Finals Notes: Wemby, Brunson, Rotations, Sochan

After entering the NBA Finals as favorites, the Spurs are now considered underdogs to win the series following their Game 1 loss to the Knicks. However, San Antonio’s top players are unfazed by the deficit, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who points out that the team also lost Game 1 of its Minnesota series and was down 2-1 and 3-2 to Oklahoma City before coming back to advance.

“We feel like we’re the better team,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “We didn’t play well and still had a chance to win.”

Big man Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, stated that he isn’t “worried in the slightest” about San Antonio’s ability to respond to the Game 1 loss. Like Castle, he pointed out that the Spurs played a subpar game by their standards and still had a chance to pull out a win in the fourth quarter.

“It’s almost like I have to play normal, not even good (in Game 2),” Wembanyama said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “It’s just (about) doing the right things enough. When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot. This is why I’m not worried. We’re going to be so much better. I’m going to be so much better.”

Here’s more on the NBA Finals as the Spurs and Knicks gear up for Game 2 on Friday night:

• The difference in Game 1, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic, was that Knicks guard Jalen Brunson knew had to close out the victory, while Wembanyama “looked a little lost by comparison.” However, Wembanyama has proven to be a quick learner over the course of his first playoff run and his teammates are confident in his ability to figure things out going forward. “I feel like that is kind of who he is. He never backs down from the moment,” Spurs guard Dylan Harper said. “He always kind of steps up and meets it.”
• The NBA is investigating an incident that took place near the end of Game 1, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that Brunson took exception to a pair of courtside fans who were directing “profane” and “derogatory” comments toward him. As Haynes explained during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), Brunson spoke to referee Scott Foster at the end of the game about those fans.
• As Law Murray of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), both the Knicks and Spurs pared down their rotations from 10 players to nine during the second half of Game 1. Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson was the casualty for New York, while rookie forward Carter Bryant was San Antonio’s odd man out.
• Former Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, now a member of the Knicks, has played in just five of the team’s 15 playoff games so far, exclusively in garbage time, but he said ahead of Game 1 that he’s “staying ready” and trying to be the best teammate he can be, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “Not all 18 guys can play on the court, so you have to accept that part and not be a cancer to the team,” Sochan said.