NBA Finals: Victor Wembanyama carries San Antonio Spurs to 115-111 win that cuts New York Knicks' lead to 2-1

Wembanyama had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists on the night, leaving the Knicks still with a lot of work to do if they're to end their 53-year championship drought.

The Spurs - looking to become the first team to win the NBA Finals from 2-0 down - handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that included President Donald Trump.

Trump was booed loudly when he was shown during the national anthem, before the Spurs got off to an ideal start as Wembanyama dunked for their first two baskets, the visitors building a double-digit lead only four-and-a-half minutes into the game.

San Antonio made nine of their first 11 shots and led 33-22 after one quarter, with the Knicks and their fans left frustrated by the referees and their own sloppy play.

The Garden crowd didn't really start to rock until OG Anunoby's three-pointer capped an 11-2 surge that cut the score to 40-38. The Knicks then earned their first lead of the night on Jalen Brunson's 26-footer as part of a big burst to finish the half. New York were 64-57 up at the break.

But the Spurs went back ahead in the third quarter and led 111-104 on Stephon Castle's three-pointer with 1:53 to play. Castle then closed the scoring with two free throws with 6.8 seconds left after Anunoby's three-pointer cut it to two.

Wembanyama, whose turnover late in Game 2 cost the Spurs dearly, didn't make many any mistakes on Monday night. The 7-foot-4 phenom had 10 points in the final quarter, helping San Antonio build just enough of a cushion to withstand Brunson's latest comeback attempt.

It means the Knicks had their 13-game winning streak - the second-longest in NBA postseason history - snapped as they missed the chance to move to the brink of their first title since 1973.

Their previous loss occurred on April 23 in a one-point defeat to the Atlanta Hawks. They won the next three against Atlanta, swept Philadelphia and Cleveland in the play-offs and took the first two games against the Spurs.

"At home, it really feels like playing six against five. Here, it feels like five against six," Wembanyama said. "It really shows what teams are made of."

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "I'm sure Victor has numerous sources of motivation. I don't think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance."

Game 4 June 11 - Spurs @ Knicks - 1.30am

Game 5 June 14 - Knicks @ Spurs - 1.30am

Game 6 June 17 - Spurs @ Knicks - 1.30am

Game 7 June 20 - Knicks @ Spurs - 1.30am