Pertandingan Game 3 Final NBA 2026 antara New York Knicks melawan San Antonio Spurs digelar di Madison Square Garden pada Selasa, 9 Juni 2026, menandai kembalinya laga puncak bola basket tersebut ke kota New York setelah penantian selama 27 tahun.
Dilansir dari theguardian.com, New York Knicks menyambut laga kandang ini dengan keunggulan 2-0 atas San Antonio Spurs, berbekal catatan 13 kemenangan beruntun di babak playoff demi meraih gelar juara pertama mereka sejak 1973. Tingginya antusiasme penonton membuat harga tiket termurah di tribune atas sempat menyentuh angka 12.000 dolar AS di situs penjualan kembali sebelum turun menjadi 5.000 dolar AS pada hari pertandingan.
Pengamanan ketat diterapkan di sekitar arena menyusul rencana kehadiran Donald Trump sebagai tamu pemilik Knicks, James Dolan, yang menjadikannya presiden AS aktif pertama yang menghadiri Final NBA. Selain Trump, Wali Kota New York City Zohran Mamdani juga dijadwalkan hadir setelah membeli tiket langsung dari Madison Square Garden bersama sekitar 20.000 penonton lainnya.
Di tengah dominasi pendukung tuan rumah, seorang warga asli San Antonio yang tinggal di New York City menyatakan tetap optimistis terhadap peluang tim tamu untuk bangkit mengejar ketertinggalan.
"So, you know, just as I was walking down the street a few minutes ago, there were some people making comments, you know, ‘Oh, he’s wearing a Spurs jersey, you know, down 0-2.’ But then their friend goes, ‘But it’s a Duncan jersey.’" ujar Kevin Griffin, pendukung San Antonio Spurs kepada KSAT.
Griffin menilai bahwa performa para pemain muda Spurs, didukung talenta Dylan Harper dan Victor Wembanyama, mampu membalikkan keadaan dalam seri pertandingan ini.
"It’s tough. Young team. They’re trying to do things that we’ve never seen before. We get one. We get one here. Knicks are going to be rattled. I think the Spurs have a good opportunity. Dylan Harper’s been playing incredible. Jalen Brunson’s really good, but Dylan Harper was the best player on the floor the last two games. We have the best player on the floor this series, and Wemby’s the best player in the world. So, we’re in a good spot." kata Kevin Griffin.
Griffin juga mengakui adanya rasa gugup setiap hari pertandingan berlangsung karena ia terus melihat antusiasme para pendukung Knicks di jalanan kota.
"Oh, for sure. You know, we generally, each morning, somebody in the group chat, you know, says, ‘Gameday, boys.’ Or, you know, like what (former Spurs guard) Patty (Mills) used to say, ‘Gameday, Bala.’ And so, yeah, there’s a little bit of that. You know, I’m thinking about it all day, and especially with the finals here, because, you know, I’m walking around and seeing people with their Knicks stuff. I kind of want to make comments, but I generally don’t. And, yeah, definitely some game day jitters as though I’m on the team." tutur Kevin Griffin.
Jika Spurs berhasil mencuri satu kemenangan di New York, Griffin berencana untuk langsung terbang kembali ke San Antonio demi menyaksikan laga kelima secara langsung.
"We get one here, the Knicks are going to be rattled. Bring it back to San Antonio, and I’ll be there. I’m flying down Saturday, right before Game 5." ucap Kevin Griffin.
Kecintaan Griffin terhadap Spurs bermula sejak masa taman kanak-kanak di Broccoli Elementary berkat gurunya, tepat satu tahun sebelum Tim Duncan dipilih dalam NBA Draft.
"So I’m from San Antonio, so I grew up there (and) became a Spurs fan in kindergarten. My kindergarten teacher at Broccoli Elementary — she was a big Spurs fan. Took us to a game the year before Tim Duncan got drafted. So, you know, a ton of cheap tickets at that point in time." kata Kevin Griffin.
Griffin, yang merupakan lulusan Communications Arts High School dan pernah bertanding untuk Taft High School, merasa beruntung bisa menyaksikan era keemasan dari organisasi olahraga tersebut.
"And so I became a Spurs fan from there. And then, like I said, it’s easy being a Spurs fan. You know, staying dedicated with the team is maybe not as easy for some people, but for me, I was fortunate. You know, first grade, whatever age that is, maybe seven years old, Tim Duncan gets drafted, and from there, it’s, you know, greatest organization in sports. Legacy begins." ujar Kevin Griffin.
Griffin menutup pernyataannya dengan memberikan pesan penyemangat bagi komunitas pendukung Spurs yang berada di kota asalnya.
"Shout out to all my friends, my family, who are huge Spurs fans. The people that stay locked in with me when we’re celebrating, when we’re struggling a little bit. Being down 0-2, and we’re upset yesterday, didn’t even go outside. Shout out to everybody who keeps the energy up. Love my city." kata Kevin Griffin.
Penerapan prosedur pemeriksaan ketat seperti standar keamanan bandara memaksa para pemegang tiket tiba dua jam lebih awal sebelum sepak mula Game 3 dimulai.
