Spurs Star Stephon Castle Calls Madison Square Garden Crowd 'Underwhelming'

San Antonio Spurs player Stephon Castle described the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden during the NBA Finals as "underwhelming," suggesting it was less intense than the crowd in Oklahoma City during the Western Conference Finals.

Castle, who averaged 37.7 percent from the field during the Knicks' five-game series win, stated he was unfazed by the New York crowd in Games 3 and 4. "It was underwhelming in that first game," Castle said of the MSG crowd. "They made it seem like it was going to be way crazier in there."

He added, "OKC was way louder than MSG," referring to the Spurs' previous series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder had notably struggled with the Garden's environment, squandering a 29-point lead in Game 4 of their series against the Knicks.

Despite Castle's assessment, the Knicks' playoff run was marked by fervent fan support, including celebrity appearances and enthusiastic celebrations. The team secured their championship with a dramatic Game 4 victory, sealed by an OG Anunoby tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining.

Following the Game 4 collapse, Spurs players, including Victor Wembanyama, expressed their disappointment and confusion. Wembanyama admitted the team lost its drive in the second half, stating, "We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half… It just hurts. We stopped moving the ball. Stopped executing."

The Spurs, one of the youngest teams in the league, are looking to build on their experience from the Finals and their playoff run, which included eliminating the Thunder.