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San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Ross D. Franklin\/AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin<\/p>\n
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) helps up forward Victor Wembanyama (1) after being hit during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Yuki Iwamura\/AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura<\/p>\n
Filmmaker Spike Lee watches during second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Ross D. Franklin\/AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin<\/p>\n
The San Antonio Spurs bench watches during second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the New York Knicks, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Ross D. Franklin\/AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin<\/p>\n
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) talks with guard Stephon Castle during second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the New York Knicks, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Ross D. Franklin\/AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Victor Wembanyama likens home-court advantage to having six players on the court against five. On the road, it is like five on six.<\/p>\n
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Wemby likes it like that.<\/p>\n
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Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs thrived in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden and are undaunted by the hostile environment and the series deficit they face against the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like lively crowds, active crowds,\u201d Wembanyama said Tuesday, roughly 13 hours after his 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist dominance to pick up his first career win in the finals. \u201cAt home, it\u2019s an extra motivation because you want to give the people who support you a good show. On the road, you want to do the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fresh off silencing a sellout crowd of nearly 20,000, San Antonio now gets the chance to even things up in Game 4 on Wednesday night back at the Garden in what could be an even more intense situation as fans try to will their team to the verge of its first championship since 1973.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe find a comfort playing on the road, knowing when you\u2019re in this environment, it\u2019s us versus them, and obviously everybody in the crowd,\u201d Guard De’Aaron Fox said. \u201cWhen you know that \u2014 everybody behind you has your back \u2014 it allows you to settle into these games.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Backcourt mate Stephon Castle said he and the Spurs knew their season was on the line after falling behind 2-0 in the series and credited their connectivity for being 7-3 on the road in these playoffs. If Monday was a must-win game, Wednesday is nearly that because only one of 38 teams to fall behind 3-1 in the finals came back to win it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something you can\u2019t shy away from, especially with the goals and aspirations that we have,\u201d Castle said. \u201cJust focus on the things that matter throughout the game and not really paying too close attention to the crowd. They\u2019re going to be there regardless, especially cheering on their team. You should want to play in those environments. I feel like that\u2019s when we play at our best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wembanyama certainly was, shaking off his buzzer-beating miss to turn in a performance fit for the bright spotlight at a place known as the world’s most famous arena. But the 22-year-old big man from France did not do it alone.<\/p>\n
Castle, who’s 21, scored 23 points and did not look bothered by the ankle he injured in Game 2 on Friday night. Devin Vassell, who’s 25, and Julian Champagnie, weeks away from his 25th birthday, each hit some big shots and got into double figures. Rookie Dylan Harper, who is 20, scored 13 off the bench.<\/p>\n
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Fox, who at 28 is among the elder statesmen, points to those young players’ demeanor to explain why they don’t shrink under pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just don\u2019t have the personalities that you would think that are just going to be overwhelmed by something,\u201d Fox said. \u201cI don\u2019t know what they\u2019re feeling on the inside, obviously. What you see out there on the court with them, just when you see it on their faces when New York is going on a run, you don\u2019t see them panic.\u201d<\/p>\n
There does not seem to be any panic in the Spurs, no matter how inexperienced some of their core players are. Coach Mitch Johnson understands why there is so much talk about youth and age, but like Fox he thinks it’s more about the makeup of guys like Wembanyama, Castle and Harper than how many years they’ve been alive and playing basketball.<\/p>\n
Perhaps being a little naive helps. Harper said this is the first time he has been booed on the street walking out of a hotel in New York, though it only served to fire him and his teammates up \u2014 and could continue to do so.<\/p>\n
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“We just stay together in environments like this,\u201d Harper said. \u201cWhen we come to away games in the playoffs, for us at least, it\u2019s been just staying together and holding each other accountable. I feel like with the level of desperation and desire that we played with (in Game 3), I feel like we\u2019re pretty hard to beat when we do that.\u201d<\/p>\n