The New York Knicks look to capture the franchise’s first title in 53 years, while the San Antonio Spurs hope to start building on another series comeback.

Catch the game tomorrow, June 14th, Saturday, at 8:30 AM, Manila time.

AWAY: New York Knicks (3-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Jalen Brunson
  • Josh Hart
  • Mikal Bridges
  • OG Anunoby
  • Karl-Anthony Towns

The Knicks return to Texas with a commanding 3-1 series lead and a growing belief that this is their time. Game 4 showcased the resilience that has defined their postseason run, as they erased an NBA Finals-record 29-point deficit, capped off by a thrilling tip-in by OG Anunoby for one-point victory. After spending much of the night on the ropes, the Knicks kept chipping away stretch while their defense opened up more opportunities.

Jalen Brunson remains an integral part. Even when his scoring has fluctuated throughout the Finals, the All-Star has consistently controlled tempo and generated quality looks for teammates. The Knicks have also benefited from timely contributions across the roster, whether it’s top names like Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and MIkal Bridges, or ‘Bench Mob’ guys like Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado, who had a heck of a second half in Game 4.

The challenge in Game 5 will be handling the inevitable Spurs surge in front of a desperate home crowd. New York does not need a perfect performance; it simply needs to avoid the prolonged offensive droughts that nearly cost it Game 4. If the Knicks continue to win the rebounding battle, limit turnovers, and trust their late-game execution, they will have an excellent opportunity to finish the job and bring a championship back to the Big Apple.

HOME: San Antonio Spurs (1-3)

Projected Starting Five:

  • De’Aaron Fox 
  • Stephon Castle
  • Devin Vassell
  • Julian Champagnie
  • Victor Wembanyama 

For the Spurs, the focus is as much mental as tactical. San Antonio appeared poised to even the series in Game 4 before a late collapse turned a potential 2-2 deadlock into a tough 3-1 deficit – a devastating swing for any team.

Victor Wembanyama remains the All-World player that he is despite the ups and downs that have defined this series. His ability to impact the game on both ends gives the Spurs a chance every night, but he cannot carry the burden alone. De’Aaron Fox, meanwhile, will enter Game 5 with something to prove after his late-game decisions and costly lapses became a major talking point following Game 4. The Spurs will also need continued production from Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie, all of whom have shown throughout the postseason that they can swing games when they’re at their best.

If there’s one lesson San Antonio must take from its Game 4 collapse, it’s the danger of becoming too reliant on the three-point shot. As their outside shooting cooled in the second half, the Spurs continued to settle for perimeter looks instead of attacking the paint and leveraging their athleticism.

PICKS

Spread: Spurs (-5)
Over/Under: Over (216.5)