The San Antonio Spurs’ remarkable 2025-26 campaign ended in disappointment after they fell to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. Led by Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio won 62 regular-season games, captured the Western Conference title and reached the Finals for the first time in 12 years with one of the league’s youngest rosters.
Despite holding double-digit leads in every game of the championship series, the Spurs were unable to finish the job as New York rallied repeatedly to secure the NBA title. Weeks after the Finals, Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns reflected on the series and shared his perspective on why San Antonio struggled to close out games on basketball’s biggest stage.
The Finals defeat was a difficult ending for a Spurs team that entered the playoffs with championship aspirations. While San Antonio’s young core showed it could compete with the NBA’s best, Towns believes one key difference separated the two teams at the highest point of the pressure.
Karl-Anthony Towns Says San Antonio Spurs Tried to Protect Leads in NBA Finals
Speaking to reporters, Towns said the contrast between the Knicks and Spurs came down to mentality during crucial moments of the Finals.
“I think sometimes when you’re a young team you look to not lose the game, and we were looking to win the game,” Towns said. “That’s what made us bring such aggression to the game, and I think they were just trying to protect the lead.”
His comments came after San Antonio surrendered double-digit leads in all five games of the Finals, including a 29-point advantage in Game 4 that ended in one of the biggest collapses in NBA Finals history.
According to Towns, New York maintained an aggressive approach throughout the series, while the Spurs became increasingly focused on protecting their advantage rather than continuing to dictate play.
San Antonio entered the Finals with momentum after eliminating the defending NBA champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, and dominating the Western Conference. However, the young roster struggled to respond as New York erased multiple deficits across the series.
Towns’ assessment pointed to experience and approach rather than talent as the deciding factor in the championship matchup.
Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns Headlined the Championship Series
GettySan Antonio Spurs forwartd Victor Wembanyama and New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns
The Finals also featured a marquee battle between two of the NBA’s top centres in Wembanyama and Towns.
Wembanyama averaged 26 points per game during the series but shot 42.3% from the field, as Towns consistently challenged him on defense. On the offensive end, Towns used his size and physicality to create favorable matchups throughout the series.
Speaking during The Interview with The New York Times, Towns explained that competing against Wembanyama motivated him on the league’s biggest stage.
“I was just being competitive. I have tremendous confidence in my ability and what I do and the work I put in. It’s the finals, and you’re on the biggest stage against one of the best players in the world, and I wanted to prove again, after all these years, where I stand in the NBA,” Towns said.
The Spurs’ run to the Finals still marked a major step forward for the franchise. Alongside Wembanyama, San Antonio’s roster featured De’Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle as the team quickly emerged from its rebuilding phase.
Although the championship ended in disappointment, the Spurs remain one of the NBA’s youngest contenders heading into next season.
For Towns and the Knicks, the Finals victory capped an aggressive postseason run that ended with the franchise lifting the NBA title. His comments now provide insight into how New York viewed the series, with the Knicks believing they continued attacking in key moments while San Antonio became focused on holding onto leads rather than extending them.
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