
San Antonio
(-1.5)

New York
(+1.5)
Star Player
Victor Wembanyama (SAS) 34m 25p 13r 2a 4b
Boxscore
Summary
NEW YORK (Interstat) ā The New York Knicks emphatically ended the San Antonio Spursā 11-game winning streak with a 114-89 victory on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Jalen Brunson added 24 for the Knicks, who used a decisive 26-2 first-half run to seize control. Victor Wembanyama had 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks for the Spurs, who entered having gone unbeaten in February. San Antonioās offense, which had scored at least 110 points in every game last month, was held under 90. The Knicks improved to 40-22 while the Spurs fell to 43-18.
Extended Summary
NEW YORK (Interstat) ā The San Antonio Spursā historic February run met a decisive and emphatic end at Madison Square Garden. Mikal Bridges scored 25 points, Jalen Brunson added 24 and the New York Knicks dominated the second quarter to snap the Spursā 11-game winning streak with a 114-89 victory on Sunday. A crowd of 19,812 watched the Knicks dismantle a Spurs team that entered the game as the first in NBA history to go unbeaten and score at least 110 points in every game while playing at least 10 contests in a calendar month. San Antonio finished February with a perfect 11-0 record but was shut down to open March, losing for the first time since Jan. 31. The gameās defining sequence was a 26-2 New York run that bridged the first and second quarters, transforming a competitive contest into a lopsided affair. After leading 22-21 following the first period, the Knicks erupted. The Spurs went scoreless for a stretch of over five minutes, missing 10 consecutive shots and committing four turnovers as New York built an insurmountable lead. Brunson was the catalyst, scoring 11 points during the surge, including a personal 7-0 run late in the first quarter that gave the Knicks momentum they would never relinquish. The Knicks outscored the Spurs 29-20 in the second quarter to take a 51-41 halftime advantage and never saw their lead dip below double digits again. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, bouncing back from two quiet offensive performances. But the French phenomās effort was undermined by six turnovers, and San Antonioās offense never found its rhythm against a swarming New York defense. Devin Vassell contributed 18 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs, who fell to 43-18. For the Knicks, who improved to 40-22, the victory was a balanced effort. Karl-Anthony Towns controlled the interior with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Josh Hart posted a versatile line of 10 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while OG Anunoby added 12 points. Rookie Mohamed Diawara provided a spark off the bench with 14 points in just 15 minutes. The Knicksā defense was the story, harassing San Antonio into poor shots and 18 turnovers, which they converted into 27 points. New York also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Spurs 58-40, and capitalized on second chances with 19 offensive rebounds leading to 23 points. San Antonioās backcourt of DeāAaron Fox and Stephon Castle struggled, combining to shoot 6 of 23 from the field. The Spurs, who had been averaging over 120 points per game during their streak, were held to a season-low 89 points, shooting just 39% from the field. The loss halted San Antonioās momentum as they head out on a road trip beginning Tuesday in Philadelphia. The Knicks, meanwhile, continue a challenging stretch of their schedule with a visit to Toronto on Tuesday. The result also avenged a 134-132 loss to the Spurs in San Antonio on New Yearās Eve. According to National Statisticalās ELO system, the Spurs entered with a 57% probability to win and were installed as 1.5-point favorites. The combined score of 203 fell well under the over/under line of 228.5, a testament to the Knicksā defensive stranglehold on one of the leagueās most potent offenses.