{"id":199444,"date":"2026-06-08T06:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=199444"},"modified":"2026-06-07T21:44:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T01:44:20","slug":"spurs-vs-knicks-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/08\/spurs-vs-knicks-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Spurs vs Knicks Game 3: Prediction, Preview, Odds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Monday evening, NBA Finals action, and we will see the San Antonio Spurs grapple with the New York Knicks, as the scene shifts to Madison Square Garden. This is Game 3 with the Knicks holding a commanding 2-0 lead in the series after taking both games in San Antonio. The Knicks won Friday&#8217;s game by a score of 105-104. Can the Spurs get back into the series?<\/p>\n<h2>Spurs vs Knicks Game 3: Prediction, Preview, Odds<\/h2>\n<h3>Current Odds<\/h3>\n<p><strong>New York -2.5: Over\/Under 216<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>San Antonio Spurs<\/h3>\n<p><span>San Antonio enters Game 3 in a difficult position after dropping both home games, including a crushing one\u2011point loss in Game 2. The Spurs had a chance to steal the win late, but <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wembavi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Victor Wembanyama<\/a> committed a costly turnover with under 10 seconds left and then missed the potential game\u2011winner at the buzzer. He still finished with 29 points, but the final sequence overshadowed an otherwise strong performance. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/f\/foxde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">De\u2019Aaron Fox<\/a> added 20 points, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/castlst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephon Castle<\/a> continued his steady postseason play, with 14 points. The Spurs are now 12\u20138 in the playoffs and must rely on their solid 6\u20133 road record to stay alive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Defensively, San Antonio has competed well but hasn\u2019t delivered enough timely stops. They allowed 105 points in Game 2 and forced 12 turnovers, yet New York\u2019s late\u2011clock execution again proved difficult to contain. Wembanyama remains the anchor with elite rim protection, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/champju02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julian Champagnie<\/a> has provided solid perimeter defense. The Spurs allow 105.0 points per game in the postseason, but their biggest issue has been closing possessions and limiting second\u2011chance points. Their defensive structure is sound, but they need sharper execution in high\u2011leverage moments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Offensively, the Spurs continue to rely on balanced scoring. They average 113.7 points per game in the playoffs and shoot 46.3 percent from the field. Wembanyama leads the team at 23.6 points per game, while Castle adds 18.8 with strong downhill pressure. Fox remains a steady scoring option, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/harpedy01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dylan Harper<\/a> has emerged as a valuable spark off the bench. San Antonio\u2019s spacing improved in Game 2, but turnovers and late\u2011game stagnation prevented them from closing the deal. They need more consistent ball movement to challenge New York\u2019s defense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For the Spurs to climb back into the series, they must clean up their late\u2011game execution and reduce the mistakes that cost them in Game 2. Their offense works best when they play with pace and avoid long stretches of isolation. Defensively, they must limit New York\u2019s second\u2011chance points and keep Brunson from controlling tempo. San Antonio has been a strong road team, and they need that version of themselves to show up in Game 3. If they rebound with force and maintain offensive rhythm, they can make this matchup competitive again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 800px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOB427zxkg7\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 3000px; aspect-ratio: 3000\/2000;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h3>New York Knicks<\/h3>\n<p><span>New York returns home with a commanding 2\u20130 lead after surviving a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/05\/knicks-vs-spurs-2\/\" target=\"_self\">wild finish in Game 2 for this Knicks vs Spurs series<\/a>. The Knicks pulled out a 105\u2013104 win on the road, capped by <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brunsja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Brunson<\/a> sinking the go\u2011ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left. That moment came seconds after a critical turnover, and New York\u2019s defense held firm on the final possession. Brunson finished with 20 points despite another physical night, while <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/townska01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Karl\u2011Anthony Towns<\/a> (21 points &amp; 13 boards) and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bridgmi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mikal Bridges<\/a> (20 points &amp; six assists) had strong games as well. The Knicks have now won 13 straight playoff games and continue to show poise in every late\u2011game situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>New York\u2019s defense again shaped the outcome. They held San Antonio to 40 second\u2011half points and forced 16 turnovers, including several in key moments. The Knicks are allowing only 100.4 points per game in the postseason and have consistently taken away clean perimeter looks. