RGIII drops truth bomb on De’Aaron Fox after ugly 3-13 disaster in Game 1

The Knicks beat the Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, handing San Antonio a loss on their home court. It was incredibly tight until the very end. The Spurs even took a 95-94 lead with just 2:16 left on the clock but first-year head coach Mike Brown’s squad won because they executed a shocking 11-0 scoring run in the final two minutes.

Jalen Brunson led New York with 30 points, scoring 13 in the fourth quarter. For San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama put up big numbers with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but he struggled heavily with his efficiency, shooting just 6-of-21 from the field. Plus, his running mate was nowhere to be found.

De'Aaron Fox, 28, played 38 minutes and finished with 7 points on 3-of-13 shooting, going 0-for-4 from three with three turnovers. For a guard who averaged 18.6 points per game this regular season and signed a four-year, $229 million max extension last offseason, it was quite an unacceptable showing on the biggest stage of his career.

Former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback and analyst Robert Griffin III didn't sugarcoat after Fox’s underwhelming Game 1 performance. The Heisman Trophy winner called out Fox directly, saying the Spurs need more from him and his lackluster outiung was nowhere near his standard. 

He concluded, penning, “Wemby needs him to get back righteous or this series is over.”

De'Aaron Fox's poor performance in Game 1 wasn't an isolated incident. He struggled throughout the Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City, shooting 4-of-15 in Game 5 and 1-of-9 in Game 6. That shooting slump followed him into the Finals, where he opened with a string of missed threes and finished 3-of-13 from the field.

Meanwhile, rookie Dylan Harper scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and added eight rebounds in 28 minutes. Despite Harper's production, coach Mitch Johnson still closed the game with Fox on the floor.

Now, this rotation is a clear issue for San Antonio heading into Game 2 because Wemby cannot carry the offense alone. He was brought in specifically to be a co-star who relieves pressure, attacks closeouts and gives the 22-year-old room to operate. 

But right now he's doing none of that. Until Fox finds his shot and stops bleeding possessions with careless turnovers, the Knicks can focus their defense on Wembanyama and let Fox's mistakes stall the Spurs' offense. 

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