Knicks challenge Spurs' favoritism in NBA Finals opener

The San Antonio Spurs are strong favorites to win the NBA title, but anyone who believes in a smooth series may be ignoring an important detail: the New York Knicks defeated the Spurs in the NBA Cup final in December and reached the Finals in a big way.

In that decision played in Las Vegas, the Knicks dominated the last quarter and won 124 to 113. The defeat is still fresh in the memory of some San Antonio players on the eve of Game 1, this Wednesday (3).

"It was a difficult defeat. We wanted to win, because as competitors we want to win every game," said point guard Stephon Castle.

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Recent retrospect also favors New York. The Knicks have won eight of the last 12 meetings between the teams, including two of the three games played this season.

Still, the Spurs arrive confident after eliminating the defending champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in a seven-game series in the Western Conference final.

On the other side, the Knicks are experiencing one of the best moments in their recent history. The team has won 11 consecutive games in the playoffs and swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference final.

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Despite the impressive campaign, many analysts still consider the Knicks to have little chance against the French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.

"We were discredited many times. There was always a lot of noise coming from outside, but we went back to the gym and kept working. We can't be satisfied just by being here," said point guard and New York's main star, Jalen Brunson.

New York seeks to end a long fast. The franchise is competing in its first final since 1999, precisely when it was defeated by Spurs in five matches. The team's last title came in 1973.

Interestingly, on that 1999 team there was a Brunson on the roster: Rick Brunson, Jalen's father and currently an assistant coach for the Knicks.

"It's something surreal. I haven't stopped to think about it much yet. Maybe when the season or my career ends I'll reflect better on all of this", commented Jalen.

The current campaign marks a rapid rise under the command of Mike Brown, hired after Tom Thibodeau left at the end of last season.

"Getting to the Finals isn't easy. When you overcome difficult moments throughout the season, you put yourself in a position to compete when it really counts," said Brown.

Spurs are now experiencing the first years of the so-called "Wembanyama Era". The franchise returns to the Finals for the first time since the 2014 title, the fifth in its history. In the playoffs, Wembanyama averages 23.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 17 games.

The Frenchman, however, preached caution after the exciting classification over the Thunder.

"We're not done with the job yet. We need to get back to reality and understand that the hardest part is yet to come," he said.

In the medical report, the Knicks monitor the situation of center Mitchell Robinson, who suffered a fracture in the little finger on his right hand and is doubtful for the match. In the victory over the Spurs in the NBA Cup, Robinson had a great performance with 15 rebounds in just 18 minutes.

For Spurs, point guard De'Aaron Fox continues to recover from an injury to his right ankle. According to coach Mitch Johnson, the player is showing progress and has been moving better after playing far from ideal physical condition in the series against the Thunder.

Wembanyama makes history and is elected defender of the year with 100% of the votes

Source: CNN