The Knicks aren't up 2-0 in the NBA Finals because they're playing perfect basketball. Instead, they've seized a massive lead because of their ability to weather the storms that have come their way two games in.This includes persevering through early rust, some offensive struggles overall, and a very Spurs-friendly whistle from the refs across both opening contests.Despite all of that, New York's veterans have kept cool heads. The same can't be said for the youthful San Antonio roster, and the difference it's making is clear in these Finals.Spurs' cracks starting to show in Finals vs. Knicks' cast of veteran leadersThere's a few ways the Knicks' mental edge is helping shape this series. First and foremost, it shows up in the way these teams are approaching each other.For New York, players keep repeating the same thing: it's 0-0 no matter how a game ends. This not only prevents them from getting ahead of themselves with a lead, but also instills confidence they wouldn't press if they somehow trail at any point in the Finals. It also reflects them taking San Antonio very seriously as a threat.Contrast this to San Antonio, which seems to have come into this series underestimating the Knicks and still is. After Game 1, Stephon Castle made sure to note "I don’t think we have anything to be too worried about" and "We feel like we’re the better team."Following Game 2, head coach Mitch Johnson even brushed off going down 0-2 and said "we'll be just fine" in Game 3 if they play their style of basketball, which again seems to downplay how good the Knicks actually are.Victor Wembanayma also admitted to being a bit caught up on the team's huge Western Conference finals win, leaving him less prepared for New York's challenges. This mindset clearly set a poor example for the rest of his team with their star celebrating more than preparing for the Finals. "I could've been better at recovering from the high of the conference finals."—Wemby following Game 2 👀 pic.twitter.com/iMi2XdWITU— ESPN (@espn) June 6, 2026Compare this to the Knicks' stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, who also earned the first conference finals win of their long careers this postseason but had a muted celebration the night of their ECF sweep and quickly went into Finals mode.Then there's the way these teams are reacting when things don't go their way on the court. For New York's players, a big part of this has been not letting the refs' unfriendly whistle distract them, and they've been excellent at this.Sure, guys have pleaded their case when calls were unjust, but they're not overly focused on arguing with officials on every possession. Assistant coach Rick Brunson set the tone for this in Game 1 when he told Mike Brown, who was getting frustrated by the refs, to "shut the hell up" -- and Brown praised that messaging following the win.This calm, collected approach is paying massive dividends with the Spurs leading the series in free throws by a wide margin (52-39). New York's staying focused on what it can control, rather than trying to fight a battle where officials' minds already seem made up. That gives them valuable clarity to devote whatever energy they have left following a long playoffs to other, more impactful causes.Meanwhile, San Antonio's frustrations are starting to show as it finds winning much more difficult this series. This popped up late in the game, as De'Aaron Fox got in Brunson's face and had words for him despite having bigger issues with his team down eight in the fourth.Brunson, on the other hand, just stared at him. — BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) June 6, 2026There was also Wembanyama taking issue with a physical Jose Alvarado boxout earlier in the contest. The fact the 7-foot-4 big man lost this rep to the 6-foot guard is a bad look on its own, but the Spurs star reacted in a way that was tech- or flagrant-worthy. Wemby didn’t like Jose Alvarado boxing him out 😂 pic.twitter.com/56P7kGavPN— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) June 6, 2026He not only pushed Alvarado after the initial banging of bodies, but also grabbed him around the neck and swung him around. It's textbook unnecessary contact or hostile act territory, but Wembanyama wasn't whistled. He even had the gall to look right at the ref and complain about what he thought was a no-call on Alvarado.If the Knicks had reacted any differently to the results of games so far or their on-court obstacles to this point, this series would likely be tied. It could even be reversed considering how close games have been. But this speaks to the laser focus from the coaching staff to the players, who are proving they won't take their eyes off the bigger prize.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow