Victor Wembanyama had the kind of box score most players would frame. Twenty-six points. Twelve rebounds. Three blocks. But Shaquille O’Neal was not looking at the numbers like a fan. He was looking at them like a champion who knows the Finals do not reward almost-great nights.
After the San Antonio Spurs dropped Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, Wembanyama became the loudest talking point of the night for the wrong reasons. He shot 6-for-21, committed six turnovers, and spent too much of the game away from the paint.
For Shaq, that was the issue. A 7-foot-4 superstar cannot drift through a Finals opener while the Knicks steal home-court advantage. Game 1 did not damage Wembanyama’s future, but it did hand him his first real Finals challenge.
Knicks seize home-court edge
The Knicks entered San Antonio as underdogs but left Game 1 with home-court advantage. New York trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter before rallying to take control.
Jalen Brunson delivered 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. His clutch play down the stretch gave the Knicks a 1-0 series lead, and New York later doubled that advantage with a 105-104 Game 2 win in San Antonio.
The Knicks showed championship-level composure throughout the contest. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds while going right at Wembanyama in the paint. Josh Hart added only three points on offense but hauled in 15 rebounds and dished out six assists. New York had an answer every time San Antonio tried to pull away.
Wembanyama’s rocky Finals debut
Victor Wembanyama walked off the court having recorded 26 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and a steal. Those are numbers most players would celebrate. But behind the box score, the story was troubling. He shot just 6-of-21 from the field and missed seven of his nine three-point attempts in a rough offensive night.
The six turnovers were equally damaging. Several came on awkward drives and botched layups that the Knicks turned into fast-break opportunities. Wembanyama himself did not shy away from the truth after the game.
He told reporters he was simply bad and vowed to figure it out, but Game 2 brought another painful finish as New York escaped with a 105-104 win.
Shaq’s take on Inside the NBA
Shaquille O’Neal did not hold back during the post-game broadcast on Inside the NBA. The four-time champion said the Spurs and their star both needed to make serious adjustments.
He told viewers that a 6-for-21 shooting night and nine three-point attempts were simply not going to be enough to beat the Knicks. His message was sharp and direct.
O’Neal also placed some blame on the coaching staff. He said head coach Mitch Johnson needed to get Wembanyama the ball closer to the basket. “Coach has to get Victor the ball more inside,” Shaq said. He argued that San Antonio was allowing their best player to drift away from where he is most dangerous on the floor.
Alarming numbers for analysts
Entering the Finals, the Spurs had built the best restricted-area scoring differential in the entire playoffs at plus-8.8 points per game. That strength was almost entirely absent in Game 1. Wembanyama attempted more threes than paint shots during the contest. Analysts across the league flagged the shot diet as a major strategic problem for San Antonio.
ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst drew comparisons between Wembanyama’s Finals debut at 22 and the debuts of Shaq in 1995 and LeBron James in 2007.
Both legends lost their first Finals appearance before eventually becoming champions. The parallel suggests that while this loss stings, it does not define Wembanyama’s ceiling or his legacy.
Fun fact: Wembanyama turned pro in France at just 15, making him one of the youngest players ever to enter pro basketball.
How the Knicks contained Wemby
The Knicks came into Game 1 with a clear defensive scheme centered on Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns used active hands and physicality to crowd Wembanyama’s catches and force him away from the rim.
According to Jalen Brunson, Towns did a great job of making everything as difficult as possible for the Spurs superstar. New York also leaned on OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson to help crowd passing lanes.
The strategy worked because it exploited an inconsistency in the Spurs’ game plan. San Antonio kept feeding Wembanyama in perimeter isolation spots rather than forcing him into the paint on rolls and cuts. The Knicks were comfortable defending him from the outside. Their defense fell apart whenever Wembanyama attacked the basket, but that happened too rarely to matter.
Spurs must adjust
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson echoed Shaq’s concerns after the final buzzer sounded. Johnson told reporters that Wembanyama missed some shots early and that the team needed to get him moving toward the rim. He said San Antonio must create more pressure in the paint through rolls and transition opportunities. Johnson made clear that the current game plan was not working.
The Spurs had a chance to answer in Game 2 on Friday, but New York won again, escaping San Antonio with a 105-104 victory and a 2-0 series lead.
That makes the adjustment even more urgent. San Antonio has been at its best when Wembanyama attacks the basket, creates pressure in the paint, and forces defenses to react. Now, with the series shifting to Madison Square Garden for Game 3, getting back to that identity is no longer just a tactical fix. It is the clearest path to keeping the Finals from slipping away.
Wembanyama remains confident
Despite the performance, Wembanyama refused to let the loss define the series. He told reporters that he was not worried and that the team had been down in a series before during the playoffs. His calm response showed the mental maturity that has made him such a compelling figure in the league. He did not deflect or make excuses for his poor shooting night.
The young Frenchman also showed flashes of his immense potential even in a difficult game. He scored 40 points on the road in Game 1 against the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals just weeks earlier.
Fans and analysts know he is capable of elevating his game under pressure. The Spurs are counting on that version of Wembanyama to show up for the remainder of this series.
What Spurs must do to win
San Antonio’s best path to winning this series runs directly through the paint. Wembanyama must be used more in pick-and-roll actions where he can catch passes closer to the basket. The Spurs also need better shot selection from role players like Dylan Harper, who scored 16 in Game 1 but cannot carry the offensive load alone. Reducing turnovers is equally critical.
The Knicks are an experienced and well-coached team that will not give anything away easily. But a seven-game series offers plenty of time to adjust.
San Antonio has the talent and the coaching staff to make smart corrections. Whether Wembanyama can answer Shaq’s challenge in Game 3 may now decide whether the Spurs can turn the series into a real.
Little-known fact: Wembanyama shaved his head and trained with Shaolin monks in China before this season.
TL;DR
- The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in NBA Finals Game 1 by stealing home-court advantage on the road.
- Victor Wembanyama posted 26 points and 12 rebounds but shot just 6-of-21 and committed six turnovers.
- Shaquille O’Neal blasted Wembanyama’s performance on Inside the NBA, saying a 6-of-21 shooting night was not good enough to win a championship.
- Karl-Anthony Towns was the defensive key for the Knicks, using physicality to push Wembanyama away from the rim all game.
- The Spurs must get Wembanyama more involved in the paint in Game 3 as they try to avoid falling into an even deeper series hole.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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