{"id":864753,"date":"2026-06-13T15:10:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/864753\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T15:10:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:10:52","slug":"starting-5-will-there-be-a-champion-or-a-game-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/864753\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Will there be a champion, or a Game 6?"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8216;The Association&#8217; previews Game 5 of the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>One game. <\/strong>Two questions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Will the Knicks<\/strong> capture their first NBA championship in 53 years?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Or will the Spurs<\/strong> extend an unforgettable Finals?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Larry\u2019s on the line tonight<\/strong> in San Antonio (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/nyk-vs-sas-0042500405?lid=44ccynhw0ueb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">8:30 ET, ABC<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/how-to-watch-game-redirect\/0042500405?partnerRef=NBA&amp;lid=lj3xhs5cum6r\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tap to Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2238259\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/download29-ezgif.com-optimize.gif\" alt=\"The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs will face off in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals tonight, with New York one win away from a Championship.\" width=\"700\" height=\"700\"\/><\/p>\n<p>5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n<p>June 13, 2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Game 5 In 2 Minutes:<\/strong> Knicks eye long-awaited title, Spurs fight to keep season alive<\/p>\n<p><strong>Captain Comeback:<\/strong> Zillgitt on how Brunson fuels New York\u2019s no-quit mindset<\/p>\n<p><strong>What They\u2019re Saying \u2013 Knicks:<\/strong> Resetting to \u201c0-0\u201d after the thrill of Game 4<\/p>\n<p><strong>What They\u2019re Saying \u2013 Spurs:<\/strong> Eyeing comeback history and following the 2016 Cavs\u2019 example<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finals Frames:<\/strong> NBA photographers share the stories behind their favorite shots from this Finals<\/p>\n<p>BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n<p>Will we see a champion crowned tonight?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363436_979_original.jpg\" alt=\"NBA Finals Game 5\" width=\"576\" height=\"720\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Game 5 of the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/playoffs\/2026\/nba-finals?lid=jzmuae3k6444\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>NBA Finals<\/strong><\/a> tips off tonight <strong>(8:30 ET, ABC)<\/strong> as the Knicks, up 3-1, seek their first championship since 1973, while the Spurs look to force a Game 6.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The 2026 NBA Finals<\/strong> are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/nba-finals-2026-game-4-abc-viewership?lid=rdn69e0z5hlg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">most-watched NBA Finals<\/a> through four games since 1998. The Knicks\u2019 comeback win over the Spurs on Wednesday averaged 20.9M viewers, making it the most-watched Finals Game 4 since \u201898.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Game 4<\/strong> was the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2065531291601387760?lid=mzg3nsa2mdpr\" rel=\"nofollow\">most-viral NBA game ever<\/a> on social media, generating 3 billion views and counting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Forever Finals:<\/strong> Exactly 10 years ago today, facing a 3-1 deficit, LeBron James &amp; Kyrie Irving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=05Z8yjBNZVg&amp;lid=vuds4xl2w4rs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mce-attribute-name-1=\"\" data-mce-attribute-value-1=\"\" data-mce-attributes-count=\"1\">delivered matching 41-point performances<\/a> to lead the Cavs past the Warriors in Game 5 of the 2016 Finals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cleveland <\/strong>went on to win the series in seven games, becoming the only team in Finals history to overcome a 3-1 deficit \u2014 something the Spurs will now look to recreate.<\/p>\n<p>1. GET READY FOR GAME 5 IN 2 MINUTES<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363437_244_original.jpg\" alt=\"NBA Finals Game 5\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Three nights ago,<\/strong> the Knicks were staring at a 29-point deficit and the possibility of a tied Finals at 2-2.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Today,<\/strong> they\u2019re one win away from their first NBA championship in 53 years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>After completing<\/strong> the largest comeback in NBA Finals history \u2013 capped by OG Anunoby\u2019s iconic game-winning tip-in \u2013 the Knicks visit San Antonio tonight <strong>(8:30 ET, ABC)<\/strong> with a chance to capture a title that has eluded the franchise for more than a half-century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Standing in their way:<\/strong> Victor Wembanyama and a Spurs squad that\u2019s no stranger to staving off elimination. | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/3-things-to-watch-knicks-spurs-game-5?lid=mlmrdpaiwxz9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Steve Aschburner\u2019s 3 Things To Watch<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363438_656_original.jpg\" alt=\"[ ]\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Knicks\u2019 instant-classic<\/strong> Wednesday win was just the latest chapter in a Finals that\u2019s delivered drama at all-time levels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Four games in,<\/strong> the moments keep coming \u2013 and the history keeps piling up.