For the first time in nearly seven weeks, the New York Knicks are being forced to confront something they had almost forgotten during a remarkable postseason run defeat.
After winning 13 consecutive playoff games dating back to April 23, the Knicks saw their streak come to an end with a 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The setback trimmed New York’s series lead to 2-1 and injected new life into a Spurs team that had been on the verge of falling into a daunting 3-0 deficit.
Now, as the teams prepare for Game 4 on Wednesday, the Knicks are focused on turning the disappointment into a learning opportunity.
“We have, what, 13 games in a row, 50 days of film to show what it looks like when we’re at our best,” said center Karl-Anthony Towns. “We’ll get back to our fundamentals, what makes us great, what made us great.”
The defeat did not come as a result of a complete collapse. Instead, it exposed areas where New York drifted away from the habits that fueled its dominant playoff run. According to players, correcting those details has become the priority heading into the next contest.
Star guard Jalen Brunson emphasized that lessons can be taken from any outcome.
“Win, we learn. Lose, we learn,” Brunson said. “We understand what we have to do to be better. Giving our team a chance to have the ball and not turn it over. Stop fouling.”
The loss has significantly altered the complexion of the series. A victory in Game 4 would put the Knicks one win away from a championship and restore control of the Finals. A Spurs victory, however, would level the series at 2-2 and shift momentum firmly toward San Antonio, which would regain home-court advantage in a best-of-three finish.
The Spurs have embraced the opportunity. Instead of facing a near-impossible comeback from 3-0 down, they enter Game 4 with renewed confidence after proving they can win on the road against New York.
In response, the Knicks spent Tuesday away from the practice court, opting instead for an extensive video session. The focus was on identifying mistakes, improving execution and sharpening attention to detail before returning to action.
“No matter what we did today, we were going to learn and get better, whether it’s on the court or in the film room,” Brunson said. “Sometimes learning and understanding the attention to detail just by watching, seeing what we did wrong, is just as important.”
After weeks of near-perfect results, the Knicks are hoping that one loss can provide the lessons needed to move one step closer to an NBA title.
