Samwise NBA Newsletter
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Game 4 Tonight at MSG: Spurs Seek Equalizer as Road-Team Streak Continues
The Spurs and Knicks meet tonight at Madison Square Garden for Game 4, with tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Every game in the series has been won by the road team — New York took Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio before San Antonio won at MSG on Sunday. The Spurs trail 2–1 and need a win to keep pace. Rookie Dylan Harper, who recorded nine rebounds in Game 3, said at Tuesday’s media day that “we’ve got a lot of basketball yet to be played.” A Spurs win would set up a pivotal Game 5 in San Antonio on Saturday, June 13.
Sources: NBA.com, Yahoo Sports
Wembanyama and Castle Make Finals History as Spurs Win Game 3 at MSG
Victor Wembanyama scored 32 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and added six assists and three blocks Sunday as the Spurs beat the Knicks 115–111 at Madison Square Garden to trim the NBA Finals deficit to 2–1. Guard Stephon Castle added 23 points, including a shot-clock buzzer-beater from 30 feet with 1:53 remaining to push the lead to seven. The pair became the first teammates age 22 or younger to each score 20 points in an NBA Finals game. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 32 points but committed five turnovers, and OG Anunoby added 28 points on 9-for-13 shooting in the losing effort for New York.
Sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports
NBA Admits Missed Call on Wembanyama Shove, Declines to Issue Flagrant
The NBA acknowledged Tuesday that referees missed a foul when Victor Wembanyama shoved Jalen Brunson to the floor in Game 3, but the league will not upgrade the play to a flagrant foul. NBA officiating chief Monty McCutchen told ESPN that “we got two people on-ball and we don’t see the screening action,” adding that a foul should have been called. Brunson was setting a screen near the free-throw line when Wembanyama turned and shoved him to the ground with no call made. Knicks coach Mike Brown criticized the officiating after the loss, pointing to a 24-to-8 free-throw disparity in San Antonio’s favor in the second half.
Sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports
Brunson and Robinson Both Available for Game 4 Despite Ongoing Injury Concerns
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is available for Game 4 tonight despite sustaining knee and ankle injuries in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Brunson left the floor twice in Game 1 — once for a knee injury in the second quarter and again for an ankle problem — but returned both times and finished with more than 30 points in the Knicks’ 105–95 victory. He has remained on the injury report throughout the series but has played in all three games. Center Mitchell Robinson is also available, playing with a surgically repaired fractured fifth metacarpal in his right hand that required an operation just days before the series began.
Sources: Yahoo Sports
Shamet’s Sharpshooting and Robust Bench Depth Fueling Knicks’ Finals Advantage
Guard Landry Shamet has emerged as an unlikely hero in the 2026 NBA Finals, shooting 67.6 percent on 3-pointers in the postseason and scoring 13 points in each of New York’s first two wins over San Antonio. After a prolific conference finals run in which he went 11-for-12 from deep, Shamet has already converted six 3-pointers against the Spurs. New York’s bench as a whole posted 27 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2, with Mitchell Robinson adding seven points, three rebounds, and a critical late defensive stop to protect the one-point victory. Guard Miles McBride has also logged career highs in minutes and scoring this postseason, per ESPN.
Sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports
NBA Bars Fan from Courtside Seats After Verbal Harassment of Brunson in Game 1
The NBA has barred a fan from sitting courtside for the rest of the 2026 Finals after an investigation into verbal abuse directed at Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during Game 1 on June 3. The league confirmed the fan, who was not a Spurs season-ticket holder, directed vulgar profanities toward Brunson late in the fourth quarter as OG Anunoby shot free throws with 29.4 seconds remaining in New York’s 105–95 victory. Brunson addressed the matter with head referee Scott Foster after the game and declined to comment publicly afterward. Though no longer permitted to sit courtside, the fan is not banned from attending the arena entirely.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN
Giannis Trade Buzz Intensifies: Heat and Trail Blazers Emerge as Frontrunners
The Milwaukee Bucks are openly taking trade calls for Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers emerging as frontrunners in what could become one of the most significant offseason deals in NBA history. Miami’s pursuit reportedly centers on a package including Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and multiple first-round picks. Portland is willing to offer Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant, and draft compensation, even without a guarantee that Antetokounmpo would sign an extension. Bucks ownership is pushing for a deal to be completed before the June 23 NBA Draft. The 10-time All-Star has two years remaining on his current contract.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Sports
NYC Mayor Playfully Invites Wembanyama to Government Hearing on Game 4 Night
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani extended a tongue-in-cheek invitation to Spurs star Victor Wembanyama to attend a city government hearing Wednesday evening — scheduled just hours before Game 4’s 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff at Madison Square Garden. Mamdani invited Wembanyama to his Commission on Government Efficiency hearing, set for 5 to 8 p.m. at Fordham University, ostensibly as a civic gesture but clearly timed as a joke. The actual hearing centers on streamlining government processes for small businesses and community organizations. Wembanyama has received several such invitations from New York institutions since arriving for the Finals, according to ESPN.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
First Round: Knicks def. Hawks 4–2
First Round: Cavaliers def. Raptors 4–3
Semifinals: Knicks def. 76ers 4–0
Semifinals: Cavaliers def. Pistons 4–3
Conf. Finals: Knicks def. Cavaliers 4–0
Western Conference
Conf. Finals: Spurs def. Thunder 4–3
🏆 NBA FINALS
Knicks lead Spurs 2–1
Game 4: Tonight at MSG — 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Sat. June 13 at San Antonio
Curated by JD · samwise.agency