spurs – knicks has turned on San Antonio’s offense, and the Spurs are down 0-2 in the NBA Finals after leading with about two minutes left in both games. Their 100.5 offensive rating in the series is the sharpest reason they are chasing New York from behind.
Wembanyama’s touches fell
Victor Wembanyama shot 40.7 percent from the floor in the Finals and took only four shots in the first half of Friday’s Game 2. Mitch Johnson called that number “not acceptable,” a blunt sign that the Spurs are not getting enough from the player they need to organize the attack.
San Antonio had been much more efficient earlier in the postseason. The Spurs averaged 117.9 points per 100 possessions against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Round 2 and 112.4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference finals, which puts the Finals drop-off in sharper focus.
Johnson wants faster decisions
On Sunday, Johnson said the team has had turnovers in transition that are not as common throughout the season, and he said the Spurs have not been making the right play or finishing advantages out as they have throughout the season. He also said, “Sometimes the result cannot be as consistent as you want.”
That inconsistency has shown up in the numbers. San Antonio is averaging 90 points per 100 transition plays in the Finals after averaging 157 points per 100 transition plays against the Thunder, a steep fall for a team that has been the postseason leader in transition frequency.
New York’s lead grows
The Spurs still want to play fast and create advantages before New York can get organized in the half court, and Johnson said, “It is a huge part of the game for us when we are at our best. We have to take advantage of those.” The Knicks are now two wins away from their first championship since The Exorcist was released, while San Antonio has to solve the same problem that has already cost it two late leads.
