NBA Daily Digest: Spurs Even Series in Game 2, Anunoby Hurt, Kawhi Cap Case Escalates
The 2026 NBA Finals are tied 1-1 after the Spurs won Game 2 in San Antonio behind Stephon Castle. OG Anunoby left with a right hamstring strain and is questionable for Game 3 at MSG on Monday. The Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration salary-cap investigation escalated as NBA officials interviewed Leonard, his adviser, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Plus: Austin Reaves seeking a $239M max from the Lakers.
The 2026 NBA Finals are tied 1-1. The San Antonio Spurs answered the Knicks' Game 1 comeback with a Game 2 win Friday night at Frost Bank Center, with Stephon Castle delivering the defining performance.1 Meanwhile, OG Anunoby exited Game 2 with a right hamstring strain, putting his availability for Monday's Game 3 at Madison Square Garden in question.2
Game 2 recap: Castle's moment, Anunoby's exit
The Spurs came home and did what they needed to do — protect Frost Bank Center and tie the series heading to New York.
Stephon Castle, C, San Antonio Spurs, was the story Friday night. The rookie guard had been a defensive chess piece in Game 1, but in Game 2 he imposed himself on the offensive end late, handing the Spurs their first win of the series on their home floor.3 Wembanyama logged another double-double in the effort; both teams had cited an urgent need for a better showing from De'Aaron Fox, SF, after his 3-for-13 outing in Game 1.
The Knicks were competitive. Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks, graded out reasonably, and OG Anunoby, SF, New York Knicks, had 24 points before exiting in the fourth quarter when he grabbed at the back of his right leg on a cut toward the rim.4 Per Shams Charania, he was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and is day-to-day. His status is listed as questionable for Game 3 on Monday.2
The Knicks lost Anunoby to a hamstring injury in the second round against the Indiana Pacers in 2024, fell to 2-0, and eventually lost the series in seven. The history is not lost on New York.5
Series: tied 1-1. Game 3 shifts to Madison Square Garden, Monday June 8, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC.
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Injury report heading into Game 3
| Player | Team | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| OG Anunoby | Knicks | Questionable | Right hamstring strain |
| Mitchell Robinson | Knicks | Probable | Broken right pinky |
| David Jones Garcia | Spurs | Out for season | Ankle (OFS) |
Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks, is listed as probable. He had surgery on his broken right pinky prior to the Finals and is playing through the injury.6
Around the league
Kawhi Leonard / Aspiration cap investigation escalates. The NBA has now interviewed Kawhi Leonard, his uncle and business adviser Dennis Robertson, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer as part of its investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap through a $28 million marketing deal between Leonard and the now-defunct green-banking company Aspiration.7
The outline: In September 2021, Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration through his personal LLC while simultaneously the Clippers signed Aspiration as a founding partner for Intuit Dome in a $300 million deal. Six months later, Aspiration signed Leonard to a four-year, $28 million endorsement contract. Former Aspiration employees have said that deal was designed to work around the salary cap.7
Ballmer and the Clippers deny any wrongdoing; Leonard's camp says the contract was legitimate and the team was never involved. Commissioner Adam Silver, speaking before Game 1, said the league is near completing its investigation and will base any decision on evidence, not public pressure.7 Under the 2023 CBA, a confirmed violation could mean a fine of up to $7.5 million, forfeited draft picks, and voided player contracts.
Austin Reaves wants max money from the Lakers. Per Jake Turner of The Athletic, Reaves is seeking a five-year, $239.25 million extension from Los Angeles, and it remains unclear whether he is open to a hometown discount.8 With LA already carrying a heavy payroll, the negotiation has real stakes — Reaves is coming off his best season and the Lakers need him at a functional price.
Brunson taunter gets banned from courtside. The fan who directed vulgar taunts at Jalen Brunson during Game 1 will not be allowed to sit in courtside seats for the remainder of the 2026 Finals, per multiple reports citing Ian Begley of SNY. The fan was not a Spurs season-ticket holder and had been looked into following Brunson's conversation with referee Scott Foster after Game 1.9
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Game 1 ratings up 90%. The Knicks' 105-95 comeback win in Game 1 averaged nearly 17 million viewers on ABC — up 90% compared to Game 1 of the 2025 Finals.10 This is a market with genuine crossover pull: first time the Knicks have been in the Finals since 1999, and the opponent is the sport's most watch-able young star.
Series schedule
| Game | Date | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Jun 3 | San Antonio | Final — NYK 105, SAS 95 | ABC |
| Game 2 | Jun 5 | San Antonio | Final — SAS wins (series 1-1) | ABC |
| Game 3 | Jun 8 | New York | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 4 | Jun 10 | New York | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 5* | Jun 13 | San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 6* | Jun 16 | New York | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 7* | Jun 19 | San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
*If necessary
References
- 1Instagram/NBA Game 2 recap
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- 2
- 3Instagram reel — beyond the baseline recap
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- 4Instagram reel — OG Anunoby Game 2 hamstring
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- 5
- 6ESPN game page — injury report
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- 7
- 8
- 9Yahoo Sports — Fan banned from courtside seats
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- 10
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