Stephen A. Smith Sends Warning to Spurs After Game 1 NBA Finals Loss

The San Antonio Spurs held a seven-point lead at halftime in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, but were outscored 57-40 in the second half and ultimately fell 105-95.

New York was led by a 30-point performance from Jalen Brunson, much of which came after halftime, including key buckets down the stretch when the Spurs had no answer for him.

As for San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but it was an inefficient outing. The Spurs star shot just 6-for-21 from the field and committed six turnovers, with the bulk of his scoring coming at the free-throw line.

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Now Game 2 becomes critical for the Spurs, as dropping both games on their home floor to the Knicks is something ESPN's Stephen A. Smith warned San Antonio about during “First Take.”

"Y'all better win [Friday] night or we ain't coming back," Smith said. "I'm telling you, you better win tomorrow night."

Smith noted that Monday's Game 3 at Madison Square Garden is going to be "unlike anything" he's ever seen in his life, as it will mark the Knicks' first home playoff game since 1999.

"I know what I'm going to experience on Monday at Madison Square Garden is unlike anything I've ever seen in my lifetime.”

"And I'm telling you right now, if you [the Spurs] lose Game 2, you have let the New York Knicks know, ‘Wait a minute - we can go to the Garden and we don't have to come back to The Alamo?'"

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 11:22 AM.