The New York Knicks saw their 13-game playoff winning streak come to an end Monday night, falling 115-111 to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. After the loss, Karl-Anthony Towns made it clear that the Knicks were looking inward rather than at external factors.
The defeat was New York’s first since April 23 and cut its series lead to 2-1. Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Jalen Brunson scored 32 points for the Knicks.
Despite Knicks coach Mike Brown pointing to a 24-8 second-half free-throw disparity in favor of the Spurs, Hart dismissed officiating as the deciding factor.
“That ain’t cost us the game,” Towns said. “Turned the ball over. Didn’t execute. Didn’t do what got us 13 straight wins in a row. That’s how you lose the game.”
Hart continued to emphasize that New York’s mistakes were self-inflicted.
“We didn’t do what we’ve been doing for 13,” he said. “We decided to do something different. It ain’t going to work. And throwing the ball away is a clear indication of how you’re going to lose the game, especially in the playoffs.”
The Knicks committed 13 turnovers, while San Antonio turned the ball over only eight times. Those extra possessions helped the Spurs survive a late New York push and avoid falling into a 3-0 series deficit.
Josh Hart was not surprised by the response from a Spurs team facing enormous pressure entering Game 3.
“It doesn’t surprise us at all,” he said. “They were down 2. You knew they were going to come out with a sense of urgency and a sense of desperation.”
The veteran guard also pointed to areas where New York fell short.
“We should have started the game off better. We should have started the third quarter off better,” Hart said. “Back to 0-0. We’re going to learn tomorrow, watch film and prepare for the game on Thursday.”
Game 3 marked the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999, and the atmosphere matched the occasion. Towns praised the crowd but acknowledged the Knicks failed to reward their fans with a victory.
“Of course, our fans brought it. They always do,” Towns said. “Of course they lived up to the expectations, exceeded them. We didn’t do our job to give them something to cheer for after the game.”
Towns also addressed the frustration of losing after such a dominant playoff run.
“You’re always disappointed when you lose,” he said. “Every single one of us in this locker room, we want to win every single time we step on the floor.”
Still, his message echoed the approach that helped carry New York to the Finals.
“We also are professionals and understand that tomorrow we got to get back to work, get back to the drawing board and get ready for Game 4.”
Asked about the Knicks’ struggles late in the fourth quarter, Hart again focused on execution rather than missed shots.
“I feel like we didn’t get enough stops to win the game,” he said. “We get stops. We play our brand of basketball.”
With Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, Hart’s comments reflected a team determined to move forward quickly. The Knicks remain two wins away from their first NBA championship since 1973, but after their first loss in 46 days, they now face renewed pressure from a Spurs team that has regained momentum in the series.
