Charles Barkley Makes Bold Claim After Knicks Win NBA Finals Game 2
The New York Knicks stole a second game at San Antonio in the NBA Finals on Friday night, this time in a thrilling 105-104 Game 2 that saw the young team nearly make a comeback.
However, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Knicks’ talent and veteran experience proved valuable once again, capitalizing on the Spurs’ mistakes and knocking down big shots when necessary.
Towns finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double, while Brunson scored 20 points to go with six assists and five rebounds. Mikal Bridges also had 20 points, six assists, and six rebounds in a solid effort from the starters.
With the win, the Knicks impressed many people, including NBA legend Charles Barkley, now an analyst on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA.”
“I’m not saying this is the greatest team ever. If they win these next two games, this is one of the greatest runs in playoff history. It’s one of the greatest runs. You have to give them their props,” Barkley said on ESPN after Game 2.
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It’s hard to ignore how impressive this particular Knicks’ run has been. With Friday night’s win, they’ve now achieved 13 straight playoff wins, including road wins in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and San Antonio. That’s no easy feat, as several of those games, including Game 1 against Cleveland and Game 2 against the Spurs, could’ve gone the other way.
Against the Cavaliers in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, they seemed to be headed for a loss. However, Brunson and his teammates rallied from the fourth quarter to force overtime and collect a hard-fought win.
They’ve shown themselves to be the better team thus far in the NBA Finals, and Barkley added an important part of his statement. They won’t be “the greatest team ever,” as that would likely go to plenty of other teams before the 2026 New York Knicks, including the previous Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls.
However, this New York team has shown resilience, perseverance, grit, and determination, something their fans have fully embraced. One has to think the fans have also played a part in this run, with many individuals traveling to away games to support the team, including celebs like Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, and Timothee Chalamet.
This San Antonio squad now faces what feels like a must-win Game 3, or they’ll be one loss away from getting swept in their first NBA Finals, which Barkley predicted ahead of Game 2. Unfortunately, a stat that doesn’t bode well for Wemby and his teammates is that teams that lose their first two home games don’t win the NBA Finals.
Then again, there’s always room for someone to make history, but many don’t believe this Spurs team has the talent, experience, or legs left to contend with a Knicks team on a dominant playoff run.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals arrives on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 9:45 AM.