When a star of Victor Wembanyama's caliber steps in front of reporters and says "I threw that ball away, I made the mistake," it's a rarity in an NBA world where blame is usually shifted onto the refs, the schedule, anything but yourself. But San Antonio lost the second Finals game 104-105 to the New York Knicks, and the Frenchman wasn't looking for somewhere to hide.

The situation eating at him: thirteen seconds left, after a missed jumper by Jalen Brunson, Wembanyama grabbed the rebound and instead of calming the play, pushed the ball into transition and passed it to Stephon Castle - who had his back turned, wasn't looking, and the ball bounced off his shoulders. A whole offensive possession, thrown away in two seconds of miscommunication.

"Will I regret it? Yes, definitely. Will I use it as fuel for the next game? Absolutely," Wembanyama said. It sounds good at a press conference. But the Spurs are now digging out of an 0-2 hole in the series, and NBA history isn't merciful to teams that lose that lead.

Wembanyama's numbers weren't bad - 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. The problem is that in the Finals, when the opponent is called the Knicks and the series moves to New York for games three and four, "not bad" isn't enough. San Antonio mounted a comeback from a 14-point deficit in the final quarter and still ended in defeat - which stings twice as much.

The Knicks are now two wins away from ending a drought of more than half a century. For the Spurs, all that's left is the math every fan hates: at least one win in New York, or the series is over before they get back home.