The San Antonio Spurs enter Game 3 of the NBA Finals facing a daunting challenge, but Stephon Castle is not ready to concede anything.
After dropping the first two games of the series at home, including a heartbreaking 105-104 loss on Friday, the Spurs trail the New York Knicks 2-0 heading into Monday night’s matchup at Madison Square Garden. Yet Castle’s message remained consistent during his media availability on Sunday.
“At the end of the day it’s first to four,” Castle said. “Going down 0-2 at home, something that we definitely didn’t want to do, but going back and watching it, those were very winnable games, and I think the next two are very winnable games, too.”
That belief has become central to San Antonio’s mindset as the series shifts to New York, where the Knicks are now two wins away from their first championship since 1973.
Castle acknowledged that Friday’s loss lingered, particularly after a chaotic final sequence that saw the Spurs surrender the lead before Jalen Brunson’s go-ahead free throw and Victor Wembanyama’s missed game-winning attempt.
“It probably stuck with me for the rest of that night, next morning,” Castle said. “But once you realize the next game is more important at that point, you got to let it go.”
The second-year guard repeatedly emphasized the importance of moving forward rather than dwelling on missed opportunities.
“We’ve always had the next play, next game mentality,” Castle said. “We weren’t able to close that one out, but like I said earlier, it’s first to four.”
Castle believes the Spurs have put themselves in position to win throughout the series but have hurt themselves with mistakes.
“We feel like we gave them that game,” he said. “Not just talking about the last play of the game or last couple plays of the game. I feel like throughout the game, we gave them life in areas where we could have took a lead and extended it.”
The Spurs’ confidence has also been reinforced by advice from longtime coach Gregg Popovich, who spoke to the team before it traveled to New York.
“We talked to Pop before we flew down here,” Castle said. “Pretty much was just let the last two games go. It happened. They were very winnable games. We feel like we gave them those games, but we got to let those go and focus on the next one.”
For Castle, the Finals spotlight is not something that feels overwhelming despite the magnitude of the moment.
“This is what we worked for. This is the spot that we dreamed of being in,” he said. “Once you get past the fact that we’re playing in the Finals and you’re on this big stage that you dreamed of, it’s still basketball.”
The guard also provided a positive update on the ankle issue he dealt with during Game 2.
“It’s been feeling good,” Castle said. “It feels a lot better than I thought it was initially.”
As San Antonio prepares for what could be a season-defining game, Castle believes the team’s desperation level is exactly where it needs to be.
“Now being down 2-0, our sense of urgency is probably the highest it’s been all playoffs, especially it being the Finals,” Castle said. “I think I’m ready to see how we’ll come out next game.”
Game 3 tips off Monday night at Madison Square Garden with the Spurs trying to cut the series deficit in half and keep their championship hopes alive.