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hartjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Hart\u2019s<\/a> rebounding and Bridges\u2019 perimeter pressure have been major factors, and the team\u2019s rotations have remained sharp. Their ability to close defensive possessions has kept opponents from building momentum. New York\u2019s 17.6\u2011point average scoring margin shows how dominant they\u2019ve been across four rounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Offensively, the Knicks continue to rely on balance and efficiency. They average 118.1 points per game in the playoffs and shoot 50.1 percent from the field. Brunson leads the way at 26.6 points per game, while <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/anunoog01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Anunoby<\/a> and Towns provide steady scoring inside and out. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/03\/mikal-bridges-in-the-2026-nba-finals\/\" target=\"_self\">Bridges has been a reliable player in the 2026 NBA Finals<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/shamela01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Landry Shamet<\/a> has given them valuable bench shooting. New York\u2019s ball movement has been consistent, with 26.4 assists per game, and their spacing has created clean looks even when the pace slows. Their half\u2011court execution remains one of their biggest strengths.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For the Knicks to take a 3\u20130 lead, they must avoid early lulls and continue to control the tempo. Their defense has carried them, but they need sharper offensive possessions to prevent San Antonio from dictating the pace. Rebounding will again be crucial, especially against a Spurs team that thrives on second\u2011chance chances. If New York maintains its defensive discipline and keeps turnovers manageable, it\u2019ll be in a strong position to extend their series lead at home, where they\u2019ve gone 6\u20131 this postseason.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Spurs vs Knicks Predictions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/07\/spurs-game-3-must-win\/\" target=\"_self\">Game 3 is a must-win for the Spurs<\/a>, so San Antonio +2.5 makes sense in this spot because desperation usually sharpens a team\u2019s focus. Plus, the Spurs have already shown they can handle road environments with a 6\u20133 postseason record away from home. New York hasn\u2019t played at Madison Square Garden since May 21st, and long gaps often lead to uneven early stretches. San Antonio has also responded well after tight losses, and their pace tends to stabilize when they\u2019re not chasing the game. With the series on the line and the Spurs playing with urgency, this number gives them enough room to stay inside the spread in a slower, grind\u2011heavy matchup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Under 216 also fits the way this series has unfolded. The first two games produced only 209 and 200 total points, and both teams leaned heavily on half\u2011court defense. New York has allowed just 100.4 points per game at home in the postseason, and their rotations have tightened even further during this 13\u2011game win streak. San Antonio has been one of the league\u2019s best defensive teams all year, and their length has forced long possessions throughout the series. With both sides comfortable slowing the pace and limiting transition chances, another low\u2011scoring game is the more likely script.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The combination of San Antonio\u2019s urgency and the defensive tone of the series makes the Spurs\u2011and\u2011Under pairing a natural fit. The Spurs should lean into controlled possessions to avoid turnovers, and New York has consistently answered with patient, methodical offense at home. That rhythm usually keeps scoring suppressed and prevents either team from creating extended runs. If Game 3 follows the same defensive pattern as the first two, the total stays manageable, and the Spurs remain competitive enough to stay within the number.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Final Predictions: San Antonio +2.5 &amp; Under 216<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Featured Image: <span>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Monday evening, NBA Finals action, and we will see the San Antonio Spurs grapple with the New York Knicks, as the scene shifts to Madison Square Garden. This is Game 3 with the Knicks holding a commanding 2-0 lead in the series after taking both games in San Antonio. The Knicks won Friday&#8217;s game by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5785,"featured_media":199514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,49087,62,50437,12,3,34],"tags":[664,49668,1417,1004,213,1484,407,596,49264,4669],"class_list":["post-199444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-basketball-betting","category-nba","category-nba-predictions","category-knicks","category-news","category-spurs","tag-deaaron-fox","tag-dylan-harper","tag-jalen-brunson","tag-josh-hart","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-mikal-bridges","tag-nba-finals","tag-nba-playoffs","tag-stephon-castle","tag-victor-wembanyama"],"modified_by":"Benjamin Yu","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5785"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199444"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":199516,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199444\/revisions\/199516"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}