{"id":1978943,"date":"2026-06-08T14:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T11:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1978943"},"modified":"2026-06-08T14:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T11:15:12","slug":"the-bounce-the-knicks-have-history-and-experience-on-their-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1978943","title":{"rendered":"The Bounce: The Knicks have history and experience on their side"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Bounce Newslette<\/b>r<\/strong>\u00a0\":basketball:\"<\/span>\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Shaquille O\u2019Neal was swept in his first NBA Finals in 1995. Jason Kidd was swept in his first finals in 2002. LeBron James was swept in his first in 2007. It\u2019s not the worst thing in the world if it happens to Victor Wembanyama this year. But he must avenge it.<\/p>\n

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Two and Oh<\/h3>\n

Experience gap is showing in this series<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything was set up for a special Wembanyama moment at the end of Friday\u2019s Game 2. After an unseasonably quiet first half in which the Spurs star was not only passive offensively (just four shot attempts) but also pretty mediocre defensively, Wemby galvanized a fourth-quarter run and a furious comeback attempt against New York.<\/p>\n

The Spurs erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth, and Wemby gave the Spurs a two-point lead with an and-1 bucket with less than a minute left. Jalen Brunson then hit yet another ridiculously tough clutch bucket to tie it with 39.3 seconds left. Now the Spurs controlled the game. Go two-for-one. Set yourself up for the last shot in the event of a back-and-forth. It was all there for them. Wemby missed a quick jumper on the left side of the court, but then dodged a bullet with Brunson missing a clutch jumper.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when disaster struck, and that\u2019s when the Spurs\u2019 youth continued to show itself in this series. For months, we\u2019ve wondered if San Antonio could overcome its lack of experience and lack of postseason mileage to win an unprecedented championship. Twice now in these two finals games, that inexperience has reared its head at the roughest times.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the crucial moment of Game 2, Wemby grabbed the board, started dribbling up the floor and threw the pass ahead to Stephon Castle to try to attack in transition before the Knicks\u2019 defense could set. One little problem with that \u2026<\/p>\n

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Whoops! I was sitting in the stands along the baseline they were coming toward during that possession. So many people collectively yelled, \u201cNo!\u201d when he started throwing the pass and we saw that Castle had turned his back to Wembanyama. It felt like one of those iconic miscues that will be played over and over until Wembanyama and the Spurs win a championship. That was panic or a lack of attention to detail or just a brain fart of epic proportions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Brunson jumped at the opportunity, got fouled by Wemby and then split one of his two free throws to put the Knicks up one with 7.5 seconds left. That set up one more chance for the Spurs to pull off a split on their home floor. Wemby got another chance to be a hero. Check out his missed attempt, as recorded by Ben Stiller<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Knicks won, 105-104.<\/p>\n

After the game, Wembanyama talked about results mattering more than process. He talked about needing to be more balanced and poised. This is where the Knicks going through the battles and disappointments over the years gives them wisdom and comfort in these tight spots. The Knicks were getting outplayed during the Spurs\u2019 furious run. But New York never panicked.<\/p>\n

Remember:<\/p>\n