Wembanyama's Crucial Late-Game Mistake Costs Spurs; Knicks Take 2-0 Lead in NBA Finals

(CNA, San Antonio, June 5, Comprehensive Foreign Report) San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama made a critical mistake late in the fourth quarter today. Knicks' primary player Jalen Brunson seized the opportunity to score the go-ahead points from the free-throw line with 9.5 seconds left. After Wembanyama missed a subsequent jump shot, the Knicks ultimately secured their second consecutive win in the NBA Finals.

According to Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press, the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in the previous game to get off to a good start in the Finals. Today, they secured a narrow 105-104 victory, marking their 13th consecutive playoff win, the second-longest streak in NBA playoff history.

Historical data is not in the Spurs' favor. No team in NBA history has ever come back to win the championship after losing the first two games of the Finals at home.

The Knicks are the third team ever to win the first two games of the Finals on the road. The previous two were the Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets, led to championships by Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993 and 1995, respectively.

The Spurs were trailing by 12 points midway through the fourth quarter today but managed to fight back to a tie. Victor Wembanyama completed a three-point play with 57 seconds left, giving the Spurs their first lead in nearly two quarters at 104-102.

Jalen Brunson then scored on the next possession to tie the game. Wembanyama missed a long-distance jump shot, and OG Anunoby grabbed the rebound for the Knicks with 30 seconds remaining. The Knicks immediately called a timeout to prepare for the final sequence.

The Spurs' defense was successful, but Wembanyama made a passing error. Brunson drew a foul and went to the free-throw line, putting the Knicks ahead.

The Spurs called a timeout with 7.5 seconds left. De'Aaron Fox received the inbound pass and set up a jump shot opportunity for Wembanyama, but the ball bounced off the rim, and the game ended.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns posted a "double-double" with 21 points and 13 rebounds. His teammates Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 points, OG Anunoby contributed 17, and Landry Shamet added 13 off the bench.

For the Spurs, Wembanyama had a quiet first half but finished with a game-high 29 points. De'Aaron Fox scored 20 points.

The two teams will move to New York for Game 3 on the evening of the 8th (morning of the 9th, Taiwan time). U.S. President Donald Trump plans to attend the game at Madison Square Garden, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game.

The Knicks have returned to the Finals for the first time since 1999; their last championship was in 1973. The Spurs last won the championship trophy in 2014.