PM ET on ABC. Expect the Knicks to open as home favorites again, with the total in the same 211-215 band the series has lived in. Key questions:
- Does Fox wake up? A 2-point game from a star guard will not repeat. If Fox gives San Antonio 20-plus to go with Wembanyama, the Spurs can even the series.
- Can the Knicks protect the Garden? They were nearly unbeatable at home all year. Losing two straight at MSG and surrendering home court would flip the math.
- Towns vs Wembanyama in the paint. Wemby's rim protection held Towns to 11. New York needs its big back to 20-plus to win a track meet.
Where to Bet Game 4 From New York
All nine NY-licensed sportsbooks are pricing Game 4 and updated series futures. FanDuel leads the NY market on Same Game Parlay+ pricing for the Finals and is running the largest guaranteed welcome offer in the state right now: "Get $350 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed" (bet $5 for 7 days, $350 in bonus bets regardless of result).
Compare all nine operators at our NY sportsbooks comparison, or read our Game 3 preview for the props framework that carries into Game 4.
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