The Knicks have taken a 2-1 lead in the Finals, but the minutes with Jalen Brunson on the floor have been a problem. New York has been outscored by 13 points in those stretches, even though Brunson remains the team’s main creator and plays the most minutes on the roster.
That tension has defined the series. The Knicks keep finding ways to survive when Brunson sits, but they have repeatedly struggled to start games and to keep pace when he is running the offense against San Antonio’s defense.
Brunson’s Best Moments Have Come Late
Brunson has still delivered in the biggest possessions. In Game 1, he hit a second-chance 3-pointer to erase San Antonio’s final lead, then scored again after a Victor Wembanyama turnover in the closing minute.
In Game 2, he tied the game with 39.3 seconds left and then forced another Wembanyama mistake that led to the go-ahead free throw and the final lead change. Those plays helped New York protect its series lead, but they have not erased the larger trend.
The First Quarter Has Been the Problem
San Antonio built first-quarter leads of 10, 10 and 12 points in the first three games. In Games 2 and 3, when Brunson played all 12 minutes of the opening quarter, New York was outscored 34-25 and 33-22.
Brunson scored just 16 points in 35 first-quarter minutes across the series, missing 17 of 22 shots from the field while adding four assists and four turnovers. The Knicks have produced only 88.0 points per 100 possessions in first quarters, a sharp drop from their 130.9 points per 100 possessions in 12 playoff games against the Eastern Conference.
During the regular season, New York ranked fifth in first-quarter offensive efficiency at 120.2 points per 100 possessions, its best quarter by output. Against San Antonio, that rhythm has disappeared early.
The Bench Minutes Keep Bailing Them Out
The Knicks have repeatedly trimmed deficits during Brunson’s first rest in each game. In Game 1, they cut a 10-point hole to three. In Game 2, they turned a nine-point deficit into a three-point game. In Game 3, they shaved 11 points down to four.
Those stretches total only 15 minutes, but they have been the moments when New York gets back into games. San Antonio shot just 6 of 22 from the field across those runs, and Karl-Anthony Towns has been central to the turnaround.
In the 37:30 that Towns has sat in the series, the Knicks have been outscored by 24 points. When he has been on the floor, New York has found more balance and more ways to generate offense.
Game 3 Showed the Risk
Game 3 ended with Brunson’s late 3-pointer, but New York’s comeback fell short. The Spurs scored on three of their final five possessions and held on for a 111-105 win.
The Knicks lost control earlier in the third quarter, when Brunson missed 5 of 7 shots, committed three turnovers, and picked up three fouls that led to Spurs free throws. He left with 4:29 remaining in the period after New York’s seven-point halftime lead had become a three-point deficit, and the Knicks never led again.
New York’s supporting cast also struggled late. Players other than Brunson and OG Anunoby missed 15 of their 16 shots in the fourth quarter, with the only make coming on a Mitchell Robinson putback of a Brunson miss.
New York is still in control of the series, and it has another home game to try to stabilize the problem. But after three games, the bigger concern is clear: the Knicks have often been trying to survive Brunson’s minutes instead of winning them.
If they want Game 4 to feel safer, they will likely need a more efficient version of Brunson, one who can pressure San Antonio without having to dominate every possession against one of the league’s toughest defenses.