New York Knicks Mike Vaccaro The Knicks’ cakewalk ended with a harsh NBA Finals reality check By Mike Vaccaro Published June 9, 2026, 1:14 a.m. ET Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama #1 defends against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns #32 in the fourth quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Welcome back, Knicks fans. This is what the playoffs are supposed to feel like, you know. This is what they look like. You’d been allowed to forget that all across the 45 days that connected their second and third losses in these playoffs. You’d been allowed to feel it was almost … low stress.
The playoffs are not low stress, and they are never easy. There are supposed to be nights like this sprinkled into the mix, no matter how unwelcome they are, no matter how unsettling this 115-111 loss to the Spurs may have been. The Knicks had already broken their serve twice, extending their playoff winning streak to 13. It was surreal. It was astonishing. It was addicting.
