Victor Wembanyama found Stephon Castle, giving him the ball with just under a second left on the shot clock, which pushed Castle to take a rushed 8-meter shot from the wing. When Castle nailed a pivotal 3-pointer with under two minutes to go, the buzzer sounded, and cheers erupted from the crowd.
Later, the 21-year-old stood at the free-throw line with 6.8 seconds remaining and secured the game-winning shot, leading his team to a 115-111 triumph in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
“He might be the most mature player on our team,” said Wembanyama. “He has proven time and again that he can handle pressure, and it’s no surprise we trust him.”
Castle proved to be a force even before his late-game heroics.
The second-year standout from UW had already earned a national championship in his lone season with the Huskies, and he exploited the Knicks’ perimeter defense right from the start, attacking the paint and finishing powerfully at the rim, which forced defenders to react quickly.
Castle piled up 18 of his 25 points in the first half and, alongside Wembanyama, became the first duo under 22 to score over 20 points in an NBA Finals game. He also contributed 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal over 38 minutes.
Dylan Harper, at just 20, has made a significant impact for San Antonio, averaging 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the Finals after transferring from Rutgers.
“Most of the time we dictate where we want to go on the court,” Castle expressed on Tuesday. “I feel that’s part of my skill set.” He added he needs to keep using it to succeed.
“We’ve pretty much not allowed defenses much room all year.”
Looking ahead to Game 4, the Knicks are aware they need to challenge the Spurs’ less tested shooters and limit the confidence of their young guards.
Castle is currently 5-of-14 on 3-pointers in the series and has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 30.5. Harper, who shot 60 percent from 2-point range in the series, has struggled from beyond the arc, going 2-of-15 in the Finals, missing two open shots in the last 70 seconds of Game 3.
“Not every game is going to be mine,” Harper admitted. “In Game 3, I just couldn’t find my rhythm. That’s the nature of the game. I’ll keep shooting because I believe in myself, and my team believes in me too.”
“We have at least one game left, so I can’t dwell too much on this.”
Experienced player Josh Hart has been where they are. In these playoffs, Hart often found himself open on the perimeter, challenging opponents to take advantage.
Hart didn’t confirm whether the Knicks would apply a similar defensive plan against the Spurs’ young guard, but he clearly indicated some aspects of the strategy were already decided.
“I’m certain we’ll make adjustments to tighten up on defense, especially protecting the paint,” Hart noted. “They’re very effective whenever they penetrate.”
