KSR Cats in the NBA

BBNBA Playoffs: Karl-Anthony Towns is playing like a Finals MVP; Knicks take 2-0 lead

1mo

bbnba-playoffs-karl-anthony-towns-is-playing-like-a-finals-mvp-knicks-take-2-0-lead — Photo by Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals was one of the best professional basketball games I’ve seen in a long, long time. Even my non-NBA-loving friend texted me during the 4th quarter and begrudgingly admitted it was an awesome watch after I peer-pressured him into turning it on at halftime. Better yet, the star players from Kentucky on each team, Karl-Anthony Towns and De’Aaron Fox, played exceptionally well. Ultimately, though, it was KAT who left smiling as the Knicks survived a relentless Spurs team 105-104 and will return to New York with a 2-0 lead.

The Knicks looked like they were going to coast to a victory in the 4th quarter, up 14 with a little over five minutes to go. However, a passionate timeout speech from Victor Wembanyama was the catalyst for a fiery comeback. The Spurs rattled off 14 straight points to tie the game. Shortly after, a Wemby three-point play gave the Spurs an improbable two-point lead with under a minute to play. Then, Jalen Brunson did this thing, hitting a 15-foot jumper that knotted the game back up at 104.

As much of a dominant force Wemanyama is, he probably wishes he had the last minute of the game back. He missed a jumper that would have tied the game, but when Brunson missed a jumper of his own, Wemby got the rebound and threw an outlet pass to Stephon Castle, who had his back turned. It led to a Brunson steal and loose-ball foul on Wemby. Brunson made the first free throw but missed the second, giving the Spurs a chance to win the game with any bucket.

De’Aaron Fox had the ball in his hands at the top of the key with the clock running down, but gave it up to Wemby for an 18-footer at the buzzer. The shot caromed off the rim, sealing the Spurs’ fate and giving championship-starved Knicks fans a reason to celebrate.

Wemby is great and all, but I would have loved to have seen Fox take that last shot.

The game’s BBNBA stars came to play

Jalen Brunson is the Knicks’ go-to scorer, but there is a strong argument that Karl-Anthony Towns has been the most valuable player so far in the NBA Finals. New York’s offense effectively runs through the former Kentucky big man, and while he doesn’t necessarily get the ball in isolation during clutch time, he is the team’s engine all game long. According to Charles Barkley, who is never wrong, KAT is going to be Finals MVP.

Towns finished Game 2 with a team-high 21 points on an efficient 8-12 from the field, including 3-5 from behind the arc. He also had a game-high 13 rebounds and dished out four assists. After the game, Towns once again gave credit for his strong play to his mother, who passed away, saying, “If you lose a parent…you just look for signs and I’ll take any sign I could get and I prayed to her strong before that possession…I take it as a sign my mom was there with me so I appreciate her so much.”

As for the Spurs, it was good to see De’Aaron Fox have a bounce-back game after struggling in Game 1, and honestly, most of the playoffs. Swipa had 20 points and five assists, but I’m convinced he would have had 22 and the game-winner had he not felt obliged to defer to Wemby on the final shot. Fox is the former NBA Clutch Player of the Year. Let that man cook.

Keldon Johnson played sparingly for the Spurs, but chipped in three points and grabbed four boards.

The Knicks’ Win Streak

It is easy to say that the Knicks almost choked this game away, but the hot streak they are on is as bonkers as an NYC taxi driver. They have 13-straight playoff games and eight-straight on the road. They haven’t lost a postseason game since April 23. To put that in perspective, the last time the Knicks lost:

Tyran Stokes was still five days away from committing to Kansas, and Big Blue Nation still thought they had a shot.
Justin McBride, Franck Kepnang, Jerone Morton, and Milan Momcilovic hadn’t committed to Kentucky yet.
Will Stein has since landed eight new football recruits for Kentucky.

Now the Knicks will return to New York with a chance to take a dominant 3-0 lead. If the Knicks were to sweep the Spurs in the Garden…well…prayers up for the NYPD trying to control the pandemonium that would unfold in the streets.