NEW YORK -- Facing a 2-0 deficit in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs quietly clung to confidence, believing that "if we play our brand of basketball up to our standard, we'll be just fine," coach Mitch Johnson said.
The visiting Spurs proved as much in a 115-111 Game 3 win over the New York Knicks on a chaotic Monday night at Madison Square Garden in which Area 51 -- composed of No. 5 Stephon Castle and No. 1 Victor Wembanyama -- became the first pair of teammates age 22 or younger to each score 20 points or more in a Finals game.
Wembanyama poured in a game-high-tying 32 points to go with eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks, and Castle contributed 23 points, five rebounds and five assists as San Antonio ended New York's 13-game postseason winning streak. The Spurs' duo combined for 55 points, their most in a game this postseason that didn't go to overtime.
"I really tried to relax," said Wembanyama, who joined Tim Duncan as the only other Spur to score 25 points or more in three consecutive Finals games. "The playoffs, it's like a whirlwind. It's hard to put your head out of the water. Sometimes, I don't even have time to watch the games back right away. I need some time off to let my brain cool down, recover. Recover as much for the body as for the mind."