NEW YORK (Interstat) — Victor Wembanyama had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his first NBA Finals win, carrying the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 victory Monday night that cut the New York Knicks’ lead to 2-1.

The Spurs handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days and potentially salvaged their season in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd of 19,812 that included President Donald Trump. New York had its 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history, snapped and missed a chance to move to the brink of its first championship since 1973.

San Antonio trailed by four with 9.4 seconds left after OG Anunoby hit a 22-foot 3-pointer that gave New York a 111-108 lead. But the Spurs answered when Stephon Castle, who finished with 23 points, drew a foul on Jalen Brunson and calmly sank two free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining. New York then had two chances to tie or take the lead. Mikal Bridges missed a 27-foot turnaround jumper with 4.8 seconds left, and after the Knicks retained possession, Anunoby missed a 23-foot 3-pointer as time expired.

The frantic finish capped a game in which San Antonio led by as many as 13 points in the first half before New York stormed back to take a 64-57 lead at halftime, fueled by a 42-point second quarter. The Knicks shot 54 percent from the floor in the period, with Jalen Brunson scoring 15 of his game-high 32 points in the frame. Brunson also had five rebounds and five assists.

Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 forward, dominated the opening minutes. He threw down an alley-oop dunk from De’Aaron Fox 42 seconds into the game, then added another dunk off a feed from Castle. He also blocked a 3-point attempt by Mikal Bridges on the defensive end. San Antonio opened with a 7-0 run and led 33-22 after the first quarter, shooting 53 percent from the field.

New York’s offense came alive in the second quarter. Guard Jordan Clarkson scored 10 points off the bench, including a 3-pointer that pulled the Knicks within 33-30 with 9:12 left before halftime. Anunoby followed with a 25-foot running jumper to put New York ahead for the first time at 38-38. The Knicks extended the lead to 64-57 at the break, as Brunson drilled a 28-foot 3-pointer with 41 seconds left in the half.

San Antonio stormed back in the third quarter, outscoring New York 35-27. Julian Champagnie hit a 25-foot 3-pointer and converted a flagrant 1 free throw after Brunson was assessed a flagrant foul, sparking a 9-0 run that gave the Spurs a 73-64 lead. Wembanyama added a 29-foot 3-pointer and a tip-in as San Antonio built a 91-83 advantage heading into the fourth.

The Knicks cut the deficit to 100-98 with 5:40 left on a Brunson free throw, but Wembanyama answered with an alley-oop layup from Fox. The teams traded baskets down the stretch. Brunson put New York ahead 104-102 with an 18-foot pullup with 2:22 remaining, but Castle answered with a 26-foot 3-pointer from Wembanyama’s assist to give the Spurs a one-point lead with 1:53 left.

Brunson’s 25-foot running pullup with 33.7 seconds left put New York back on top 108-107. Fox then hit a 15-foot step-back jumper with 12.2 seconds to go, giving San Antonio a 109-108 advantage. Anunoby’s 3-pointer with 9.4 seconds left gave the Knicks their final lead before Castle’s free throws and New York’s missed shots sealed the outcome.

Castle, the rookie guard, scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and added five rebounds and five assists. Fox had 12 points and eight assists but shot just 4-of-13 from the field. Dylan Harper contributed 13 points and nine rebounds, while Devin Vassell scored 11 points. San Antonio shot 51 percent from the floor and 42 percent from 3-point range, while making 21 of 26 free throws.

For New York, Anunoby had 28 points and five rebounds, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and making three free throws in four attempts. Josh Hart added 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 11 points and eight rebounds but fouled out late. Clarkson scored 10 points off the bench. The Knicks shot 49 percent overall and 39 percent from behind the arc, hitting 13 of 26 free throws.

The Spurs improved their season record to 75 wins and 29 losses, while the Knicks fell to 68 wins and 33 losses. San Antonio avoided falling into a 3-0 hole in the best-of-seven series.

Wembanyama’s performance continued his strong postseason. He had 29 points and nine rebounds in a 105-104 loss in Game 2 on Friday, and 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 105-95 loss in Game 1 on Wednesday. The Spurs had lost two straight games before Monday’s victory, both at home.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York 118, San Antonio 104. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Knicks a 79.3 percent probability to win. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 2.5 points. The total score of 226 went over the over-under line of 216.5.