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Australian Boomers legend Matthew Nielsen and the San Antonio Spurs are on the board in the NBA Finals after Victor Wembanyama led his team to a memorable win over the New York Knicks in game three at a raucous Madison Square Garden.

All the pressure heading into game three was on the Spurs after losing both games at home to start the series and no team in NBA history able to come back from a 3-0 deficit and Mitch Johnson's team answered the call.

San Antonio dominated the first quarter and fended-off several Knicks comebacks to record their first win of the series and put the pressure back on New York heading into game four.

Nielsen, an assistant coach for San Antonio, and the Spurs staff made a number of tactical adjustments which helped the team go within one game of squaring up the series at 2-2.

Game four is at Madison Square Garden on Thursday morning (AET).

MATCH REPORT

Victor Wembanyama produced a masterful 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist performance to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 win against the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Despite the loss, New York still leads the series 2-1.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter scores: San Antonio 33-22, 24-42, 35-27, 23-20
• Spurs shooting: 46% FG │ 35% 3PT │ 78% FT
• Knicks shooting: 45% FG │ 35% 3PT │ 82% FT
• Spurs rebounds: 37 │ Knicks rebounds: 46

Wembanyama sets the tone early

Wembanyama was on fire from the opening tip, shooting 11-from-18 from the field and adding three blocks to anchor both ends of the floor. His interior dominance helped the Spurs jump to a 33-22 first-quarter lead, an opening burst that ultimately proved the difference on the scoreboard.

Stephon Castle complemented his frontcourt star with an outstanding 23-point, five-assist, five-rebound outing on 8-from-14 shooting, giving San Antonio a dynamic one-two punch from the jump.

Knicks roar back behind explosive second quarter

New York responded with a stellar 42-point second quarter, the highest-scoring frame of the night by either side, to flip the script and head into halftime with the momentum. Jalen Brunson powered the surge on his way to a game-high-tying 32 points, five rebounds and five assists, while OG Anunoby was equally lethal, scoring 28 points on a blistering 9-from-13 from the field, including 3-from-7 from deep.

Josh Hart added a near-double-double of 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists, knocking down 4-from-7 triples to keep New York in front through the middle of the contest.

Third-quarter swing proves decisive

The Spurs flipped the game right back in the third, outscoring the Knicks 35-27 to retake control. Wembanyama and Castle continued to carry the scoring load, while Devin Vassell provided crucial spacing, finishing the night 3-from-4 from outside on his way to 11 points.

De'Aaron Fox struggled with his shot (4-from-14) but distributed superbly, finishing with eight assists to keep San Antonio's offence humming during the pivotal stretch.

Bench contributions tip the balance

Julian Champagnie chipped in 12 efficient points off 3-from-7 from beyond the arc in a starting role, while Keldon Johnson added seven points and a +14 plus/minus in just 17 minutes from the bench.

By contrast, New York's reserves struggled to find rhythm. Landry Shamet went 1-from-8 from the field with a team-worst -20, and Jordan Clarkson's 10 points on 4-from-7 shooting wasn't enough to offset the broader bench shortfall.

Crunch-time execution seals it

With the margin tight in the fourth, San Antonio's composure shone through. The Spurs limited New York to just 20 points in the final frame, leaning on Wembanyama's two-way presence and Castle's playmaking to navigate the closing minutes.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 11 points and eight rebounds but couldn't replicate the offensive imprint of Brunson and Anunoby, while Mikal Bridges managed just two points on 1-from-5 shooting, a disappointing night that loomed large in the four-point result.

The Spurs' ability to win the rebound battle on the offensive glass (six offensive boards) and convert efficient looks in the paint ultimately ground out the win on the road.

By the Numbers

• Victor Wembanyama (SA): 32 pts │ 8 reb │ 6 ast │ 3 blk │ 11-18 FG
• Stephon Castle (SA): 23 pts │ 5 reb │ 5 ast │ 8-14 FG
• De'Aaron Fox (SA): 12 pts │ 8 ast │ 3 reb
• Julian Champagnie (SA): 12 pts │ 3-7 3PT
• Jalen Brunson (NY): 32 pts │ 5 reb │ 5 ast │ 11-25 FG
• OG Anunoby (NY): 28 pts │ 5 reb │ 9-13 FG
• Josh Hart (NY): 16 pts │ 9 reb │ 5 ast │ 4-7 3PT
• Karl-Anthony Towns (NY): 11 pts │ 8 reb