Game 3 Preview: Why the Spurs Must Win Tonight

The San Antonio Spurs are on the road tonight with a 0-2 record against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. They head to the Madison Square Garden, and currently they're not on the side of history.

No team has ever come back from 0-3 in the Finals. The Spurs are aware of that. That's why tonight is going to be a very important game for the Spurs.

The Numbers Tell the Story

New York has had the better team so far. The Knicks took Game 1 105-95, then had a scare in Game 2 when San Antonio led by 12, but managed to hold off and win 105-104. That should have been Spurs' win. They let it go.

The problem is the turnovers. San Antonio gave away the ball 16 times in Game 2 and paid for it — New York scored 16 points off those mistakes alone. Victor Wembanyama has turned the ball over 10 times in just two games. That has to stop.

Wembanyama's Big Test

He was locked-in in Game 2, the type of player Spurs need every night. He shot over 52% from the field with 29 points. But Game 1 was a tough one, six turnovers, shooting under 29%. The type of performance you can't afford in the Finals.

Now he enters the loudest building in basketball, Madison Square Garden. Fifty-plus years of waiting for this moment by the fans of the Knicks. That's what I think tonight's about: how Wembanyama deals with that noise, that energy, that crowd.

KAT is A Problem

Karl-Anthony Towns has been the most significant player for New York quietly this series. He scored 19.5 points and grabbed 12.5 rebounds in his first two games.

He was almost unstoppable in Game 2, shooting 60% from three-point range and 67% from the floor. San Antonio is yet to find a solution to this problem and they need one fast if they're going stand a chance at all

There's Still A Chance

The Spurs aren't finished. They overcame a 3-1 deficit to reach the Finals. They know how to dig deep.

But if they lose tonight, and the series is basically over. Win tonight, and it's another conversation.