Well, we have a series.
After the New York Knicks stole Games 1 and 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals on the road, the San Antonio Spurs returned the favor in Game 3 on Monday, silencing an energized Madison Square Garden crowd with a 115-111 win.
They obliged, snapping the Knicks' 13-game win streak and maintaining the suspense that a Finals of this caliber deserves.
Let's break down San Antonio's crucial Game 3 win from all angles, from its most important plays and trends to the biggest lineup questions it sparked for Game 4.
Quick links: Reaction: Game 2 | Game 1 | Takeaways Schedule | Bracket | Playoff coverage
The most important plays of Game 3
San Antonio's greatest problem through two Finals losses was an inability to break down New York's defense. The Spurs ranked third in the regular season in offensive rating -- tied with the Knicks, incidentally -- but they had scored just 100.5 points per 100 possessions in the Finals.
For context, the worst offensive team this season, the Brooklyn Nets, averaged 108.2 points per 100 possessions -- nearly eight ticks better than the Spurs against the Knicks.
But the Spurs found a better rhythm down the stretch in Game 2, as they erased a 14-point Knicks lead, and they carried that pace right up to the start of Game 3, when they set the tone early with a flurry of buckets down low.
For the very first basket of the game, the Spurs used their killer "45 screen" set to get Victor Wembanyama open above the rim. Stephon Castle brought up the ball and drove after receiving screens from both Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie. With the Knicks defense rotating, Castle kicked out to De'Aaron Fox, who drove and lofted an alley-oop pass, and Wembanyama leaped for an easy slam over a flat-footed Karl-Anthony Towns.
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The next bucket also targeted Wembanyama down low. This time, Champagnie and Wembanyama set staggered screens for Castle at the top of the arc, which forced Towns away from the paint and the smaller OG Anunoby to wrestle with Wembanyama down low. But Wembanyama burrowed into an unguardable position and dunked right through the defender.
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The Spurs weren't done. Just a couple of minutes later, they used their "45" set once again. This time, New York trapped Castle at midcourt, so he rose, feigned as if he would pass to Fox on the wing and -- after Anunoby bit on the fake and sprinted out to the perimeter -- dished to Wembanyama, who was wide open underneath.