How Catastrophic Turnover in Game 2 vs. Knicks Puts Spurs Against Wall in NBA Finals

SAN ANTONIO — The way Victor Wembanyama remembers it ... well, he doesn't.

The last three possessions of the San Antonio Spurs' 105-104 Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks at home in the NBA Finals are, as the 7-footer explained, "blurry."

"That's the whole problem," Wembanyama said minutes after the final buzzer sounded at Frost Bank Center. "I need to have more poise, more control over the game."

With 6:04 to play in the fourth quarter of Friday's contest, Knicks forward O.G. Anunoby drove the lane for a 1-foot dunk to give New York a 14-point lead. From there, San Antonio closed the game on a 21-8 run that erased the deficit and put it in position to even the series.

Wembanyama, Dylan Harper De'Aaron Fox combined for 18 of those points, which would have sparked a comeback story for the ages. Except with the game on the line, an upcourt pass intended for Stephon Castle bounced off his back and into Brunson's hands.

The Frenchman fouled New York's king. And then he missed a shot his teammates say he makes 9-of-10 times. That exception handed the Knicks a commanding 2-0 series lead.

"I threw that one away," Wembanyama admitted bluntly. "I messed up."

Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) speaks with the media after the game between the Spurs and the Knicks in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Wembanyama's foul gave the Knicks their one-point lead that ultimately marked the margin Friday night. Even after Brunson made one of his free throws, the Spurs still had 7.5 seconds to work with on the other end. Mitch Johnson set up a pair of screens to free up Fox past the 3-point line, and then another screen-and-roll to give Wembanyama the ball.

From the right wing, Wembanyama took two steps and rose up over Mitchell Robinson. As he fell backward, his shot drew back iron. He got neither the points, nor the foul.

"He’s made that shot a thousand times," Castle said in the locker room, defending Wembanyama. "He has a game-winner with that shot this year. I’ll take that shot every day."

Added Fox: "It was a great shot. Catch-and-shoot shot right off the elbow."

Castle admitted to looking back at Wembanyama after his defensive rebound with 11.8 seconds to play, but once he realized how late in the game it was, he decided to give the 22-year-old space to bring the ball up the court in preparation for a final shot.

Once he turned his back, he didn't see the pass coming. Castle made his decision. Wembanyama made his. The result was perhaps the worst-timed mistake of their season.

"Those things happen," Fox said, "(but) there were a lot of things that led up to that point that we could have avoided ... we still gave ourselves a chance to win. I don't know if we would say we deserved to win that game, but we were in that game and we had a chance."

Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24), guard Stephon Castle (5), guard De'Aaron Fox (4), forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard Dylan Harper (2) walk back on the court in the fourth quarter during Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

San Antonio's offensive struggles materialized largely in the first half. While De'Aaron Fox found his rhythm, both Castle and Wembanyama had trouble making shots.

Wembanyama, specifically, struggled to touch the paint while dealing with Karl-Anthony Towns on the other end. By halftime, he'd taken only four field goal attempts. Wembanyama was, again, blunt in explanation; he couldn't provide an answer for his drastically different second half, when he took 17 attempts and made nine of them.

"I need to reflect on the game," he said. "I just need to score. That's the whole point."

Perhaps the only silver lining of Game 2 was the Spurs' ability to erase the Knicks' 14-point lead in under six minutes of game time. Johnson cited a necessary urgency, while Fox cited aggression. Both recognized a need to bring that play style with them to the East Coast.

"We don't feel like we played well or up to our standard," Johnson said, "at least in the last two games. New York has played very well and (it's) a part of that. But going into Game 3, if we play our brand of basketball up to our standard, we'll be just fine."

Sitting at the podium with a calmer expression on his face than he'd worn after Game 1, Wembanyama decided to break down a few of his inner thoughts. The exercise was more than he'd been willing to do since making the Western Conference Finals, save for letting his vulnerability through after winning that series.

"This game was ours," he said, "but at this point, it's done. Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely."

If Wembanyama comes out with vengeance in New York on Monday, he'll safely point to the moment he decided to throw a pass off Castle's back as the turning point.

For his sake and theirs, the Spurs hope it will be. But like all things this season, they plan to cross that bridge together, without blame and without a care for any outside noise.

"Obviously we can't get this back," Fox said. "We would have loved to win obviously both of these games. Now, we've got to go on the road and try to win a game. We obviously want to win both games, but we have to take this one game at a time."

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