Teams to overcome 2-0 in NBA Finals: Spurs find themselves in historic hole after Game 2 loss to Knicks

Teams to overcome 2-0 in NBA Finals: Spurs find themselves in historic hole after Game 2 loss to Knicks originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Things could be going a lot better for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals.

After two games of what was anticipated to be a back-and-forth series between two deep, elite teams, Mitch Johnson’s younger squad has been outclassed in both of its home games to open the series. In Game 1, Jalen Brunson silenced the Spurs in the fourth quarter, while Karl-Anthony Towns looks like an early Finals MVP favorite with his all-around play — and while Victor Wembanyama’s individual numbers look strong, he hasn’t quite done enough to get a Finals win yet.

Now, staring at a 2-0 series deficit as the series moves to Madison Square Garden, history certainly is not on the Spurs’ side.

Here’s a look at the history of 2-0 series deficits as the Spurs move past a tough Game 2 loss on Friday night.

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Teams to overcome 2-0 in NBA Finals

Per Land Of Basketball, the 2026 Spurs now become the 38th instance of a team trailing 2-0 in an NBA Finals series. Of the previous 37, only five teams have come back to win the series.

The following squads completed 0-2 comebacks in the Finals:

• 1969 Celtics (vs. Lakers)
• 1977 Trail Blazers (vs. 76ers)
• 2006 Heat (vs. Mavericks)
• 2016 Cavaliers (vs. Warriors)
• 2021 Bucks (vs. Suns)

Most recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks back to claim the 2021 title after Phoenix took a 2-0 series advantage. LeBron James did the same, leading the Cavaliers back from both 2-0 and 3-1 series deficits in 2016.

Now, Wembanyama will have the daunting task of completing that comeback if he’s to win his first title.

MORE: How Karl-Anthony Towns continued standout playoffs in Finals Game 2

Teams to go down 2-0 at home in NBA Finals

Things only get worse for the Spurs when considering the fact that they played Games 1 and 2 of the series vs. New York in front of their home fans, but still lost both. That has only happened twice before in NBA history, and neither of the trailing teams could overcome their deficit on the road.

In the 1993 NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls took the first two games of the series against the Suns in Phoenix. And while the Suns did go on to win Game 3 in Chicago, then take another road matchup in Game 5, Michael Jordan’s 33 points in Game 6 closed out the series.

More recently, the 1995 Orlando Magic put up far less of a fight after losing two home games to open the Finals vs. Houston. Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets to two road wins vs. a young Shaquille O’Neal, and Houston then proceeded to sweep the series, winning Game 4 in front of its home fans.

If the Spurs can make a 2-0 series comeback against the Knicks, they would be the first team in NBA history to lose two home games to open the Finals, but still win it all.

The Spurs become the third team in NBA Finals history to fall down 2-0 while being the home team.

The previous two teams ended up losing the series. pic.twitter.com/CzkgzoCUdG

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 6, 2026

Spurs vs. Knicks series stats comparison

All things told, it’s been a close series so far between New York and San Antonio — but the Knicks’ group of veterans has showed in a few key areas. 

In Game 1, Brunson was the big difference in a game where neither offense had much to work with. The Knicks’ star point guard buried some clutch buckets in the fourth quarter, and the Spurs had no answers as Wembanyama had a bad shooting night.

Things were a bit closer in Game 2 on Friday night — San Antonio got out to a good start, but after the Knicks answered by holding a double-digit advantage into the fourth quarter, it appeared to be over with. However, the Spurs had one last run left in them, managed to take the lead for a moment, then lost hold of the game due to a Wembanyama turnover and the star center’s missed potential game-winner.

Through two games, the numbers show that the Knicks have been better at creating turnovers, moving the ball around, shooting from deep and taking care of the basketball.

Here’s a look at the stat comparison through two NBA Finals games:

KnicksStatSpurs210Points19993 (20)Rebounds (Offensive)96 (19)49Assists3819Steals1110Blocks1146Fouls4324Turnovers2976-183 (41.5%)FG69-167 (41.3%)26-74 (35.1%)3PT22-72 (30.6%)

MORE: Where Knicks winning streak ranks in NBA history

2026 NBA Finals schedule

New York leads series 2-0

DateGameTime (ET)WatchJune 3Game 1: Knicks 105, Spurs 95——June 5Game 2: Knicks 105, Spurs 104——June 8Game 3 at Knicks8:30 p.m.ABC, ESPN app, fubo, DIRECTVJune 10Game 4 at Knicks8:30 p.m.ABC, ESPN app, fubo, DIRECTVJune 13Game 5* at Spurs8:30 p.m.ABC, ESPN app, fubo, DIRECTVJune 16Game 6* at Knicks8:30 p.m.ABC, ESPN app, fubo, DIRECTVJune 19Game 7* at Spurs8:30 p.m.ABC, ESPN app, fubo, DIRECTV

* If necessary