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Last-Second Thrillers: <\/strong>This is just the 2nd Finals ever \u2013 and the first in 50+ years \u2013 that\u2019s seen multiple games decided by one point (Games 2 &amp; 4)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Last-Minute Theatrics:<\/strong> All four games have come down to clutch time, with lead changes in the final two minutes of Games 1, 2 &amp; 4<\/li>\n<li><strong>Unprecedented Drama:<\/strong> No other Finals on record has featured lead changes in the final two minutes of three of its first four games (dating back to 1971, when Finals play-by-play tracking began)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363439_209_original.jpg\" alt=\"OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Gonzales\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p><strong>Before this electrifying series,<\/strong> only one other Finals on record had seen Games 1-4 all within five points in the final minute.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The year?<\/strong> 1973 \u2013 when the Knicks captured their last championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tonight,<\/strong> they\u2019ll look to come full circle behind a trio that has played its best in the biggest moments: Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Engine Eleven:<\/strong> The late-game hero in Games 1 &amp; 2, Brunson leads all players this series in both ppg (29.5) and total clutch points (15)<\/li>\n<li><strong>OG Everywhere:<\/strong> Anunoby\u2019s game-saving block and game-winning tip-in in Game 4 perfectly encapsulated the two-way impact he\u2019s brought throughout the Finals, vaulting him atop <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/finals-mvp-ladder-june-11-2026?lid=lix57tm7lj17\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shaun Powell\u2019s latest Finals MVP Ladder<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Big KAT:<\/strong> Towns has delivered on both ends throughout the series, averaging a double-double (15.8 pts, 10.8 reb) while ranking 2nd on Powell\u2019s Finals MVP Ladder<\/li>\n<li><strong>But The Job\u2019s Not Done:<\/strong> \u201cThe hardest game to win is the one that ends someone\u2019s season,\u201d said Towns at Friday\u2019s Media Day. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be our best version tomorrow.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363440_557_original.jpg\" alt=\"Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ready To Respond: <\/strong>The Knicks hold a 3-1 Finals lead, but they\u2019ve outscored the Spurs by just eight points over the first four matchups.<\/p>\n<p><strong>That\u2019s one bucket<\/strong> per game of separation \u2013 and San Antonio has plenty of reasons to believe it can extend this series.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Flashes Of Fire:<\/strong> The Spurs have led after the 1st quarter and built double-digit leads in each of the first four games this series<\/li>\n<li><strong>Been Here Before:<\/strong> Facing elimination is nothing new for San Antonio. The Spurs trailed OKC 3-2 in the West Finals before winning two straight to oust the defending champs<\/li>\n<li><strong>Home-Court Response:<\/strong> That comeback began with a Game 6 bounce-back in San Antonio, where Wembanyama was dominant (28 pts, 10 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk) in a 118-91 win<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cWe\u2019re very confident,\u201d<\/strong> said Wemby on Friday. \u201cIt\u2019s the Playoffs \u2013 there\u2019s no time to regret things for too long.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Now,<\/strong> one team stands 48 minutes from a championship, while the other fights to keep its season alive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who will take Game 5?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363441_939_original.jpg\" alt=\"NBA Finals scores\" width=\"576\" height=\"720\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Game 5 Reads:<\/strong> Dive into the latest Finals stories and analysis before tonight\u2019s tip-off (8:30 ET, ABC).<\/p>\n<p>2. CAPTAIN COMEBACK: HOW BRUNSON HAS FUELED NY\u2019S NO-QUIT MINDSET<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363442_468_original.jpg\" alt=\"Jalen Brunson\" width=\"576\" height=\"720\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p><strong>Since play-by-play<\/strong> tracking began in 1998, teams are 5-734 when trailing by 20+ points in the 4th quarter of a Playoff game.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Knicks<\/strong> have two of those wins \u2013 both in the last month.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The first<\/strong> came in Game 1 of the East Finals, stunning Cleveland to propel New York to a four-game sweep.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The other came Wednesday<\/strong> \u2013 an all-time rally capped by an all-time finish from OG Anunoby, sending New York into bedlam and leaving sports fans around the world in disbelief.