Luke Kornet’s biggest Western Conference finals play was not a scoring burst, but it gave the Spurs a Finals clue: San Antonio’s supporting size can change possessions even when Victor Wembanyama is not the only defender involved.
The Spurs reached the Finals by beating Oklahoma City 111-103 in Game 7, according to the official playoff schedule. NBA.com’s June 1 preview singled out Kornet’s fourth-quarter block on Isaiah Hartenstein’s dunk attempt as the play San Antonio kept coming back to after the win.
The play mattered because of timing
The block came with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter. Julian Champagnie described it as a momentum play and said it took the life out of the building, according to NBA.com’s Finals setup.
That is not a small detail. Late in a road Game 7, the difference between a dunk and a blocked attempt can decide whether the home crowd gets back into the game or the road team keeps control.
Kornet gives San Antonio lineup flexibility
The Finals will naturally center on Wembanyama. Still, the Spurs need more than one big body to survive New York’s pressure. Kornet gives San Antonio a way to keep rim size on the floor, absorb contact and protect Wembanyama from having to contest every interior touch.
That has real value against a Knicks team that has been living in the paint. San Antonio can use Kornet in short stretches to maintain defensive size while Wembanyama spaces or rests.
The Knicks can test his mobility
New York’s counter is obvious. Kornet can change shots near the rim, but the Knicks can force him into movement with Brunson pick-and-rolls, Towns spacing and quick decisions from the elbows.
If Kornet has to guard multiple actions in space before protecting the rim, the advantage becomes more complicated. The Spurs need his size without allowing New York to turn every possession into a foot-speed test.
San Antonio’s veterans matter more than the age label
NBA.com’s preview noted that San Antonio’s roster actually has more combined Finals appearances than New York’s, with Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk and Kornet combining for 24 Finals games. That detail cuts against the easy idea that the Spurs are only a young team learning on the fly.
Kornet’s value fits that point. He does not need to carry a scoring role. He needs to make the right rotation, contest without fouling and punish New York if it assumes every non-Wembanyama minute is a soft spot.
The bench could decide one swing game
Finals matchups often turn on a star’s scoring night, but one bench possession can tilt a close game. Kornet already gave the Spurs that kind of possession in Oklahoma City.
If San Antonio gets the same version against New York, its depth becomes more than a talking point. It becomes the piece that keeps the Knicks from turning every non-Wembanyama stretch into a paint parade.
Receive exclusive NBA news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
