Magic Johnson Reacts to Victor Wembanyama's Performance in Game 3 vs Knicks

The San Antonio Spurs are back in the ball game after defeating the New York Knicks, 115-111, in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. Victor Wembanyama finally found his mojo after two disappointing performances in the finals.

Wembanyama exploded for 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and two steals, while shooting 50% from beyond the arc and 61.1% overall. NBA legend Magic Johnson took notice of Wemby's efforts and had nothing but praise for him on social media.

"I was in awe of Victor Wembanyama’s performance tonight - not only did he score 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, he also became the 2nd youngest player to have 30, 5, and 5 in the victory over the Knicks on their home court," Johnson wrote on X.

Johnson also gave the rest of the Spurs their flowers for a job well done. In Magic's book, the rest of the team played their part, which is why they found success on Monday despite playing in front of a hostile crowd.

"The entire Spurs team deserves a lot of credit for believing they could win and coming out and executing their game plan," Johnson continued. "They couldn’t have won without help from Castle, who stepped up tonight with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists - and four other Spurs ended in double figures: Harper scored 13 points, Champagnie and Fox had 12 points, and Vassell finished with 11."

At least for now, Wembanyama has silenced his critics. However, it'll take more than one game to prove that he has what it takes to win the series for San Antonio.

Victor Wembanyama's Confidence Helps Spurs Win Game 3

Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals looked a little bit different compared to the first couple of games. From the San Antonio Spurs' point of view, the biggest narrative was that Victor Wembanyama is a choker. In games 1 and 2, Wemby often found himself either turning the ball over or shooting poorly from the field.

However, fast forward to Monday's game, and he looked more like the third-placed MVP candidate that he is. Fans are happy to see Wemby's confidence back in play. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson shared his insights on what could have been the reason for his Game 3 resurgence.

"I’m sure Victor has numerous sources of motivation, and I don’t think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance," Johnson said in a postgame press conference interview.

After beating the Knicks in New York, the MSG crowd made sure to let Wemby know how they feel about him. The Spurs star was drowned with a negative reception from the audience throughout the game, especially when it concluded. Wembanyama got candid on whether he's now the new villain in New York.

"I guess," Wemby said about being New York's new supervillain. "But I’m nowhere near Trae Young level, though."

Whatever the case may be, it appears that Wembanyama will need to continue to bring the same energy he did on Monday heading into Game 4 if he wants to tie the series for the Spurs.