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SAS @ NYK GAME 4 BREAKDOWN 🏀 What a response by the Spurs in Game 3, snapping the Knicks’ 13-game win streak behind Wemby’s 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The biggest difference for Wemby was how much closer he played to the basket. He got easy looks from teammates on cuts and lobs instead of settling for perimeter isolations. Wemby had 11 layup/dunk attempts in Game 3 compared to just 4 in Game 1. The Fox-Wemby and Castle-Wemby PnR looked great, and I expect San Antonio to keep going back to it in Game 4. Wemby has found what works and should continue attacking the paint rather than relying on perimeter iso's. ⸻ Dylan Harper’s role feels secure Harper played 32 minutes in Game 3, finishing with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. He attempted 18 shots, matching Wemby, but struggled with efficiency, shooting just 5/18 from the field and 1/8 from three. The rookie isn’t afraid to keep firing though: Dylan Harper on going 1/8 from three: “I’m never gonna shoot that again… they all felt good coming out of my hands. They just didn’t go in today.” Another reason I expect big minutes again is the Spurs’ three-guard lineup was a sucess. New York struggled to hide Brunson defensively, and it led to foul trouble throughout the game. The minutes should once again be there, although the books have adjusted Harper’s lines upward. ⸻ Castle continues to impress Stephon Castle finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists while avoiding foul trouble. After the game, Mike Brown said: “Stephon Castle played great. Castle got to the paint at will almost every pick-and-roll he played. Not only that, we talked about taking away the vertical threat of Wemby. He had probably seven lob dunks because we didn’t pay attention to detail in trying to take that away. If you allow them to get to the paint like Harper and Castle did, it’s going to be a long night.” I expect New York to load up more on Castle’s drives in Game 4. That could create more kick-out opportunities and increase his assist upside, making his 6.5 AST line interesting. ⸻ Free throws became the story The second-half free throw discrepancy was impossible to ignore: Spurs — 24 Knicks — 8 Mike Brown addressed it after the game: “I never thought I’d be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight. Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled too.” Interestingly, New York actually led the free throw battle in the first half (14-8). With how physical this series has been, I expect the whistle to be more balanced in Game 4. ⸻ KAT bounce-back spot After two strong games, KAT struggled in Game 3 with just 11 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist while recording his lowest usage rate of the series (14%). San Antonio used Wemby more as a roaming defender and KAT never really punished the smaller matchups. Mike Brown acknowledged what went wrong: “Sometimes KAT has to flash his elbow, sometimes he’s got to post up. They’re junking the game up by putting Vic in one of the corners.” I expect New York to make a conscious effort to involve KAT early. His O17.5 points and O3.5 assists both stand out if the Knicks return to the formula that worked in Games 1 and 2. ⸻ OG and Hart benefit from Wemby’s help defense With Wemby spending more time protecting the paint and roaming off the corners instead of guarding KAT, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart were the biggest beneficiaries in Game 3. OG finished with 28 points on 69% shooting. He made quick decisions all night, either attacking closeouts or immediately rising up for shots before the defense could recover. With SA prioritizing help in the paint, it feels like another favorable matchup for him. His O16.5 pts line looks interesting. Josh Hart finished with 16 points while going 4/7 from three. Three of those makes came in the first half when the Spurs were daring him to shoot. Once he started knocking them down, San Antonio closed out harder in the second half. I still expect the Spurs to live with Hart taking outside shots rather than allowing easy looks inside. His O1.5 threes and O2.5 first-quarter points are interesting. ⸻ Brunson’s scoring remains the key Jalen Brunson finished with 32 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in Game 3, but San Antonio has made him work for everything this series. Shannon Sharpe made an interesting point: “Jalen Brunson is going to get his points, but if he shoots the ball 25 times and scores 32, the Spurs will live with that.” Brunson has scored 81 points on 82 shot attempts through three games. While the scoring numbers have been there, the efficiency hasn’t really been. With the free throw disparity we saw in Game 3, I’m expecting more calls to go Brunson’s way in this one. He knows how important Game 4 is, and I expect him to come out locked in from the opening tip. His O27.5 points line looks interesting. Main Takeaways ⬇️ • KAT bounce-back game. • More paint touches for Wemby through Fox and Castle. • Dylan Harper’s minutes continue to feel secure. • OG and Hart benefit from Wemby’s help defense. • Brunson locked-in game. If you made it this far, I appreciate y’all a lot ❤️ A like, repost and follow are always much appreciated!