The San Antonio Spurs avoided a 0-3 hole in the 2026 NBA Finals with a 115-111 win over the New York Knicks on June 8 at Madison Square Garden, trimming the series deficit to 2-1.
Rookie forward Victor Wembanyama powered the victory, finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The 22-year-old became the second-youngest player in league history to post at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in an NBA Finals game, moving past Kobe Bryant on that list. Only Magic Johnson accomplished the feat at a younger age.
Johnson, who set the standard with 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, reacted on social media soon after San Antonio’s win. “I was in awe of Victor Wembanyama’s performance tonight… he’s now the second-youngest to put up 30, 5 and 5 on this stage, right behind a kid who once played for the Lakers,” the Hall of Famer wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Bryant’s qualifying effort came in Game 2 of the 2001 Finals, when he recorded 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists against the Philadelphia 76ers. Wembanyama’s showing now joins those two Lakers legends as the only instances of such all-around production by a player so early in his career.
San Antonio’s win keeps the series competitive; Game 4 is set for Madison Square Garden before the Finals shift back to Texas.
Source: LakersNation.com
