SAN ANTONIO — The record is lopsided.
As the Knicks prepare for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, it’s tantalizing what a win would mean for them.
Teams that take a 2-0 series lead in the Finals are 32-5 for the series, according to Elias Sports Bureau. That is the opportunity the Knicks have ahead of them Friday after their 105-95 comeback win in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Game 2 so often dictates the trajectory of a series. And it would be even more commanding for the Knicks, considering they are then going back to their home court. They can return to New York in complete control of the Finals.
“I don’t think of anything like that, the 1-1, 2-0,” Karl-Anthony Towns said Thursday. “I just think it’s 0-0. The next game is the most important game of the year, so just continue to stay in the present, not worry about what the future may look like, not worry about what we’ve done in the past. Just cancel all that out and just worry about the present. [Friday] when we step on the court should be the same determination, desperation, energy level and physicality needed for a win.”
The alternative would mean the Spurs capture a bit of hope and momentum as the series shifts locations.
They’re a team that has thrived in that regard. They trailed 1-0 in the second round against the Timberwolves before winning the series in six games. They trailed both 2-1 and 3-2 in the Western Conference finals against the Thunder before advancing.
Both times, the Spurs’ opponents failed to land a big punch when they had a chance to take a two-game lead or end the series. Both times, it came back to bite them.
NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
“It’s very reassuring,” Victor Wembanyama said Thursday. “We know we’re not here by chance. We’ve been through some weird situations. Yes, it’s reassuring to know that these guys, the 18 guys we got, are built this way, are resilient.”
“We’ve been consistent in that regard,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson added. “I think one thing we have learned in our three series is that series are long. Games are long. Things shift quickly, whether that’s health, who’s playing well or hot, quote/unquote, at the time. Teams at this stage typically have shown the ability to evolve on the fly and improve within a series. That’s how you see these series go back and forth, and these teams make great adjustments and take advantage of those.”
What’s happening on and off the Garden court
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The Spurs are confident that the result will be different Friday, and it has nothing to do with the Knicks.
To a man, they suggested that it wasn’t anything the Knicks did that made the difference Wednesday, but rather their own lack of execution and mental approach.
Stephon Castle said they still believe the Spurs are the better team.
A 2-0 Knicks series lead can change that sentiment and all that bravado in a hurry. Perhaps nerves and worry would finally begin to kick in for this young Spurs team.
The Knicks had one of their least efficient games of the postseason and still won. Jalen Brunson had a brutal shooting night for three quarters, and the Knicks still won. They fell into a 14-point deficit and still won.
All of that bodes well.
“We got to be better,” Mikal Bridges said Thursday, “and I know we will be in Game 2.
“Our biggest game is our next game because it’s our next game. That’s how we look at it. It’s always just 1-0 if you win. After that game, it’s back to 0-0. I don’t know if we look at it eight straight, nine straight, seven straight [wins], whatever it is. We look at it, win this game, after that it’s 0-0, learn what you got to do better for the next game.”
The Knicks might not acknowledge it, but the tone of the series — for the next few days, at least — hangs in the balance.
History shows what a 2-0 lead would mean.
