Segment 1: The chronology of a championship (starts at 1:31)

• First title since 1973, one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history (15-3, 13 wins in a row)
• Leon Rose hired as head of basketball operations as the architect in March, 2020
• Signed Jalen Brunson as a free agent, traded for Josh Hart from the TrailBlazers, OG Anunoby arrived from Toronto (trade), traded 5 No. 1 picks -- 4 wasn't enough? -- for Mikal Bridges, fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, hired Mike Brown, final piece of championship piece was the trade for Karl-Anthony Towns
• You could call this team the (Villa)nova Knicks (Brunson, Hart and Bridges played together at Villanova and won two NCAA championships...Brunson and Bridges 2, Hart 1)

Segment 2: Thoughts on Game 5, Series (14:03)

• Spurs have great talent and a very bright future
• Expect Wemby to get bigger, stronger and better conditioned, needs to make better shot selections
• Horrific, one-sided officiating throughout the series, protecting Wemby
• Wemby committed some fouls that would be considered a penalty in hockey, obvious flagrant fouls not called so he would not miss a game (another flagrant and he would have served a one game suspension)
• Spurs the more talented team, but the best player/closer on the floor was Jalen Brunson (45 points in Game 5, most in franchise history in the NBA Finals)
• San Antonio still learning how to win, how to close games
• Not one player hit two consecutive free throws in the last two minutes
• Wemby went 44-104 from the floor, and 9-33 from downtown in the series
• Rinse, lather, repeat: each game Spurs built a lead and the Knicks chipped away and found ways to win
• Basketball IQ: Brunson drew several fouls when shooting 3s by using fakes, led to many free throws
• Emotional moment after the game: Brunson hugging his father (Knicks assistant coach)
• "Tired legs can't hit jumpers"
• Knicks won all four series clinching games on the road
• Savor the only Knicks championship in many fan's lives so far

Segment 3: Wemby Post Game Remarks (30:00)

• Wemby sound bite

Segment 1: Knicks' comeback for the ages leads to a 3-1 series lead (1:54)

• A number of records set in Game 4, Knicks 107, Spurs 106
  • The largest comeback in NBA Finals history (29 points)
  • Spurs 76-49 lead at halftime was the largest lead by a road team in NBA Finals history
  • Spurs' 14 three-pointers were the most in a first half in Finals history
• Knicks now one win away from their first championship since 1973
• Game 4 highlights
  • This series reminiscent of NBA physical play in the 1990s
  • Disasterous first quarter from a Knicks perspective
  • KAT called for two quick fouls, on the bench for the majority of the this half
  • Spurs led 41-22 after 1, 76-49 at the half
  • Mitchell Robinson's flagrant foul against Wemby was too obvious, yet somewhat satisfying based on Wemby's physical and sometimes cheap shot play (throwing down Jalen Brunson, no foul call)
  • Major challenge for Spurs to keep hitting 3's at that torrid pace. Would likely revert back to the mean
  • Second half:
    • Knicks cut the lead to 15 after 3
    • Spurs outscored 58-30 in the second half
    • Experience from both a coaching and player standpoint favored the Knicks
    • San Antonio kept shooting, did not milk the clock
    • Where were the adjustments when the Spurs got cold from the field?
      • why not bring in a few 7 footers on the floor on the Knicks final possession?
    • Big plays
      • Wemby missed two free throws at 1:47 (went 4-7 from the line)
        • exhausted, played 44 minutes, which led the team
        • his shooting in the first half typically better than second half (energy?)
        • Wemby: 8-27 from downtown in the series so far
      • Jalen Brunson floater gave the Knicks their first lead of the game (1:22 left)
      • Stephon Castle hit a pair of clutch free throws with 30.3 second left, SA up by one after offensive rebound
      • Josh Hart: two rough moments
        • missing wide open layup/dunk...indecisive whether to jam
        • did not box out Castle which led to a foul and 2 free throws
      • OG made two huge plays
        • first defensively: 16.1 second left, Fox takes a shot OG blocks it, instead of holding the ball to run the clock and force a foul to stop the clock
        • 5 second left: OG inbounds to Brunson who misses a deep 31-foot 3-pointer, OG sprints to the basket, jumps over two Spurs and taps in the game-winner
      • OG and Brunson combined for 69 points, rest of team scored 38
  • Wemby inexperience
    • Game 2: Wemby turnover and missed last shot
    • Game 4: Misses two crucial free throws late in game
    • Continues to fire up and miss the majority of 3-pointers
    • Not blocking shots late in game due to exhaustion
    • Part of very young, talented team, could be the start of a dynasty

