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Let's move to tonight's game two of the NBA finals. The Knicks stole game one and have taken 12 consecutive playoff games. If they win tonight, they head home to Madison Square Garden with a commanding 20 series lead. So Tony, if the Knicks were to beat the Spurs again, would you consider this thing over? Oh, absolutely. It's totally over. If the Knicks win tonight, this series is over. I know that there have been teams that have lost the first two games of the of the final series and won the series. Milwaukee the a couple years ago, right? 2021, they were in that situation. The one that stands out for me is Bill Walton with the, you know, with the Trailblazers against Philadelphia in 1977.
Yeah. So, I remember that. But those teams lost the first two games on the road. They didn't lose at home. There's never been a team that has won the final series that started out 02 at home. And the Knicks, you know, the Knicks are a really good team. They haven't lost since April. It's June. Check the calendar. They, you know, they have now won six consecutive road playoff games by double digits. So, yeah, I Yes, I believe it's over if that happens. I don't think they're going to lose them. I think Webyama will establish himself early like he did in game six against Oklahoma City. Also in San Antonio, they won the Spurs won that game by 27 points. I'm not saying it's going to be a runaway like that, but I
expect San Antonio to win tonight. Yeah. Of greater importance to me is not if the Knicks win or steal game two. It's what is San Antonio going to do to defend its home court tonight and come away with a win to even this series. And there's some things they have to do. They have to figure out what they're going to do, what their plan of attack is against Jaylen Brunson. I would think part of their attack to defend Jaylen Brunson is to make him defend. Make him expend some energy. They didn't do that cuz they took stupid threes. And they're not a great three-point shooting team. And De'Arren Fox is sort of gimpy on an ankle. He can get in the lane and take a 13 foot pull up. He can do that. he can
still get his way because he's one of the fastest players in the league with the ball to the basket and challenge a team that is not the greatest shot blocking defense in the world. You know, Dylan Harper and they're not a great three-point shooting team, Stefan Castle. Those guys will become better at that as they get older. They're babies. They're not GOOD AT IT NOW. SO, STOP JACKING THEM UP. DON'T BE THE BOSTON CELTICS AND HAVE THIS DEFIANT attitude about what you have to do. And I don't think the Spurs of Greg Papovic and Tim Duncan and they're still of those guys
because they're in the building and Pop communicates with them. They will be smart tonight. And Wimama will get his big butt down closer to THE BASKET. NOT SHACK and wilt distance cuz that's not what he does. But he will be active both defensively and offensively in the lane. They got to do a better job with Carl Anthony Towns. And I think San Antonio will win this game. You're right. If they don't, it's over. They're cooked. I don't see them coming back. If they No, if they lose, they're cooked. But traditionally, in this playoff series so far, their worst game in the playoff is off in game one. They lost game one to Minnesota. They lost game one to New York. In regulation
time, they score fewer points in game one than in any other game in the series. So, yes, the signs point to a rebound for San Antonio. Let's move in a story the PTI investigative team broke on our first segment. Game two of the NBA finals is tonight and calling it courtside will be our great friend ESPN NBA analyst Tim Leggler. Tim, let us start with this. Victor Webyama struggled in game one and the Knicks outscored the Spurs in the paint. Was that just fatigue for Webanyama or how the Knicks are handling him? No, I wouldn't put too much of that on fatigue. Clearly he got winded a couple times in that game, but I mean that's to be expected in game one of the finals.
Much en energy as you're expecting. This for me was more about how the Knicks guarded him. Particularly Carl Anthony Towns. I just thought they did a brilliant job of taking away space, forcing him further out on the floor where he can't quickly get to the rim and put more pressure on you with all of that size. They cut him off on his drives. They were in the area on his three-point shots. They forced him to have to handle the ball more than he wanted to get into his own offense. I thought this was a great defensive number one game plan, but then execution particularly on the part of their bigs because Mitchell Robinson also did a good job on Webyama. So, the adjustments will come from San Antonio and how they get him the ball and where they get him
the ball. But, I'm going to go ahead and chalk this one up to the defense, I think, in game one. Speaking of the defense, Tim, I said going into game one that it appeared to me the Spurs have four guys who together could capably guard Jaylen Brunson. Tell me if I'm crazy. And if not, what do they need to do differently to try to get him under control if they can tonight? Well, I think what you're really talking about, Michael, is if he gets into that situation where he's just going to operate with space in a one-on-one or a ball screen, get his switch and go like he did to close the game. Because if you look at the rest of the game, you're right, they've got a stable of defenders they can throw at him. He was 7 for 21
from the field entering the fourth quarter. So, it's not like they're going to look at that film and think that they couldn't contain Jaylen Brunson all night and he just got away from him. He struggled and he missed some shots he could normally make, but their defense with the guys you're talking about, uh, Stfane Castle and Dylan Harper and Vel, even Champenni, very good defender. They did a pretty good job on him for the most part, but where they're going to have to switch up. If you get into that situation late, again, you cannot allow Jaylen Brunson to have all that space where he can go any direction he wants and get guys off balance and eventually work you to the position
where he wants to take the shot because we know he's not processing pressure like anybody else on the floor. There's nobody more sure of themselves right now in the NBA than he is in those moments. So, you have to figure out a way to send them one direction. Where do you want to send them? And I think you got to mix up your blitzes and your traps to force him to give it up. I don't think you do it every time, but you can't give them a steady dose of one-on-one coverage the way that they did if this is a tight game late. You mentioned one of those guys I'm going to transition to, Dylan Harper, who sat for most of the fourth quarter in game one, but otherwise was pretty darn effective. Uh, what do you expect
in terms of the way Dylan Harper is played tonight? I think it's still going to come down to for me now how De'Arren Fox plays. Look, Darren De'arren Fox is struggling right now. He's not 100% with that ankle. He was three for 13 in game one. He is capable though because of who he is and the scoring prowess that he represents. He could have a 10-point first quarter. Now, if that sets up his night, maybe that will make the decision tougher when you get down to the fourth quarter. But I think if he struggles, you will see Dylan Harper on the floor in the fourth quarter. Um particularly if he's playing well. But I just think he represents an element of force and physicality and athleticism that can break down the
Knicks defense and get to the rim if he's got space. So I think Dylan Harper will be on the floor in the fourth quarter, but it could be dependent on what kind of night De'arren Fox is having. We will get you out of here on this and we are looking forward beyond game two with this question. Because of losing game one at home, the Spurs will now have to win a game in Madison Square Garden to take the title. What do you think playing there, Madison Square Garden, will be like for them? Yeah, listen, it can be unnerving at first as a very young team. They've played in some incredible environments and I can just tell you having been on the road in the playoffs with the
Thunder the last couple of seasons in their building. Um, that's similar. And so they navigated that in a game seven winner take all game on the road in Oklahoma City against the defending champs. I understand what's going on in the garden right now is absolutely nuts. Um, and the adrenaline, the energy in there that yeah, it can hit you for a young team. It can, but I also think this is a group in San Antonio very mentally tough up and down their roster. These are tough guys. These are guys that can take a punch even early in a game if it is in the garden and they're going to get up. They're going to fight back because they're physically and mentally tough. They're very well coached. So, it could be unnerving
potentially for stretches or for the beginning maybe, but eventually I think this is a pretty mature team even though they are as young as they are. Tim, thank you so much. Thank you, Tim. Appreciate you, Tim. See you soon. Anytime. Yeah, definitely. You can catch tonight's game at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC. Let's take
