The New York Knicks lost one potential advantage before Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night after San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said reserve center Luke Kornet would be available despite battling an illness.
“He’s been sick, but he’s getting better and he’ll be available tonight,” Johnson told reporters before tipoff.
The update represents unwelcome news for the Knicks, who entered the night one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973 and with an opportunity to capitalize on a potentially shorthanded San Antonio frontcourt.
Instead, the Spurs regained a valuable reserve big man as they attempted to extend the series at Frost Bank Center.
Spurs Get Needed Frontcourt Reinforcement
Kornet had been listed as questionable less than 48 hours after the Spurs suffered a stunning 107-106 loss in Game 4, when they squandered a 29-point lead at Madison Square Garden.
The collapse was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and moved New York to within one victory of ending a 53-year title drought.
Had Kornet been unavailable, San Antonio’s frontcourt rotation would have become significantly thinner in a game it could not afford to lose.
While Kornet’s statistical production has been modest during the Finals, his availability provides Johnson another option alongside Victor Wembanyama and gives the Spurs additional size and rim protection against one of the league’s biggest frontcourts.
Knicks’ Size Advantage Takes a Hit
New York has repeatedly leaned on its size during the postseason.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson have controlled stretches of games with their rebounding, interior scoring and rim protection. Robinson, in particular, has changed the complexion of the Finals with his defensive presence and work on the offensive glass.
Kornet’s availability does not necessarily guarantee heavy minutes, but it removes the possibility that the Knicks could attack an undermanned Spurs interior rotation.
The 7-foot-1 veteran also offers another big body capable of absorbing minutes against Towns and Robinson and helping preserve Wembanyama’s energy.
Wembanyama Shouldered Heavy Burden in Game 4
GettySan Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) battles New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) for position during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
San Antonio relied heavily on Wembanyama during its Game 4 collapse.
The 22-year-old played 44 minutes, his highest workload of the series and one of his largest minute totals of the postseason.
Wembanyama finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds but struggled as the game wore on. He shot 9-for-25 from the field and managed only eight points after halftime while going 3-for-14 from the floor in the second half.
Following the defeat, Johnson acknowledged that the stakes influenced his decision to extend Wembanyama’s minutes.
“He had a few more minutes tonight because we were trying to put the game away,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s loss. “With two days after this, what was at stake, we wanted to win the game and try to put it away.”
Kornet’s availability gives the Spurs another frontcourt option and potentially eases some of the burden on their franchise cornerstone.
For the Knicks, the objective remains unchanged: win one more game and bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to New York for the first time in more than five decades.
But the path became slightly more difficult when the Spurs received one more healthy body for their win-or-go-home battle.
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