Segment 2: Game 3 Recap (28:30), Spurs 115, Knicks 111

• Wemby: 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals
  • why have Knicks big men not been more physical with him?
  • frustrating officiating clearly favoring Wemby (calls and non-calls)
  • seen committing two flagrant fouls, including grabbing and throwing Brunson to the floor
• Castle the best player on the court
• Spurs consistently get two hands on a player and push...clear fouls

Segment 3: Game 5 Preview (32:40)

• Expect the Spurs to come out flying, play well on their home court
• 5 point lead/deficit at the half: would like the Knicks' chances
• Knicks need to play better from the start and have Hart, Bridges, Shamet et al contribute way more than Game 4
• Nigel: Deuce McBride could "not hit a school with a guided missile"
• Dylan Harper having a great series

Segment 1: NBA Finals Recap of Games 1 and 2 (starts at 0:30)

• Spurs heavy favorites going into the NBA Finals; that changed after Game 1 win by Knicks
• Knicks sweep games 1 and 2, lead 2-0 going home for games 3 and 4 at MSG
• Quick comparison of last Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals in 1999
• Game 1: Knicks 105, Spurs 95 - 13th straight playoff win, second longest streak in NBA playoff history
  • Scary when Knicks star Jalen Brunson went down twice with knee and ankle injuries; he was money late when it counted most, led all scorers with 30 points (12-31 FG, 2-9 from 3) after rough shooting night
  • KAT played well (18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists)
  • Josh Hart game 1 unsung hero with 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 1 block, despite 3 points scored
  • Knicks turned up defensive intensity when needed in second half
  • Knicks erased another huge deficit -- this time 14 points late in the game
  • Wemby led team with 26 points
• Game 2: Knicks 105, Spurs 104
  • Strong start for the Spurs by going to the rim relentlessly, leveraging their speed advantage
  • Coaching mistakes:
    • why let Wemby dribble upcourt? Key turnover late in game, dribbled ball off his foot earlier in contest
    • Wemby took potential game-winning shot (and missed 20-footer) after crucial turnover; needed to get shot off earlier to provide opp for offensive rebound
  • Foul calls clearly one-sided in favor of San Antonio; Spurs very physical
  • Critical call by Knicks bench to challenge non-foul call on OG 3-pointer; call overturned, led to 3 points by OG at the line, for a 100-97 Knicks lead
  • Major issue: Spurs don't have a player they can count on to score outside of Wemby
    • Fox could be that player, clearly impacted by high ankle sprain suffered in Western Conf finals
      • Game 1: 7 points, 3-13 FG, 0-4 from 3
      • Game 2: 20 points
  • Mitchell Robinson scored 7 points which helped; Bridges four 3-pointers were huge
  • Josh Hart had rough game: 5 fouls, no points
• Series Observations
  • KAT outplaying Wemby based on the first two games (21 points. 13 rebounds in game 2)
  • Wemby appears tired (emotionally and physically?) since Game 7 win in Western Conf Finals in OKC
  • Knicks D able to make stops and generate extra offensive possessions, though playing inconsistently
  • Spurs forced 16 turnovers and lost Game 2...not a great indicator they can win at MSG, though team came back from 3-2 deficit and beat the defending champs including game 6 in OKC
  • Wemby taking many 3-point shots not the best strategy; want him in the paint for easy buckets, offensive rebounds and creating fouls on Knicks' front line; Wemby through two games: 4-15 from downtown
  • Knicks playoff experience becoming a key factor in this series vs. young, playoff-inexperienced Spurs
  • Knicks larger front line competing well vs taller, leaner San Antonio big men
  • Impressed with KAT's leadership on the court, on the bench (in interviews talks about his late Mom, feeling her energy); KAT's huddle talk much different vs. Wemby's

Segment 2: Preview of Games 3 and 4 (22:00)

• Spurs streaky shooting, causing turnovers, then running out of gas late in games. Will that continue?
• San Antonio doesn't need many adjustments, one shot away from being 1-1
  • Wemby needs to be fresher at crunch time
  • Fox or Champagnie needs to be the No. 2 scorer to take pressure off of Wemby
  • Expect to see more of Dylan Harper
• Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson's message to his team could be:
  • we beat OKC in Game 7
  • we came back down 3-2 in that series
  • we let the Knicks win two games on our floor
  • let's get game 3 and then take the series back home
• Games 3 and 4:
  • Expect foul calls to be more even at MSG than the lopsided ones favoring the Spurs in San Antonio
  • Anticipate Spurs going at KAT to get him in foul trouble early
  • Mike Brown outcoaching Spurs' Mitch Johnson; will that continue?
  • No team has ever come back from 3-0 down in the NBA Finals and won
  • Game 3 obviously critical for San Antonio; can the Knicks sweep?