San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama got desperate in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and started tossing Jalen Brunson around the court like a rag doll as fans celebrated the “’90s-style of play” that the refs are supposedly allowing. They don’t seem to be allowing it for both teams, but it paid off for the Spurs, who have recovered from a 2-0 deficit with a chance to tie the series with another win at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
The Spurs were quiet as field mice as the Knicks dominated them in the first two games in San Antonio. After Game 3, the Spurs have seemed to regain their mojo and now guard Stephon Castle is talking greasy and with a newfound confidence.
Stephon Castle Says Spurs Will Win Next Three Games To Close Out NBA Finals
Following Game 3, Castle made a bold statement, telling ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he “definitely” expected the Spurs to win the next three games, including Game 4 at MSG. The former UConn guard credited his own strong performance (23 points) and the team’s ability to finish possessions late – especially defensively – for the confidence.
This isn’t some unbelievably bold statement if you remember that after the Spurs’ 105–95 loss in Game 1, Castle said the team felt “like we’re the better team” despite the poor performance, emphasizing that the Spurs had a great chance to win and should focus on “being ourselves” and making the right adjustment.
However, it is considered very disrespectful to Knicks players and fans and definitely should give the team a bit more bulletin board ammunition entering Game 4.
Stephen A. Smith Says Knicks Needs To Shut Castle Up By Winning Game 4
The ESPN “First Take” crew addressed Castle’s confidence, with Stephen A. Smith speaking directly to Knicks Nation.
“I love confidence. If I wasn’t a Knicks fan, I’d love it even more. But as a fan of competition you love to hear what Stephon Castle said especially since he’s the kind of player with the kind of mentality to do everything on the court to try and back it up,” Smith said.
“Now if you’re a New York Knicks fan and you want to be a champion, you should relish this. You should relish the fact that the young stud chirped like that. And you should put him in his place. That should be your mentality, if you’re Jalen Brunson. If you’re Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the crew. You should be like ‘Aight we still got you in the Garden. We’re gonna put you down in a 3-1 hole tonight. You shouldn’t have opened your damn mouth,’” the ESPN host continued.
“You gotta take this kind of stuff personal at this point. The fact that he opened his mouth you’re supposed to be ready to handle it and they have every reason to be confident,” Smith concluded.
Fans React To Stephon Castle’s Prediction That Spurs Will Run Table In NBA Finals
Spurs fans who were hiding with their tail between their legs before getting the stimulus package from refs in Game 3, responded to Smith’s rant on Wednesday. They were feeling very froggy in the comments.
“Michigan side: I admire the bravado, but I respect defense more. Talk is cheap unless the Knicks make him pay for it. Popcorn ready for Game 4,” said one fan dying to see the Knicks lose.
“Should not the knicks expect to win the next 2 games? Castle just spoke the truth. Spurs should expect to win the next 3,” said another delusional Spurs fan.
“He’s just confident. What’s wrong in that? Is he supposed to think otherwise? Then what’s the point of playing?” one X user commented under the video of Smith’s latest rant.
“This is ridiculous,” one netizen insisted. “Castle believes in the team and says they expect to win. If you don’t have that mindset, you have no chance to win another game. What do you want him to say? He wasn’t talking trash at all.”
Other fans admonished the city of New York and Smith and supported Castle’s bold prediction:
“You act as imbecilic as the NY fans who try to literally unalive Spurs fans. The Spurs will win the next 3 games! The @NBA should kick out the kicks from NY for being such a disgusting and horrendous city,” one anti-Knicks netizen said.
“Stephanie Smith, I used to respect you. Now you act like a complete racist and think you can tell @POTUS what to do. By the way, the @spurs will win tonight as well! All those millions you make and you are as dumb as a rock,” another fan quipped.
Knicks fans in the comments weren’t trying to hear that talk.
“Castle earned some praise after a big Game 3, but he’s talking big after a game where the Knicks practically handed them the win with 13 costly turnovers,” one fan replied.
What Will Happen Game 4 NBA Finals At MSG?
Fans across the country are praying that Castle’s prediction comes to life. The New York hate is at an all-time high as the squad is just two wins from its first NBA championship since 1973 with a huge Game 4 at home. If the Knicks win, expect plenty of crying and moaning about any number of things from the peanut gallery. If the Knicks lose, you will see panic set in all of the city and also a national shift throughout the basketball landscape and a revival of people calling Victor Wembanyama the next generational dominant superstar in the league.