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For Jalen Brunson,<\/strong> though, belief has never been in short supply, writes NBA.com\u2019s Jeff Zillgitt:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWhere does an epic, <\/strong>never-before-seen NBA Finals comeback begin?<\/p>\n<p><strong>It is an existential and practical question.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Existentially,<\/strong> does it start in the heart? In the mind? Deep within?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Practically,<\/strong> does it start with a defensive stop? A bucket? Inspiring words during halftime or a timeout?<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2026However you want<\/strong> to dissect and analyze what happened \u2013 and the storylines from OG Anunoby to Jose Alvarado are abundant, wonderful and perplexing \u2013 Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson is almost always at the center of the spectacular.\u201d | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/jalen-brunson-knicks-game-4-performance-nba-finals?lid=kcccnrp8ke3a\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n<p>3. WHAT THEY\u2019RE SAYING: KNICKS PUT GAME 4\u2019S HIGHS BEHIND THEM<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363442_432_original.jpg\" alt=\"Karl-Anthony Towns, Kon Knueppel\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jalen Brunson<\/strong> was asked at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/live-updates-2026-nba-finals-media-day-game-5-knicks-spurs-talk-to-the-media-after-game-4s-historic-comeback?lid=6ex9c9sdj33g\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Friday\u2019s Media Day<\/a> what it feels like to be one win away from an NBA championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In Brunson\u2019s mind<\/strong> \u2013 and in the Knicks\u2019 collective thought process \u2013 they are not.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cZero-zero.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Brunson\u2019s response<\/strong>, a small phrase, made up of even smaller numbers, speaks volumes about the mental approach that has the Knicks one win from an NBA championship.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cRegardless of what\u2019s going on<\/strong>, our mindset and approach has to stay the same,\u201d Brunson said. \u201cI think we\u2019ve done a very good job of that.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cThe biggest thing<\/strong> is continuing to preach 0-0,\u201d coach Mike Brown said. \u201cContinuing to preach \u2018stay present,\u2019 continuing to preach \u2018next possession\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cZero-zero,<\/strong>\u00a0knowing you don\u2019t get complacent,\u201d Mikal Bridges said \u2026 \u201cI think it\u2019s still 0-0, no matter what\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>This time<\/strong>, the \u201cwhat\u201d is arguably a more tantalizing diversion to the Knicks\u2019 mental approach than they\u2019ve dealt with all postseason.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The franchise\u2019s first championship<\/strong> in 53 years is as close as 48 minutes away, OG Anunoby converted one of the most miraculous game-winners in Finals history, and Knicks fans celebrated all night. Things are not normal.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cOf course that night we all enjoyed<\/strong> the shellshock of what happened,\u201d Karl-Anthony Towns said\u2026 \u201cBut we all understood the next morning that we had to get back to work.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201c[OG\u2019s play is] a great moment.<\/strong> It\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBATV\/status\/2065521181818499383?s=20&amp;lid=8a2ujg2pbpgd\" rel=\"nofollow\">one of the best sports moments<\/a> in New York history. But we\u2019ve got to solidify it with one more win,\u201d said KAT<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cI\u2019ve always told myself<\/strong> when you wake up the next day, it\u2019s time to turn the page,\u201d Brunson said. \u201cYes, we won, but we still have a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Said Bridges:<\/strong> \u201cWe know our job\u2019s not finished.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363443_520_original.jpg\" alt=\"OG Anunoby\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Behind them<\/strong> will be the Knicks faithful \u2014 who have shown up for their team, in spirit and in person, all Playoffs long.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cIt means everything to us,\u201d<\/strong> Anunoby said. \u201cWe know we have the best fans in the world \u2026 They\u2019re loud, they\u2019re rowdy, they\u2019re excited \u2026 we all feel that. We feed off their energy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Kon On The Scene:<\/strong> Game 5 Player Correspondent Kon Knueppel took in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/?lid=y4g7e8nxz3fq#stories\/d7bf82fe-74b6-4e9a-f575-3a21ce5b8236\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Friday\u2019s workouts<\/a>, lobbed questions <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/?lid=ajbqlb08bur4#stories\/8a2895ef-9026-f7e2-d0b3-3a21ce5fd51f\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">alongside press<\/a>, and asked Mike Breen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DZf_WY0RYeH\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D&amp;lid=gofbm8adrgu2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">where Game 4 ranks<\/a> all-time among games he\u2019s called\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>4. WHAT THEY\u2019RE SAYING: SPURS READY TO RESPOND, AGAIN<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363444_224_original.jpg\" alt=\"Dylan Harper, Kon Knueppel\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>San Antonio has seen<\/strong> the film from their Game 4 loss, and the Spurs are ready to turn the page.