Segment 1: NBA Finals Recap of Games 1 and 2 (starts at 0:30)

• Spurs heavy favorites going into the NBA Finals; that changed after Game 1 win by Knicks
• Knicks sweep games 1 and 2, lead 2-0 going home for games 3 and 4 at MSG
• Quick comparison of last Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals in 1999
• Game 1: Knicks 105, Spurs 95 - 13th straight playoff win, second longest streak in NBA playoff history
  • Scary when Knicks star Jalen Brunson went down twice with knee and ankle injuries; he was money late when it counted most, led all scorers with 30 points (12-31 FG, 2-9 from 3) after rough shooting night
  • KAT played well (18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists)
  • Josh Hart game 1 unsung hero with 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 1 block, despite 3 points scored
  • Knicks turned up defensive intensity when needed in second half
  • Knicks erased another huge deficit -- this time 14 points late in the game
  • Wemby led team with 26 points
• Game 2: Knicks 105, Spurs 104
  • Strong start for the Spurs by going to the rim relentlessly, leveraging their speed advantage
  • Coaching mistakes:
    • why let Wemby dribble upcourt? Key turnover late in game, dribbled ball off his foot earlier in contest
    • Wemby took potential game-winning shot (and missed 20-footer) after crucial turnover; needed to get shot off earlier to provide opp for offensive rebound
  • Foul calls clearly one-sided in favor of San Antonio; Spurs very physical
  • Critical call by Knicks bench to challenge non-foul call on OG 3-pointer; call overturned, led to 3 points by OG at the line, for a 100-97 Knicks lead
  • Major issue: Spurs don't have a player they can count on to score outside of Wemby
    • Fox could be that player, clearly impacted by high ankle sprain suffered in Western Conf finals
      • Game 1: 7 points, 3-13 FG, 0-4 from 3
      • Game 2: 20 points
  • Mitchell Robinson scored 7 points which helped; Bridges four 3-pointers were huge
  • Josh Hart had rough game: 5 fouls, no points
• Series Observations
  • KAT outplaying Wemby based on the first two games (21 points. 13 rebounds in game 2)
  • Wemby appears tired (emotionally and physically?) since Game 7 win in Western Conf Finals in OKC
  • Knicks D able to make stops and generate extra offensive possessions, though playing inconsistently
  • Spurs forced 16 turnovers and lost Game 2...not a great indicator they can win at MSG, though team came back from 3-2 deficit and beat the defending champs including game 6 in OKC
  • Wemby taking many 3-point shots not the best strategy; want him in the paint for easy buckets, offensive rebounds and creating fouls on Knicks' front line; Wemby through two games: 4-15 from downtown
  • Knicks playoff experience becoming a key factor in this series vs. young, playoff-inexperienced Spurs
  • Knicks larger front line competing well vs taller, leaner San Antonio big men
  • Impressed with KAT's leadership on the court, on the bench (in interviews talks about his late Mom, feeling her energy); KAT's huddle talk much different vs. Wemby's

Segment 2: Preview of Games 3 and 4 (22:00)

• Spurs streaky shooting, causing turnovers, then running out of gas late in games. Will that continue?
• San Antonio doesn't need many adjustments, one shot away from being 1-1
  • Wemby needs to be fresher at crunch time
  • Fox or Champagnie needs to be the No. 2 scorer to take pressure off of Wemby
  • Expect to see more of Dylan Harper
• Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson's message to his team could be:
  • we beat OKC in Game 7
  • we came back down 3-2 in that series
  • we let the Knicks win two games on our floor
  • let's get game 3 and then take the series back home
• Games 3 and 4:
  • Expect foul calls to be more even at MSG than the lopsided ones favoring the Spurs in San Antonio
  • Anticipate Spurs going at KAT to get him in foul trouble early
  • Mike Brown outcoaching Spurs' Mitch Johnson; will that continue?
  • No team has ever come back from 3-0 down in the NBA Finals and won
  • Game 3 obviously critical for San Antonio; can the Knicks sweep?