An unexpected duo is leading the Knicks vs. the Spurs in the Finals
Two lifelong tristate area kids are propelling the Knicks in the Finals.
The Knicks squeaked past the Spurs in Game 2 on Friday, taking a 2-0 lead in the Finals. Just two more wins and the Knicks will have their first championship since 1973.
The betting favorite for Finals MVP is currently Jalen Brunson, but the most stable and dominant player during this run for the Knicks has been Karl-Anthony Towns. He led the way for the Knicks with 21 points on 66.7% shooting, 13 rebounds and four assists in the Game 2 victory, as the Knicks won his minutes by 11 in their 1-point victory.
Through 16 games in the 2026 playoffs, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 239 points in KAT’s minutes. In the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), only Steph Curry in 2017 had a higher plus-minus in a single playoff run, as the Warriors won his minutes in 2017 by 245 points.
Through the first two games of the Finals, the Knicks have actually lost Brunson’s minutes by four points overall... and he’s obviously just been emptying the clip on offense (25 points per game [PPG] on 33.9% shooting). The great thing? When the Knicks have looked to rest Brunson in this series, they’ve been treated to great play from Jose Alvarado with KAT.
The Knicks have a 122.6 offensive rating (ORTG), 93.3 defensive rating (DRTG), and a +29.2 net rating (NETRTG) across 31 possessions of Alvarado and KAT on the floor together in the NBA Finals. That’s been an extended success this postseason with the Knicks winning that duo’s minutes by 69 points (126 ORTG, +39 NETRTG) in 177 possessions in the playoffs.
Overall this season, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 25.3 points per 100 possessions with Alvarado and KAT sharing the floor together — and that’s a pretty large sample size of 708 offensive possessions.
However, there came a point in Game 2 with the lead dwindling, Brunson struggling, and KAT in foul trouble where Mike Brown had to pull a rabbit out of a hat. He decided to go to a five-man lineup of Alvarado, Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, and Mitchell Robinson for 5:04 (eight possessions).
The Knicks outscored the Spurs by five points (11-6), sporting a 137.5 ORTG, 85.7 DRTG, and +51.8 NETRTG. They didn’t shoot too well (45.5% FG%), but the Knicks rebounded everything in that lineup. They corralled every single missed shot — either for an offensive or defensive rebound.
The best part about the lineup... working? It had never appeared in a game for the Knicks. Not in the regular season and not in the playoffs... before Game 2 of the NBA Finals!
Despite Alvarado not having much shooting touch (0-4 from field), the Knicks won his minutes overall by 11 points — the same as KAT’s minutes in the game, and KAT played just under 34 minutes — sporting a 131.6 ORTG. In the almost 38 minutes of Alvarado off the floor in Game 2, the Knicks lost those minutes by 10 points with a 102.6 ORTG.
The Knicks were able to weather the minutes without KAT and with Brunson struggling from the field because of the efficient night of Mr. Five Picks, Bridges. He had 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists... and he scored all 20 of those points in the second and third quarters, without missing a shot in that span.
He became the second Knicks player to record that stat line and shoot at least 60% from the field in a Finals game... joining the great Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who did it four times.
For a quick second, let’s talk about the Knicks’ defense... because it’s been stifling through the first two games of the Finals.
All postseason, the Knicks’ defense has been great, but the Spurs looked like they figured it out in the first quarter. The Spurs made six of their seven shots of less than six feet from the field in the quarter, posting a 136 ORTG overall.
However, they only shot 50% from the field on shots of less than six feet over the next three quarters. The Knicks posted a 97.2 DRTG over the final three quarters of Game 2.
Back to the offensive part of the game in Game 2 for the Knicks. They completed FIFTY more passes than the Spurs in Game 2... completing just over 300 passes in the win.
Through two games in the Finals, the Knicks are averaging 36 more passes and five more assists per game than the Spurs. Mike Brown Basketball!
It’s really special what’s been happening under Brown... even if the efficiency has gone down in the Finals vs. a valiant Spurs defense. Each round, the Knicks have averaged more passes... going from 271 passes per game against the Hawks to all the way up to 298 passes per game vs. the Spurs.
During the Knicks’ 13-game win streak, they’re averaging 288 passes per game. Keep in mind: the Knicks averaged just under 243 passes per game in the 2025 playoffs under Tom Thibodeau… and they didn’t have a single game with over 275 passes in their 18-game playoff run.
The Knicks are shooting 35.1% from beyond the 3-point arc through the first two games of the Finals. The story all year has been the fact the Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA at converting on corner 3-point attempts. They’re shooting 53.6% on corner threes against the Spurs, which makes up to 23.9% on above-the-break 3-pointers.
Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. You get two chances at home of getting to put yourselves in position to play another closeout game — something the Knicks have been historically great in this season. Why not win Game 3 and make that closeout game in your own building?
