Charles Barkley names unlikely hero as Knicks make rare NBA Finals history and Victor Wembanyama takes blame

Jun 6, 2026 - 10:45

The NBA Finals have only barely begun, but Charles Barkley has already named his series MVP.

After the New York Knicks stole Game 1 on the road to the San Antonio Spurs, all eyes were on whether Victor Wembanyama could make the necessary adjustments to ensure that the series headed to Madison Square Garden level at 1-1.

The New York Knicks have taken a 2-0 series lead over the Spurs

But there was one major roadblock for the 22-year-old French phenom in the form of 7-foot, 248-pounds Knicks power forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns.

In Game 2, Towns was prolific – like he had been the game before – shooting 8-of-12 from the field for a team-high 21 points to go with 13 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block as the Knicks held on for a narrow 105-104 victory and a commanding 2-0 series lead.

In fact, Towns became the first Knicks player since Dave DeBusschere in 1973 to record a 20-point double-double in a road Finals game, per ESPN Insights.

The win saw the Knicks make NBA history by becoming just the third team in Finals history to win both Game 1 and 2 on the road, following Michael Jordan and the 1993 Chicago Bulls , and Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in 1995.

With Towns having come alive in his first NBA Finals of his 11-year career, the outspoken Barkley has already claimed the former No. 1 overall pick as his MVP.

This comes despite the fact that the Orange and Blue still need to win two more games of the best-of-7 series in order to be crowned NBA champions for the first time since 1973.

“He’s been criticized in Minnesota, he’s been criticized in New York. The MVP of the Finals is gonna be Karl-Anthony Towns,” Barkley said.

“He has played two of the best games I’ve ever seen a big man play. He was great in Game 1, he was great in Game 2. That man earned his flowers.”

Just like he did in Game 1, Towns – who is now 8-of-13 from the field in the series when Wembanyama is his primary defender – gave most of the credit for his performance to his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz, who passed in 2020 due to COVID-19 complications.

“I needed a stop,” Towns said. “It’s amazing as you go through life, if you lose a parent, if anyone’s listening, you just look for signs.

Inside the NBA's Charles Barkley has already named KAT as his Finals MVP — Inside the NBA’s Charles Barkley has already named KAT as his Finals MVP

KAT has stepped his game up another gear in the NBA Finals

“I’ll take any sign I could get and I prayed to her strong before that possession. I take it as a sign my mom was here with me, so I appreciate her so much.”

Wembanyama shoulders blame for defeat

Although Wembanyama recorded 29 points, a game high, he was restricted to just 11-of-21 shooting from the field (2-of-6 from downtown), largely as a result of the excellent defensive coverage from both Towns and center Mitchell Robinson.

The pair also forced him into four turnovers, one of which proved hugely costly for San Antonio.

With 12.7 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 104 apiece, Wembanyama grabbed his ninth board off the glass and was attempting to initiate the fast break.

However, he fired a pass to teammate Stephon Castle – unbeknownst to the Spurs guard – who was sprinting up the floor and had his back facing away from Wembanyama and the incoming pass.

This allowed Jalen Brunson to swoop in for the steal, and score what proved to be the game-winning free throw.

“I’m still very blurry, and that’s the whole problem,” the Spurs star said after the game. “I need to have more poise, more control of the game.

Wembanyama took responsibility for the Spurs' Game 2 loss — Wembanyama took responsibility for the Spurs’ Game 2 loss

“I threw that one away. I messed up. We didn’t play great as a team.We needed to win that game. This game was ours.

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

The series now heads to the Mecca of Basketball for Games 3 and 4, with Knicks fans, especially those who can afford the staggering prices, getting to witness the NBA Finals being played at MSG for the first time since 1999.

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