Bring the Spurs back to life
That wasn't a steal. We've seen steals. Tyrese Haliburton's time-stamper in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals wasn't a steal, either, but it was far closer to a steal than the purchase made by the Knicks on Wednesday night. Receipt asked for and pocketed.
New York took Game 1 because Jalen Brunson took until the fourth quarter to bend his knees on jump shots. If New York remains diligent offensively and continues tossing rested bodies against the favored Spurs, what hope does San Antonio have to end New York's streak?
New York's won a dozen straight and the string could end on Friday, before four straight Spurs wins for a five-game series as San Antonio struts through its first of six consecutive titles. That's in the Spurs, because of the 7-4 or 7-5 guy.
Yet San Antonio requires doing something we haven't watched an NBA team do so far in these playoffs, and that's make New York go to bed.
Not to sleep, just to bed. The Hawks and 76ers and Cavaliers couldn't make the Knicks deign to drop under covers. Not slumber, just surrounded by sheets. On the phone, cheating on that "no social media" kick by logging on via browser, checking the weather after running out of things to look at.
Nobody told anyone to put the Knicks to sleep, let's get that on record. But someone has to get them off their feet for the night. Take them to five games, tie a series a 2-2, earn a competitive 4-2 loss, anything but another Knick sweep.
Is that in San Antonio? Oh, hell yes.