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cI feel like everyone took a day<\/strong> to relax, debrief and just hit that reset button,\u201d Dylan Harper said at Friday\u2019s Game 5 media day. \u201cWe\u2019ve got another opportunity to go and prove who we are as a team.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it was so hard<\/strong> to, like, shake off,\u201d Victor Wembanyama said. \u201cHarder than any other game before, by far, for sure. Now we\u2019re over it.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cWoke up this morning<\/strong> ready to go,\u201d Devin Vassell said. \u201cReady to execute the game plan for the next day.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What they found<\/strong> in the footage of the Knicks\u2019 29-point comeback wasn\u2019t complex or hard to break down, they said. In all four games of the series, the Spurs have played well enough to go up by double digits. They\u2019ve also surrendered leads of that size in all four games.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cI feel like once we get those leads<\/strong>, we start to play a little bit different, take our foot off the gas defensively,\u201d Stephon Castle said. \u201cWe have to stay aggressive but be smart through it.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cWe have to figure out ways<\/strong> to continue to extend our lead,\u201d De\u2019Aaron Fox said. \u201cWhen they do make these games close, we have to figure out ways to execute down the stretch.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cWe\u2019ve played them really good<\/strong> for the past four games,\u201d Vassell said. \u201cWe just really haven\u2019t been able to close out games.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363445_678_original.jpg\" alt=\"Victor Wembanyama\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>At Friday\u2019s Media Day,<\/strong> the Knicks weren\u2019t the only East team on San Antonio\u2019s mind. Needing a historic climb, the Spurs cited the 2016 Cavaliers \u2013\u00a0the only team in Finals history to overcome a 3-1 deficit.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cWe still have this belief<\/strong> because we\u2019ve seen it,\u201d Fox said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen it be done: that teams have come back from 3-1\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cEven with those series<\/strong>, the games that they lost, they were losing by double digits. The games that we\u2019re losing have all been close games.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201c<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBATV\/status\/2065494068814074258?s=20&amp;lid=gjv0thms69cx\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>We\u2019ve made history all year<\/strong><\/a><strong>,\u201d<\/strong> said Stephon Castle. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve proven that with our backs against the wall, we can step up. So I don\u2019t really expect this to be any different.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>5. FINALS FRAMES: NBA PHOTOGS\u2019 DEFINING SHOTS SO FAR<\/p>\n<p><strong>The greatest NBA Finals moments<\/strong> \u2014 the ones that define series, the ones that define eras, the ones that can define whole cities \u2014 can feel frozen in time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Often, because they are.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>After one of the wildest<\/strong> four-game stretches to start the Finals ever, we talked to a few of the NBA photographers covering the series to get their favorite frames \u2014 and the stories behind them \u2014 as we head into Game 5.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joe Murphy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2238287\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2280352969-840x1176.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"840\" height=\"1176\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cI was going wide<\/strong> because it was the final shot, and I\u2019m trying to show the shot clock in case it goes in. You like to have that perspective with the image, so you let the viewer know there are 2 seconds left, 1 second left, no time left.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I just enjoyed <\/strong>having this one, between the angle being that nice, seeing people on the bench, the clock, you can see OG with his hand on the ball \u2026 and you know it goes in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I was just honored<\/strong> to be able to catch that shot: a great moment for the Knicks, for the NBA, for the history of the Finals. It\u2019s a shot I\u2019ll be proud of forever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michael Gonzales<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2238283\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2279388294-1377x1176.