The New York Knicks opened the 2026 NBA Finals with a 105-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, and the biggest factor was how they handled Victor Wembanyama. The 7-foot-4 Spurs star disrupted New York’s jump shooting whenever he was nearby, forcing awkward attempts and making the Knicks look uncomfortable from the perimeter. But while Wembanyama’s presence hurt their shot-making, it also created opportunities for New York to attack the glass and generate second-chance points, which ultimately swung the game in the Knicks’ favor.
The Knicks entered the series expecting to face one of the league’s most dominant defenders, and Game 1 confirmed why Wembanyama is so difficult to deal with. New York struggled badly on jumpers when he was directly contesting or close enough to alter a shot. Yet the Knicks compensated by doing what they have done throughout the playoffs: crashing the offensive boards and extending possessions. Their persistence led to 23 second-chance points, a major edge in a game that was tighter than the final score suggested.
Josh Hart emphasized that the key was simply getting the ball on the rim and forcing the defense to react. Once Wembanyama leaves his position near the basket to challenge a shooter, the paint opens up for others. That was evident throughout the game as Karl-Anthony Towns and Hart created extra possessions, while Mikal Bridges also benefited from the chaos around the rim. Towns finished with a game-high four offensive rebounds, and Hart added two more, helping the Knicks capitalize on missed shots and keep pressure on San Antonio.
A key sequence in the first quarter illustrated the matchup perfectly. After New York jumped out to an early lead, San Antonio’s defense tightened, but the Knicks responded by moving the ball and forcing Wembanyama out of his comfort zone. When he stepped up to contest a wing jumper, Bridges crashed in from the perimeter and turned the miss into a layup. It was the kind of play that showed the Knicks do not need perfect shooting if they can keep Wembanyama occupied and win the rebounding battle around him.
That formula may be essential for New York’s title hopes. The Spurs are built around Wembanyama’s ability to erase mistakes at the rim, but if the Knicks can drag him away from the paint and punish every rotation, they can turn San Antonio’s greatest strength into a vulnerability. New York’s playoff identity has already been built on offensive rebounding and second-chance scoring, and that edge carried over into the Finals.
Coach Mike Brown said the Knicks want to keep their offense simple by putting Towns in the dunker spot and letting Hart and others make quick decisions around the arc. The challenge is clear: if the Knicks want their first championship in 53 years, they will need to keep making Wembanyama move, keep attacking the glass, and keep turning missed shots into extra opportunities.
