Spurs' Stephon Castle says Knicks crowd at MSG was 'underwhelming' in NBA Finals, OKC fans were 'way louder' — SkimNews
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- Stephon Castle called the MSG crowd 'underwhelming' during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, saying 'They made it seem like it was going to be way crazier in there,' in an interview with GQ Sports.
- Game 3 was the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years, and the Knicks lost it — their only defeat in the series en route to winning the title.
- Castle said the Oklahoma City environment during the Spurs' Game 7 Western Conference finals win was 'way louder' than MSG.
- OG Anunoby tipped in a missed 3-pointer by Jalen Brunson with 1.2 seconds remaining in Game 4 to complete an improbable comeback that helped New York take a 3-1 series lead.
- The Knicks clinched their first NBA championship since 1973 by winning Game 5 on the road in San Antonio.
- The Knicks and Spurs will meet twice during the 2026-27 regular season — on Christmas Day at MSG and on March 7 in San Antonio — after also facing off in the NBA Cup title game.
- MSG hosted the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, a 27-year gap that Castle's comments undercut as a letdown moment.
Why it matters: Castle's remarks sting for a Knicks fanbase that waited 27 years for a Finals game at MSG — and the timing amplifies it: the Knicks lost that lone Game 3, and Castle's preference for OKC's crowd contrasts two arenas the Spurs just experienced on their run. The Knicks still won the title, but Castle's quote reframes MSG's 'home-court' moment as a quiet one.
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