Best of The Herd

World Cup countdown, and what in the world did we just watch? A twenty-seven point halftime cushion vanished, and I’m putting this one on the Spurs’ bench: too many threes after the break, no exploitation of the bonus, Wemby ran on empty, Fox dominated touches on a bad night, and Dylan Harper never got looks when it mattered.

We hold each other to a standard, stay connected, and don’t point fingers. This can harden us, and I’m convinced we’ll use it to get tighter.

I’ve said it all playoffs: Brunson closes, but OG is their best player, a rare two-way force who can guard up and down the lineup and hit big shots. He strung together the three, the chase-down block, and the tip at the rim—humble team, massive moment, and a run that feels special even if it’s not a legacy roster.

Wemby logged forty-four minutes, looked wiped, and went cold after halftime. He missed both late free throws while the team barely missed any, which told the fatigue story.

With dominant bigs, you steal rest around quarter breaks and build an eight-minute real-time breather, then ask for a fierce finish. San Antonio never did, and that’s on the staff.

Wemby’s incredible, but he’s still iterating—he had no board or dime in the last nine-plus minutes and was a big minus late, which is how playoff wisdom punishes youth. Two days off at home should help him, but last night was a case study in experience owning the clutch.

This can go one of two ways. We’re not quitting; we’ll get stronger and more united from it.

He drifted into threes with the lead shrinking, and that can’t be your diet when you’re seven-four and the other team’s in foul trouble. Young cores need firm guidance in those minutes.

The Knicks have talent, but it’s the hustle beats that flipped games: Brunson’s tap-out to Bridges in Game 1, and last night OG chasing down the block then crashing for the putback. Not guarding the inbounder who’d been cooking gave him a clear runway—New York just plays smarter in those thin-margins moments.

Fair to say the coaching looked young?

Regular-season minute habits matter, and the Knicks live in heavy-minute second halves. Bigger issue: the end-game ops—call the timeout in Game 2, don’t leave OG unbothered on the inbound in Game 4—those are fixable, veteran decisions that swung outcomes.

Eight minutes left, in the bonus, and one paint shot—who owns that?

Both modern math and mismanagement: you can’t keep firing early-clock threes when free throws are there. Larry Brown used to say score-clock-time; they ignored it while Alvarado and OG were perfect and closed.

Where does OG’s tip rank in Knicks lore?

Top three to five with Willis limping out in 1970, Ewing’s tip versus Indiana, LJ’s four-point play, and Allan Houston in Miami. Also, why were two small guards on for San Antonio on that final Knicks possession?

It’s margin stuff: wrong lineup, no late rest for Wemby, and New York’s IQ and poise win the biggest beats. Spurs have led late every time and still trail three to one.

If Game 5 swings early, we might see New York throttle down to bank energy, like we’ve seen teams do before.

Jason, give me the two unforgivable end-game choices.

Doubling Brunson created a four-on-three rebounding race and OG’s runway; keep matchups, let Wemby guard straight up, and box out. Then you had your smallest lefty inbounding over Towns on a lob play—use a taller passer—and stop sitting Harper when Alvarado is on the floor; play your three guards and hunt that matchup.

Why do the Spurs keep blasting out of the gate?

With their best lineup, they’re longer, quicker, and Wemby’s the best overall player, so pace and clean catch-and-shoot looks pile up. Mike Brown countered by pairing Alvarado with Brunson to relieve pressure and drag Wemby from the rim; San Antonio must keep him planted and get their guards downhill—zero paint points in the third can’t happen.

Grade Wemby’s finals so far.

On-off impact is massive, but Towns erased him in isolation, and he needs a reliable over-the-top one-on-one game plus better conditioning. Ramp minutes before the playoffs, because his defense fades with fatigue; the Knicks are surer late, but the Spurs still have a path if they clean up closing time.

We’ve seen older, wiser units beat flashier talent—think Warriors over the Celtics—and young coaches rarely hoist trophies; the gap here is poise and late-game clarity.

This is where a coach grabs the wheel: stop forcing Fox versus OG, script actions to free Harper on Alvarado, and call sets that reflect matchups, not hope. Fox hasn’t moved the same since the ankle, so shift the burden.

Fox’s confidence looks shot and that deal is hefty, but a young roster can absorb it; last night he hurt more than he helped. Big picture, it’s death by small mistakes, Wemby was spent, and the Knicks keep winning the brain game—now, enjoy the World Cup on Fox and we’ll see if San Antonio’s youth can steady in Game 5.