The San Antonio Spurs only had to bow to the New York Knicks on Wednesday (local time) in the final of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 114-117 in Madison Square Garden was the third straight loss for the Texans. Jakob Pöltl recorded a team-high six points with eight rebounds and one assist, steal and block each in 26:01 minutes on the field.
“A very close match with a big impact from our players on the bench. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough in the end,” commented the 27-year-old Viennese centre. The Texans’ replacements contributed 61 points. The most successful goalscorer was Keldon Johnson, a “starter”. He was responsible for 26 points.
The Knicks celebrated their third straight victory, with Jalen Brunson setting an NBA career-high 38 points. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had pointed to the guard before the game. Brunson was absent from the Texans’ 122-115 against the Manhattan team six days earlier.
San Antonio’s next opponents on Friday are the Detroit Pistons under former Pöltl coach Dwane Casey. The previous NBA bottom surprised Wednesday with a 122:119 against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
After 12 wins, the streak of the Chicago Bulls against the Brooklyn Nets has come to an end. Despite Kevin Durant’s 44 points, the New Yorkers lost 112:121. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to 104-101 dts at Pöltl’s former club, the Toronto Raptors, with a triple-double of 30 points, 21 rebounds and ten assists.
Wednesday’s NBA result (local time): New York Knicks – San Antonio Spurs (6 points, 8 rebounds in 26:01 minutes by Jakob Pöltl) 117:114.
