San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama had a crucial late turnover on Friday and missed a potential game-winner with two seconds remaining to leave the Spurs in need of an unprecedented comeback when the best-of-seven series shifts to New York for games three and four.
No team has lifted the trophy after dropping the first two games of the finals at home.
Michael Jordan’s 1993 Chicago Bulls and the 1995 Houston Rockets are the only other teams to win the first two games of the championship series on the road, and both went on to win titles.
The Knicks won their 13th straight game of the playoffs – the second-longest streak in postseason history – and will have a chance to close out their first title since 1973 in front of home fans at Madison Square Garden. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to be in attendance on Monday.
They had to withstand a scintillating fourth-quarter surge from the Spurs, who erased a 14-point deficit with a 14-0 scoring run.
Wembanyama shook off a slow start to score 22 of his 29 points in the second half, his three-point play with 57.3 seconds remaining giving the Spurs their first lead since the second quarter at 104-102.
It was tied at 104-104 with 9.5 seconds left when Wembanyama grabbed the rebound of a Brunson miss but turned it over with a bad pass into the back of teammate Stephon Castle.
Brunson scooped up the ball and was fouled then made the first of two free throws to put the Knicks back in front.
San Antonio had one last chance, coming out of a time out with 7.5 seconds left. They got the ball to their superstar but his jump shot clanged off the rim.
“I threw that one away,” 22-year-old Wembanyama said. “I messed up. We didn’t play great as a team. We needed to win that game.” (AFP)
