The San Antonio Spurs are one win away from leveling the 2026 NBA Finals, and Stephon Castle believes the mindset that carried the team through the regular season is the same one keeping confidence high entering Game 4 against the New York Knicks.
Speaking Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, Castle reflected on San Antonio’s response to adversity throughout the season and explained why the Spurs remain convinced they can overcome a 2-1 series deficit after Monday’s 115-111 victory.
Castle played a major role in Game 3, scoring 23 points and knocking down a crucial 3-pointer in the final two minutes as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole. The win ended New York’s 13-game playoff winning streak and handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days.
Asked about New York experiencing the end of a long winning streak, Castle recalled San Antonio’s perfect 11-0 February and the lessons learned after its first loss in March.
“I remember February we were having a lot of fun playing basketball and I feel like we were just doing all the things right,” Castle said. “We were connecting on defense, rebounding our misses, getting ourselves extra shots.”
Castle said the loss was not a humbling moment, but it reinforced the importance of execution.
“It made us realize that we’re not invincible,” he said. “If we don’t do the things we’re supposed to, we’re still a beatable team.”
He added: “When we do all the right things and when we play the way we’re supposed to and pay close attention to detail, it makes things a lot easier for us. I wouldn’t say it was humbling, but it’s definitely an eye opener.”
One of the biggest challenges facing the Spurs in the Finals has been playing in front of a packed Madison Square Garden crowd. Castle said the team’s chemistry has helped it thrive in hostile environments.
“I think just our connectivity,” Castle said. “Coming into environments like this, you kind of expect it.”
He continued: “We knew that it was a must-win game. Just focus on the things that matter throughout the game and not really paying too close attention to the crowd. They’re going to be there regardless.”
Castle even embraced the atmosphere.
“You should want to play in those kind of environments,” he said. “I feel like that’s when we play our best.”
The second-year guard also highlighted San Antonio’s ability to respond after losses. The Spurs did not lose three consecutive games during the regular season, and Castle credited the coaching staff’s process-oriented approach.
“Our coaches do a good job of explaining why we lost most of the time and what we can do to help ourselves,” Castle said. “I think we do a good job just applying it to the game.”
He added that the team studies mistakes and immediately looks for solutions.
“Take a loss, look at it and see what we could do better from it and then apply it right away,” Castle said.
Castle also pointed to effort as the key factor behind San Antonio’s defensive improvement in Game 3, particularly against Jalen Brunson and the Knicks’ late-clock offense.
“Just making that extra effort gives us that much more of a chance for a stop,” Castle said. “I feel like we emphasized that last night and I thought our rotations were great.”
Despite still trailing in the series, Castle made it clear the Spurs never lost belief.
“Since the end of Game 2, we’ve still been confident that we’re going to win this series,” Castle said. “That’s what we plan to do.”
He credited the team’s chemistry and collective mindset for maintaining that confidence.
“I think we’re very connected as a team and we all want to win,” Castle said. “I think that’s just the selflessness that runs through our locker room and it shows every night.”
