When results are all that matter, the pain is in what could have been

There’s been more than enough magic in San Antonio this season to justify the belief that what was unfolding in the final minutes of Game 2 was inevitable. That after 42 minutes of fighting for any semblance of consistency and hope, they’d finally found the skeleton key to free their offense from its shackles; that Victor Wembanyama’s last-second shot was destined to fall, and his heart-wrenching turnover only moments earlier would be remembered as the vital penultimate chapter of a storybook comeback. Not the final one.

But it wasn’t to be, and that magic faded in the face what could simply be Knicks immortality. Now, after a 105-104 loss in Game 2, San Antonio heads to New York and a hoops environment teeming with desperation down 2-0 in the NBA Finals.

In the meantime, Victor is going to have to sit for a few days with a moment that could haunt him, and the visual of a basketball bouncing off Stephon Castle’s back.

“I threw that one away,” he said postgame. “I messed up.”

And it wasn’t just the turnover itself that carried the emotional weight of the moment, it was all that had been erased from the run leading up to it. The Spurs had broken through the stubborn New York defense, the ball had found its energy again, and their best players were charging in a way the team had envisioned.

De’Aaron Fox was zipping around as best he could on a bad wheel, rediscovering his 3-point touch and uncovering pathways to the rim that have been cluttered all series.

Wembanyama had found his flow, scoring 22 of his 29 points in the second half with the kind of calmness and intentionality San Antonio had become accustomed to throughout the regular season.

But in a darkly poetic moment, even in the midst of one of the most electric clutch-time scoring barrages we’ve ever seen in an arena that’s seen a few, it was once again a self-inflicted shot to the foot that left the Spurs stumbling at the final hurdle. And with one last gasping breath, they couldn’t clear it.

“At this point, it’s done,” Wembanyama said. “Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”

San Antonio has thrived on its confidence this season, even in the wake of losses that have threatened its season along the way. Perhaps it rubs some the wrong way, or comes across as disrespectful. But it’s not intended to be. Their “appropriate arrogance,” as Mitch Johnson calls it, has been a driving force since October. All the Spurs had heard since training camp was they were too young and inexperienced, and it became that aforementioned fuel for them.

Now’s not the time to abandon those beliefs, but they won’t lose sight of the fact they’re being outplayed. This is where appropriate fear, the long-held mentality around these parts, will also have its say in the matter.

It’s been the story of these NBA Finals: The Knicks have had answers to most things the Spurs have thrown their way, and San Antonio has struggled to adapt to momentum swings the other direction in a timely fashion. Adjustments eventually came in Games 1 and 2, but they were too late for the Spurs to have any better than a 50/50 chance to win either. At this stage, playing at home, that’s not good enough.

But basketball is a cruel sport. Had Victor left that final shot only a few inches short of the target he hit in reality, the entire tenor of the series would be different right now. San Antonio would have had all the momentum back on its side based solely on the outcome of a single coin toss.

That’s dreamland, though. What’s lies in front of them goes beyond the what-ifs, and there is no solace taken in the almosts.

“In moments like this, results matter more than process,,” Wembanyama said. “We just need to score. I just need to score. That's the whole point.”

And now it’s desperation time for the Spurs, about to play in front of the most desperate of fanbases, in a building haunted by the ghosts of a 53-year title drought. It will be unlike any test they’ve taken before, and we still don’t know if they have the answers.

They’ve had time to study, though, because the Knicks have crammed the coursework down their throats. One can find the silver linings from which to learn in what’s developed over the last few days — San Antonio’s built double-digit leads and had opportunities to win in both games — but as Victor said, the only thing that matters now is the outcome, not any of the coulda-woulda-shouldas.

“We showed tremendous desperation, urgency and competitive response,” Mitch Johnson said of those final six minutes. “Hopefully we can try to bottle that up where we don't have to be down that many points to try to play with that same level in those aspects.”

With the NBA Finals effectively on the line Monday, they can’t afford not to anymore.

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