San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet landed on Game 5’s injury report ahead of facing the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. Kornet is suffering from an illness and is still listed as questionable hours before tip-off. With the Spurs’ season on the line in Game 5 at home, San Antonio will lean on its crowd to force a Game 6 back at Madison Square Garden.
Kornet, who’s All-Star Victor Wembanyama’s backup center, has been a key contributor off of the Spurs’ bench for coach Mitch Johnson throughout the playoffs. However, against the Knicks, it’s been a trying series for Kornet, who’s averaging 0.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 7.8 minutes per game in the Finals.
Kornet averaged 6.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks throughout the Spurs’ regular season. Ahead of Game 5, his status could leave San Antonio’s frontcourt extra slim, or trigger unexpected playing time for either veteran Kelly Olynyk or Bismack Biyombo. Coming off the Knicks’ greatest comeback in playoff history, the Spurs will have to focus on the task in front of them.
While San Antonio has leaped out to double-digit leads in all four Finals games against the Knicks, only one of them — Game 3 — translated into a win throughout their best-of-7 series. New York’s historic comeback is undoubtedly the Finals’ standout moment of the best-of-7 series.
However, if the Spurs can become the first NBA team to comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals since LeBron James and the 2016 Cavs, they may have to pull it off without their veteran center in Luke Kornet.
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