SAN ANTONIO – Hours after losing Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, members of the San Antonio Spurs reflected on the series opener and how they’ll prepare for Game 2 during media availability Thursday afternoon.
Led by Jalen Brunson’s 30 points, the New York Knicks wrestled homecourt advantage away from the Spurs in their 105-95 win Wednesday night at the Frost Bank Center.
Stephon Castle, the Spurs’ second-year guard, discussed how he attacked guarding Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the Western Conference finals versus guarding Brunson in the NBA Finals.
“They’re very similar in ways,” Castle said. “I think Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) is more of a threat to get all the way downhill, all the way to the basket. I think Jalen (Brunson) likes to use angles a lot more — probably a little bit more pump fakes than Shai. ... Just trying to keep him from doing that."
Dropping an early game in a playoff series isn’t new to these young Spurs. They lost Game 2 at home to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. San Antonio was also behind the 8-ball when it lost Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at home to Minnesota.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, who is a head coach in the NBA Playoffs for the first time, was asked if his team’s rough-and-tumble path to the NBA Finals was any consolation following the Game 1 loss.
“I guess it has to be. We’ve been consistent in that regard,” Johnson said. “I think one thing that we have learned in our three (playoff) series is that, yeah, series are long. Games are long. Things shift quickly. ... In this moment right now, we’re coming off a loss, and it’s on us to get into that balancing act of ‘change (or) tweak over here’ and ‘be better and sharper over there.’”
After San Antonio took a one-point lead late in Game 1, key turnovers appeared to doom the Spurs in the end.
“We talked about it, discussed it. You know, old teams make bad decisions, too, at the end of games,” Johnson said. “I think it’s just an opportunity to look at a picture and understand that if you see that moving forward — whatever that pattern is, whatever led to that situation — if you can recognize it and then make a better decision next time ... we’ll try to help them with that."
Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama said he heard from legendary coach Gregg Popovich via text following Wednesday night’s game.
“In the big lines (picture), it was that I’ve been bad and that I’m better than this (6-for-21 from the floor and six turnovers in Game 1),” Wembanyama said.
Castle and Wembanyama, however, didn’t seem deterred after Wednesday’s defeat.
“If I had to think of one thing, it was most of our first times being in the (NBA) Finals,” Castle said. “Obviously, we’re overly excited to get out there and play, so that could definitely be a part of it. ... Obviously, we feel like we’re the better team, and we didn’t play well and still had a chance to win.”
“We know we’re not here by chance, you know? We’ve been through some weird situations, or whatever,” Wembanyama said. “And, yes, it’s reassuring to know that these guys — the 18 guys we’ve got — are built this way and are resilient.”
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday. All 2026 NBA Finals games will air on KSAT 12.
Prior to tipoff of each game, KSAT will also air its Race for Seis special at 6:30 p.m. on KSAT 12 and stream live on KSAT Plus. Local pregame coverage will then shift over to KSAT Plus beginning at 7 p.m.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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