Alexander Wilson

June 13, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns reacting for the Knicks against the Spurs during the NBA Finals

The Spurs were already asking Victor Wembanyama to carry a ridiculous amount of the series.

Now Luke Kornet is questionable for Game 5 with an illness, and even if that sounds like a small injury-report note, it could matter more than the name suggests. Kornet has not been good in the Finals, but he is still one of the few true big bodies San Antonio can use to buy Wembanyama a few minutes of oxygen.

The NY Knicks should notice that immediately.

Mitchell Robinson near a Josh Hart block for the Knicks during the NBA Finals

Wembanyama cannot play every possession forever

Wembanyama is already averaging around 40 minutes per game in the Finals, and Game 4 asked him to survive 44 minutes in a collapse that will sting for a long time. If Kornet cannot go, San Antonio’s backup options get thin fast.

The Spurs can go smaller with Carter Bryant or try another veteran big, but none of those choices are comfortable. Kornet has been outscored by 19 points in limited minutes this series, and his absence would still make the rotation more fragile.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson become a bigger deal there.

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Knicks size can make the math ugly

Towns does not need to dominate Wembanyama one-on-one for this angle to work. He needs to keep pulling him away from the rim, force decisions in space, and make San Antonio pay whenever the Spurs try to hide a smaller lineup behind activity.

Robinson’s job is different. He has to punish the glass, set real screens, and make every possession around the rim feel expensive. His free throws are always the catch, but the physical stress he adds is part of why San Antonio’s depth matters.

I would not call Kornet’s status a series changer by itself because that would be a reach. The real point is workload, and the Knicks are one win from a championship, so anything that makes Wembanyama carry more defensive ground, more rebounding work, and more late-game fatigue is worth attacking.

Game 5 may come down to Brunson’s calm and Anunoby’s two-way force. Still, if the Spurs are short one more big, the Knicks should make the court feel heavy immediately.