Charles Barkley Cites Blown Leads vs Rockets as Reason Knicks Must Play Desperate

This was a good comparison.

Nov 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns former player Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 2026 NBA Finals have been much better than advertised. Heading into the series, the San Antonio Spurs were picked as everyone's favorite.

Understandably, as they knocked off the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals round, who entered the season as everyone's pick to repeat, in large part, because of their ability to keep all of their main pieces last offseason. 

The Spurs breathed a collective sigh of relief following their Game 7 victory over Oklahoma City and quite literally jumped for joy, fist-pumping after slaying the dragon, in theory.

The New York Knicks, however, are an entirely different beast. They've got a collection of viable wings, dispelling Houston Rockets Ime Udoka's theory of duplicate skillsets being a bad thing, and a coach in Mike Brown who came from the Spurs' system, having coached under Gregg Popovich, much like Udoka, himself.

The Knicks stole two games from San Antonio in the Spurs' own house and headed back to Madison Square Garden with the series in their hands. As the old saying goes, the series starts when the home team loses.

In spite of that, the Knicks were viewed as the team that needed to play more desperate. At least, according to Golden State Warriors super defender and quasi-center Draymond Green, who has been filling in on ESPN's Inside the NBA during the Finals, alongside former Rockets players Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, in addition to NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. 

"I'll tell you what. The Knicks are feeling the most pressure to win tonight. San Antonio is not feeling any pressure to win this game.

All the pressure is on the Knicks."

Barkley, the former star Rockets forward, agreed, citing his own postseason battles against the Rockets in the 1990s as an example.

"Let me tell you something. You are 100 percent correct. When we won those first two games in Houston, I said, 'Guys, we've gotta win Game 3.

They know they'll be dead."

Barkley didn't specify which year he was referring to, and his Phoenix Suns went up against the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Rockets in consecutive years in the postseason, in 1994 and 1995. Both times, the Suns got out to a 2-0 lead, lost Game 3 and lost the series.

Two short years later, Barkley joined the Rockets -- interestingly enough, in hopes of capping off his basketball resume with a championship. But ultimately, throughout Barkley's four years in Houston, the closest he came to winning a title with in 1997, when Houston reached the Western Conference Finals. 

As for the Knicks and Spurs, San Antonio stole back Game 3. Game 4 will be played on Wednesday night in New York City's Madison Square Garden, as will Game 5.