Mitch Johnson’s message to the Spurs before Game 2 was not panic, but it did come with a clear demand to look like themselves again.
San Antonio let Game 1 slip away at home, losing 105-95 after leading the Knicks by 14 in the second half.
The Spurs still have time to reset the series, but Johnson knows the response has to begin with identity, not emotion.
Mitch Johnson wants the Spurs to settle back into their identity
Johnson spoke to French media before Game 2 of the Finals and revealed that his message to his locker room was built around patience, but also around the idea that San Antonio cannot drift from the style that brought it so far.
“(I told them) just that this was going to be a long series. I told them to settle in and get back to being us for more than the 48 minutes of the game we were last time. I think we’ll put ourselves in a better position to finish it off.”
That lined up with the Spurs’ own diagnosis after Game 1.
“New York came out with a great approach and played a really good game, and we did not, in terms of our brand of basketball… There were things gameplan-wise we could be better at, and things that in terms of how we’ve been playing since October, our style of play, we got away from it.”
The numbers showed it. San Antonio shot 36.3 percent from the field, 25.6 percent from three, finished with only 16 assists, and committed five fourth-quarter turnovers as New York closed on an 11-0 run.
Victor Wembanyama had 26 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, but shot 6-for-21. De’Aaron Fox was worse, scoring seven points on 3-for-13 shooting, while Dylan Harper gave the Spurs 16 points and eight rebounds on 6-for-10 before sitting late.
Spurs need sharper Game 2 choices to stop Knicks’ control
The most obvious Game 2 adjustment is giving Harper a real closing chance if he is again outplaying Fox.
Johnson defended the decision to finish with Fox, but the contrast was hard to ignore. Fox had the résumé, yet Harper had the rhythm, energy, and cleaner reads when San Antonio needed steadiness.
The Spurs also need to create easier Wembanyama touches. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson pushed him away from the rim, and New York was comfortable living with difficult jumpers.
On the other end, Jalen Brunson’s late-game control has to be disrupted earlier. He finished with 30 points, including 13 in the fourth, while OG Anunoby scored 12 of his 17 in the final period and Josh Hart grabbed 15 rebounds.
Game 2 is not just about effort. San Antonio needs quicker ball movement, more paint touches, better spacing, and a closing lineup based on production rather than habit.
If the Spurs get back to their brand, the series can still become long. If they repeat Game 1’s late-game choices, the Knicks will leave Texas in control.
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