2026 NBA Playoffs - NBA Finals (Spurs vs Knicks)

[Furlanfufi]

[Mori Chu]

Congrats to the Knicks on their title. I think the Spurs choked just as much as the Knicks won it. Spurs were up big in most of the games but just let the Knicks claw their way back in. Suddenly the Spurs couldn't hit a single shot. I think they have a lot of iffy shooters on their roster. When you'd see almost all of their guys pull up, you didn't have the sense that it would go in.

Also, I was surprised by how not-unstoppable Wemby was. You think of other past title team leaders and it was just nearly impossible to stop them from scoring down the stretch. I'm thinking of guys like Giannis, Jokic, Lebron, even SGA. But I watched Wemby and he often seemed to be flailing, off balance, taking awkward shots, leaning, fading, jumping off the wrong foot, things that made it seem like he didn't have good body control or game sense. I didn't feel like he had a reliable way to get a basket or force a play that would generate an easy basket. What's his go-to move? What shots does he hit really well? At first he seemed like a cheat code, an unstoppable huge man with the grace and skills of a guard. But I don't really want him dribbling the ball outside the 3-point line, I don't really want him pulling up for too many 3s. And his inside game is only so-so unless he catches it so close that he can literally dunk it without jumping. It seems like he still has a lot of development ahead of him as a player. And the Spurs may need to find new ways to use him and take advantage of his considerable physical talents.

I do wonder if the scars from this series will stick with the Spurs players. They really choked badly in Games 4 and 5, especially Game 4. I hope they use that as motivation to get better and not hang their heads over it.

The Knicks really did have a nice squad, though, and I'm happy to see them win it. Brunson over Wemby is the ultimate David vs Goliath story, a little guard (who looks like a 54 year old Redd Foxx) drafted in the 2nd round overcoming a giant phenom picked 1st overall. He was unbelievably clutch the whole series. KAT really redeemed himself as a more versatile and tough player than he usually gets credit for. OG Anunoby was the pinnacle of 3-and-D excellence. Josh Hart made some great shots and plays and had a ton of rebounds for a guard. Mikal, Robinson, a bunch of their other guys showed up and contributed a lot. Overall a really likable group of guys who worked hard and earned themselves a title.

And that Finals was really fun to watch despite it being only 5 games. Wish we had gotten more but this was a great series that I'll remember for a while.

[Mori Chu]

[Mori Chu]

This stat is nuts. Look at how much the Spurs dominated the 1st quarter, vs. how much the Knicks came back strong the whole rest of the game.

[Mori Chu]

LOL, wow. Check out this belligerent fellow. In a Rodman jersey, no less.

[Superbone]

Finals was really fun to watch despite it being only 5 games. Wish we had gotten more but this was a great series that I'll remember for a while.

Yep, congrats to them. And it was fun to watch real basketball without all the flopping theatrics played at the highest level. So glad OKC was ousted. They have become a blight on NBA basketball. The Knicks waited almost as long as our Suns for a championship but of course they had two others shortly after we were born.

[Superbone]

LOL, wow. Check out this belligerent fellow. In a Rodman jersey, no less.

What was it? I guess the url tells the story: /one_spurs_fan_fighting_a_crowd_of_knicks_fans

ETA:

[Superbone]

Speaking of David vs Goliath:

[Superbone]

[Superbone]

This is me as a Suns fan but without the NBA Championship.

[Mori Chu]

Now draw one for the Suns but it's just a guy looking down from the TV and weeping.

[Mori Chu]

Also, I'm far from the first to say this, but wow is this a huge moment for Knicks head coach Mike Brown. I have hated on the guy as much as anybody, and he's bounced around a lot of teams. But he seems to have been exactly what this team needed and did an excellent job guiding them to this title. The Knicks always seemed well prepared, and I especially thought they used their coach's challenges well. And he seems to be a genuinely nice and caring guy. Kudos to him.

[Shabazz]

Good thing we snagged Elie Okobo two picks before him!

(God, Ryan McD was the worst!)