Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals: As San Antonio focuses on keeping season alive, coach Mitch Johnson acknowledges he needs to be better

SAN ANTONIO — As the postseason has dragged on over the past two months, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson has constantly referred to the phrase “100 games,” an indication of not only how long an actual regular season can last, but also how experience can build over time.

Game 4, a historic Finals collapse, was unlike anything this team had ever experienced, but Johnson’s method of motivation, even in instances when his team let go of the rope, has always been a balancing act: emphasizing positive areas that helped build leads, which the Spurs have done plenty this series, while also acknowledging what went wrong.

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But does this approach work at the highest level of the sport, in the most tense, emotional, draining moments?

“It’s a good question,” Johnson said on Friday. “I think every game takes on different personalities. A lot of times when you watch the games back, with the level of detail that I would guess all staffs do, but I can speak for our staff, there’s so much that starts to happen, whether on a certain play before you make the shot or before the runs happen.

“I think that’s what gives someone a lot of clarity on what went well and what didn’t, what led to it. … When you start peeling back the layers, you start to understand the ripple effect, good and bad, of what you do or what you did.”

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Divvying up the blame pie chart for surrendering a 29-point lead is an interesting social experiment; Victor Wembanyama leaned too far into high-usage, low-efficiency shots in the second half, missing 11 of his 14 attempts; De’Aaron Fox’s split-second decision-making when veteran guidance was required will replay on and on; Stephon Castle’s inability to create the separation he had enjoyed for weeks in the postseason proved costly. The list could go on and on.

But as Johnson sat at the podium, he seemed to absorb all of the responsibility. After all, it was Johnson who allowed two huge runs in the second half — a 13-0 run in the middle of the third quarter and a 32-11 Knicks blitzkrieg over…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/knicks-spurs-nba-finals-as-san-antonio-focuses-on-keeping-season-alive-coach-mitch-johnson-acknowledges-he-needs-to-be-better-215246652.html

Author : Kelly Iko

Publish date : 2026-06-12 21:52:00

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