“And David put his hand in his bag,” wrote the anonymous or eponymous author of the book of Samuel, “and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.”

David made due with what he had and it was enough. The NBA version of David would be the 2004 Pistons, who upset the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and their seemingly destined fate to four-peat. Los Angeles was a mess, what with Shaq hating Kobe, Kobe hating Shaq, both players hating Phil Jackson, the child rapist sexually harassing the accused rapist’s wife with a “joke” about little girls, etcetera. They were their for the taking, and the Pistons made sure they got took.

The Lakers lost Game 1 at home, then trailed by six with 36 seconds left before rallying to force overtime and win Game 2. But the next three games were in Michigan, one of the busiest hubs on the railroad that runs where dreams go to die, and whatever lingering fantasies they flew in with were laid to rest after three straight Ls. It’s not a perfect fit. It’ll do.

The San Antonio Spurs lost Game 1 of this year’s Finals at home, then very nearly staged an incredible comeback to win Game 2. To my knowledge Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox get along well enough. Mitch Johnson seems inoffensive, if not likable. And I’ve never heard a single salacious thing about Stephon Castle. So I’m not saying the Knicks and Spurs are David vs. Goliath II. I’m saying what New York’s has done/is doing is more impressive. A slingshot blast to the dome? That’s like porn, or Stalinism — effective, but only so far as you either ignore or adore the brutality.

The Knicks are doing unto others what’s been done to them the past two postseasons. When they played Indiana in 2024, Tyrese Haliburton led Pacers in minutes (235). Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo all eclipsed that mark, with Isaiah Hartenstein nearly joining them. Nine Pacers averaged a dozen or more minutes over the seven games; only seven Knicks did. Multiply that over a couple of weeks and . . . well, you know what it looks like.

In these Finals the Knicks are the bigger, stronger, deeper team. They entered the series far more rested than the Spurs, a gap likely to continue expanding: the Knicks have no reason to fix what ain’t broke, whereas teams down 0-2 are historically more likely to change or shrink their rotation than expand it. Sean Elliott, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard aren’t walking through that door, and probably neither are Kelly Olynyk, Lindy Waters III or Bismack Biyombo.

These are the minutes played after two games:

Aren’t those pretty?

What’s clear in those graphs is that the team that’s down and clearly and understandably worn out is more top-heavy, minutes-wise, than their fresher opponent. But there’s something not immediately apparent that emerges with a little bit of a closer look.

The man from the government would tell you Wembanyama and Brunson have played nearly identical minutes (78 to 75). They haven’t. That’s one reason the Knick star has had enough in the tank to close both games out when the younger stud Spur hasn’t. And it’s one reason the Spurs are up against a more daunting uphill than merely coming back after dropping the opening two at home.

Brunson has played roughly 20,000 minutes in the NBA, regular-season and playoffs. Two games into the Finals, he’s played 6% more minutes than he did a year ago. Wembanyama just passed the 6,000 minute mark this spring. Last year, deep vein thrombosis ended his season before the All-Star break, so his workload from 2025 to 2026 is up 64%. Even if you go back to his prior career high in 2024, his total minutes are up 20%. I don’t know how to calculate the added intensity of playoff minutes, but however you frame it the picture’s the same: the biggest man in a league of big men is working more than ever.

And as the season’s advanced, he’s playing way more minutes way more often. There’s no real difference between Brunson playing 37-plus minutes in 50% of his playoff games and Wembanyama doing so in 47%. But Brunson played that many minutes 42% of the time in the regular season. He’s done it eight times in the playoffs. Wembanyama did so five times in the entire regular season, 8% of his games.

Hack-a-Mitch is the free throw story getting the most press in the series, but Wembanyama’s attempts are noteworthy. He had nine in the first two games against Portland (he left the second game early due to a head injury), five against Minnesota and 15 versus OKC. The Knicks sent him to the line 21 times. Those add up over time. Long as those fouls aren’t coming from KAT or Mitch, they’re fine continuing to send him there.

When the legs are gone, the fight usually is, too. The Knicks being the Knicks — in particular Towns being as unique a 7-footer as Wembanyama — is forcing the young giant to answer questions that weren’t in the reading, to push past limits he’s never tested before, limits no human that big maybe ever has. If the Knicks are partying in the Canyon of Heroes this June, their silent sixth man will be a big reason why.

Goliath’s Achilles heel was his head. Shaq was awful at the line. The Knicks are relying on talent and grit in this series. They’re also relying on time wearing on Wembanyama. Head shots are automatic flagrants these days, and he’s making nearly 90% of his free throws in the playoffs. A rock to the noggin won’t work against this particular strain of mutant. Time itself is grinding on him. The Knicks are skilled and gifted on both ends. They’re two wins from a title because they’re stronger and tougher, too.