De’Aaron Fox helped guide the De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 NBA Finals Game 3 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday, as the series shifted to 2-1.
Fox finished with key late-game execution in a game defined by runs, momentum swings, and shot-making under pressure.
On the Spurs’ growth as a new group, Fox pointed to chemistry as the foundation of their season-long rise.
“I think we’ve been close just throughout the year. Obviously getting to know each other on and off the court. But I think that’s why we’ve been so good because we have a bunch of good guys whose personalities don’t clash, people who are selfless and it’s made us a good team.”
He emphasized that talent alone was never the question for San Antonio, but rather how quickly the group could function as a unit.
“We have talent. We knew that we had talent. And it was how well and how quickly could we gel together and I think we did it pretty quickly. You don’t win 62 games by accident. And I feel like you don’t get to the finals by accident.”
Fox credited the Spurs’ response to momentum swings inside a hostile road environment, especially after New York’s strong stretches.
“Every game that we’ve played, I think we’ve had the bigger lead in all these games. And the big thing is how can we sustain the way that we’re playing?”
He detailed how San Antonio adjusted after halftime when the Knicks pushed the tempo and physicality.
“We gave up 42 points and only scored 24 points in that quarter. So it was definitely a break that we needed… we came out in the second half and we hit them first tied the game up quickly.”
When asked about late-game shot-making and his missed attempt earlier in the game, Fox kept the explanation simple.
“Making that shot, like I said, it’s a make or miss league a lot of times. A lot of times it’s get to your spot and if you miss that shot, it is what it is, but you try to make that shot more often than not.”
Fox also explained how the Spurs handle defensive chaos against a Knicks team built around constant movement and late-clock creation.
“We know at this point when you’ve played a team so many times, you know what they’re going to do, they know what you’re going to do… we want to live in that area of them trying to take tough shots at the end of the shot clock.”
The Spurs guard compared the Game 3 swing to a fight, describing the importance of halftime adjustment after a difficult second quarter.
“It’s like a fight like a UFC fight or boxing fight… we gave up 42 points and only scored 24 points in that quarter. So it was definitely a break that we needed.”
Fox also addressed Victor Wembanyama’s response after Game 2, noting the expected reaction from a player of his caliber.
“I would say it’s the way that everybody would think a great player would react. Obviously he was upset with himself… there was definitely no inkling that I thought that he wouldn’t come out here and respond the way that he did.”
Late in the game, Fox praised the maturity of Stephon Castle, who hit key shots and free throws in the closing stretch.
“You kind of see it like his personality, his demeanor, that’s the way that he is. He’s kind of always cool… his game is as mature as it could be, especially at 21 years old.”
