NBA Daily Digest: Knicks Lead 2-0, Anunoby Questionable for Game 3

The New York Knicks survived another late Spurs run to win Game 2 on the road, 105-104, and now return to Madison Square Garden with a 2-0 series lead. OG Anunoby is listed questionable for Monday's Game 3, Robinson is drawing major free-agent interest, and the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap investigation is reportedly nearing its conclusion.

Thirteen straight playoff wins. Two wins from a championship the Knicks haven't touched since 1973.

Friday night's Game 2 at Frost Bank Center was won and almost lost in the span of 90 seconds. The Knicks built a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, then watched San Antonio erase it with a 14-0 run that ended with a Wembanyama three-point play to put the Spurs up 104-102. Jalen Brunson answered with a midrange pull-up to tie it at 104 with 39.3 seconds left. After a Knicks stop, Brunson missed a mid-range shot, stole the ball off a Wembanyama turnover, drew a foul with 9.5 seconds remaining, and made the first free throw. He missed the second.

San Antonio had one last chance. Wembanyama caught the ball, got space, and rose up. Mitchell Robinson — playing through a protected right hand — held his ground, didn't leave his feet, and sent Wembanyama's attempt long off the back of the rim. 1

Per ESPN, this is the first time a team has rallied from double-digit deficits in each of the first two games of an NBA Finals since 1975. 1

After the game, Wembanyama owned the miss. "Yeah, I threw that one away. I messed up," he said. "Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely."

The Knicks have now won 13 straight playoff games. Only the 2017 Warriors — who won 15 in a row — have had a longer run in a single postseason.

OG Anunoby (NYK, SF) — Diagnosed with a right hamstring strain after leaving late in Game 2. He is listed questionable for Game 3 on Monday. Reports indicate he was not practicing fully as of Saturday. Knicks coach Mike Brown has time before Monday's tip, but losing Anunoby for any stretch of this series would be a significant blow — he's the team's second-leading scorer this postseason at 19.7 points per game. 2

Mitchell Robinson (NYK, C) — Still playing through the hand injury he suffered against Cleveland. Brown praised his discipline on the final defensive possession: "You're not blocking a shot. You make him work, you lead with your chest." Robinson's free-agency situation (below) adds a layer to his Finals minutes.

Spurs injuries — Jalen Williams and Tre Mann remain out for San Antonio. De'Aaron Fox and Julian Champagnie are available.

With Mitchell Robinson heading into free agency this summer on the final year of a four-year, $60 million deal, NBA insider Jake Fischer reports he is expected to draw serious interest from multiple teams. The Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, and Toronto Raptors are among those tracking him, per Bleacher Report. 3

The benchmark contract for Robinson's market is Isaiah Hartenstein's three-year, $87 million deal with OKC in 2024. Robinson has averaged 4.0+ offensive rebounds per game in four of the past five seasons — a trait that translates on any roster. The Lakers, who are expected to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, need a rim-running center if they can't re-sign their own options.

Austin Reaves (LAL, SG/SF) — Reaves is expected to decline his player option and enter unrestricted free agency, seeking a five-year max extension reportedly worth up to $241 million from the Lakers. The Lakers hold Bird rights, so they can go over the cap to retain him, but the price will be steep. 4

The NBA's investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers' alleged salary-cap circumvention is entering its final phase. According to ESPN, the league recently interviewed Kawhi Leonard, his uncle and business adviser Dennis Robertson, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer as part of the probe. 5

The central allegation: between 2022 and 2025, Leonard received $28 million from Aspiration — a now-bankrupt sustainability company — while he was under contract with the Clippers. Aspiration also signed a $300 million arena sponsorship deal with Steve Ballmer in 2021. Aspiration's co-founder has already pleaded guilty to fraud charges unrelated to the NBA matter. 6

Commissioner Adam Silver said before Game 1 that the investigation is "nearly complete" but declined to give a timeline. NBA insider Ramona Shelburne has said the league is unlikely to announce findings until after the Finals conclude — potentially as late as July or August.

If a violation is confirmed, potential penalties under the 2023 CBA include fines up to $7.5 million, loss of draft picks, voiding of Leonard's contract (which has one year remaining at roughly $50 million), and suspensions for team personnel. Voiding Leonard's deal would actually help the Clippers' cap situation, but losing picks or facing a fine would complicate their rebuild. 6

The NBA Finals shift to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1999.

*If necessary

President Donald Trump is expected to attend Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, which would make him the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game. 7

The minimum resale price for a Game 3 ticket has already topped $10,000 on most secondary markets. 8

The Spurs face a long historical climb: no team in NBA Finals history has come back from a 0-2 deficit to win the series. San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson acknowledged the obvious after the game but pointed to the Spurs' youth as a reason not to fold. For New York, the question entering Monday is simple: will Anunoby be healthy enough to play, and can the team finally put together a clean 48 minutes at home?

Shams Charania of ESPN reported over the weekend that the Portland Trail Blazers have "serious interest" in acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee and are actively investigating a framework. The Bucks ownership group is now pushing for clarity before next season, with the expectation that Giannis will either commit to an extension or be traded before the June 23 Draft. 9

Portland, Charlotte, and potentially OKC have surfaced as suitors. The Knicks and Heat were also mentioned in earlier reports, though Bleacher Report now characterizes New York as an unlikely destination given their committed core. 10