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1377\" height=\"1176\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cI do this center remote<\/strong> strobe for tipoff, where it\u2019s one light that hits and you get a really cool shadow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wemby was walking<\/strong> toward the bench and happened to be on the trophy. I hit it, and it perfectly frame his shadow, where it\u2019s right in the middle of the trophy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Spurs <\/strong>are all about the Spurs family, they\u2019re so loyal to each other. So the story of this one is that one of the team as much as Victor \u2014 where it shows the Spurs logo, as well as it being his first Finals too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2026his passion<\/strong> for basketball is really deep. He\u2019s an emotional person, and this is his court, this is his home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Adam Pantozzi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2238282\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2279409085-784x1176.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"784\" height=\"1176\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s not easy<\/strong> to score on Wemby, and Towns managed to get around him and his long arms. He was really excited about it. He came down and had a lot of emotion afterward.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In a situation like this,<\/strong> you kind of track a player as he goes to the rim. And as he gets there, you hope he does something great. In this case, he did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Garrett Ellwood<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2238280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2278960531-941x1176.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"941\" height=\"1176\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cVictor Wembanyama<\/strong> is such a unique talent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I had an idea<\/strong> prior to the Finals that I wanted to create an image that would highlight his uniqueness. This photo is exactly what I was going for.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I spotlit the basket<\/strong> to create the lighting effect that I wanted, and Wemby did the rest.\u00a0 He changes the way I photograph a game due to his length, size and athletic ability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jesse Garrabrant<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781363451_685_original.jpg\" alt=\"Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Patrick Ewing\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cSometimes the moments<\/strong> before the game even starts mean the most to me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This whole journey<\/strong> for me started with the Big East. My grandmother used to bring me to games way back when Seton Hall still played on campus with only 1,500 people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I was into the Big East<\/strong> from then on, watching Ewing\u2019s whole career, with him eventually going to the Hall and me starting this photography career.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Big East led<\/strong> to my job at the NBA. I was here all through Shaq\u2019s career, so to have the legends set up for a jump ball on the greatest stage so many years later was a an incredible moment to witness that brought back a lot of memories.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nat Butler<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2238279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2280056469-1-784x1176.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"784\" height=\"1176\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cMy best shot<\/strong> I wanna get tomorrow. Every day I want to get something better.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Having said that,<\/strong> this was a cool frame that was a little different. Jalen did a crazy move and instead of celebrating, he looked at his hand. He\u2019s not a guy to go too crazy, but I like those emotional shots.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At Finals,<\/strong> we have other photogs there, so it\u2019s an opportunity to get something different because my colleagues will get that shot. Like Murphy got the amazing shot of the tip-in, that\u2019s an amazing shot.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And as you get closer<\/strong> to a clincher those become more magnified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#8216;The Association&#8217; previews Game 5 of the NBA Finals. One game. Two questions. Will the Knicks capture their&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":864754,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[40],"tags":[12086,352505,352281,1260,352506,183174,62,352504,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-864753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-12086","tag-2026-nba-finals-game-5","tag-june-13","tag-nba","tag-nba-photographers","tag-nba-starting-5-newsletter","tag-sports","tag-spurs-knicks","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116743446387966911","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=864753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/864754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=864753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=864753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=864753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}