New York

Knicks

Bridges was excellent on the offensive end in Game 2. He was 7-of-8 from the field to start the game, but was also finding his teammates as he had six assists. Bridges has had one game with at least 20 points in every round of the playoffs. This one certainly came at the right time as the Knicks were able to take a 2-0 series lead on the road. Twice before has a team won the first two games of the NBA Finals on the road and that team went on to win the series each time.

Brunson wasn’t particularly efficient with 20 points on 25 attempts, but he came through at the end of the game in typical Brunson-like fashion. With the Knicks trailing by two with less than a minute left in regulation, Brunson stopped in the lane to give himself enough space to hit a fadeaway jumper and tied the game. His made free throw with 10 second left was the difference in the Knicks’ 13th consecutive playoff win as they became the second team in history to accomplish that feat. New York will head home with a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 on Monday, where they’ll look to continue what’s been a dominant postseason run.

As the teams left the floor for halftime at the end of the first half, cameras caught Towns letting everyone know that Victor Wembanyama can’t mess with him. He continued to back up that talk in the second half with his second double-double of the series. Towns isn’t close to being dominated by Wembanyama the way the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren was in the Western Conference finals. The way he’s playing right now, he’s closer to having a legitimate chance of winning Finals MVP.

No surprise here as Robinson was initially listed as probable for Game 2. The 28-year-old center had surgery on his broken pinky finger before the NBA Finals. Robinson will likely play between 10-20 minutes as the backup center.

Robinson is back on the injury report for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, but it’s safe to assume that he will play. The longest-tenured Knick logged 13 minutes in the series opener, grabbing six rebounds. Look for Robinson to take on a similar role as New York attempts to take a 2-0 series lead.

Towns’ biggest moments of Wednesday’s contest came in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in the frame while helping overcome a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 76 at the period’s end. He didn’t score in the final frame, but still concluded the game with solid numbers. The veteran center had several nice drives and finishes at the basket while being defended in isolation by Victor Wembanyama. If he can continue to hold his own in that matchup, the Knicks could find themselves in favorable positions.

Anunoby had been quiet on the offensive end up until the fourth quarter of Game 1, when he drilled a couple of huge three-pointers before finishing with 12 points in the final period. The veteran wing didn’t shoot as efficiently as he had over the first three rounds of the playoffs, but still managed to come up big when it mattered most on Wednesday to help New York to a come-from-behind win. Anunoby logged 31 minutes and appears to be recovering from his hamstring injury well. He’ll have a chance to help the Knicks take a 2-0 series lead on Friday.

Brunson had a rough first three quarters of Wednesday’s game, having to overcome multiple lower-body ailments en route to producing 17 points on just 7-of-22 shooting. But he came alive in the fourth quarter and amassed 13 massive points while connecting on several big shots down the stretch to lead New York to a Game 1 win. Despite inefficient shooting, Brunson never stopped attacking. As a result, he’ll have a chance to help his team take a 2-0 series lead on Friday.

Robinson’s return comes after undergoing surgery on his broken pinky finger. He will not have missed any games, despite the injury, and will likely come off the bench to continue playing a key role for a Knicks team that has won 11 straight games. They’ll enter with a significant rest advantage against the Spurs, who are coming off a seven-game series against the Thunder.

Robinson was listed as questionable on Tuesday, so his upgraded status certainly bodes well for his availability. Robinson will be leaned on to slow down Victor Wembanyama with his elite defensive acumen.