There will be no Knicks coronation in New York this week, as NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins expressed his view on why Mike Brown's team lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals held at Madison Square Garden after 27 years.

In a close contest, the Knicks toned down a gear in the second half, as the San Antonio Spurs were able to dig deep in the fourth quarter to flip the scales 115-111 to their favor heading into Game 4.

Following Game 3, Perkins opined that he did not see the level of togetherness from the Knicks compared to the first two games, where a variety of players were able to take shots after creative team plays.

"I think when you look at the way that the Knicks played, they didn't play their style of basketball. And the level of aggression wasn't there, the physicality wasn't there. And I didn't see the togetherness to be real. I didn't see guys making the extra pass. I didn't see guys cutting for one another, so other guys get shots." Perkins said, via an X post from NBA on ESPN.

"I believe that we will see a totally different Knicks team come Wednesday night for Game 4," Perkins added.

Throughout the postseason, the Knicks have made a habit of coming back from tough situations and ending up taking the win. However, that magic did not turn up on Monday night as the young Spurs squad did their homework from the first two games.

While Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby combined for their team's 60 points, there was uncharacteristically not much connection between the Knicks, who opted more for individual brilliance than team play.

Perhaps the biggest matchup of the game was between Karl-Anthony Towns and Victor Wembanyama, and the Frenchman made sure to come out on top this time around.

Victor Wembanyama Outplays Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 3

It would be fair to say that Game 3 was the first legacy game of Wembanyama's career. With 2-0 down in the series, the reigning DPOY turned the tide in the Spurs' favor, scoring 32 points on 11-of-18 field goals, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds.

Moreover, it was the Spurs' defense, anchored by Wemby, that took over after halftime to pace the victory at MSG. The Knicks mustered just 47 total points after halftime as the Spurs overcame a 64-57 deficit at the break.

Towns finished the game with just 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. While it was a balanced effort, it was one of KAT's quietest postseason performances.

"Less mistakes, more control," Wembanyama told ESPN postgame when asked what the difference was in San Antonio's Game 3 execution from its Game 2 loss Friday night. "It's the little things. We were more serious. Less mistakes. Less turnovers. It's a whole."

The series felt more or less in control of the Knicks after taking the decisive Game 2 win, but the Spurs have finally come to the party and shown that they could just as well win games on the road, that too at the iconic MSG.

Game 4 is set to be the most important matchup for both franchises in ages, and it will be interesting to see if the Spurs can take both away games just as the Knicks did.

Overall, we are in for an exciting series ahead, as Game 4 at MSG kicks off Wednesday night.

So, will the San Antonio Spurs take the series to six games at the very least? Let us know in the comments.

Follow the Air Jordan Chronicles for more NBA Finals coverage!

Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy