SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson, meet the final boss.

And in this case, it’s not 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama.

It’s Stephon Castle, the Spurs’ pit bull at the point of attack and the latest defender tasked with slowing down the engine powering the Knicks’ run to the NBA Finals.

“I think what’s worked for me is trying to be physical with him. He’s obviously shorter than me, but he’s a very physical guard, he gets to his spots well. Uses deception well, has great footwork,” Castle explained during NBA Finals Media Day on Tuesday. “Trying to be as disciplined as I can, crowd his space, but not give him the angles that he’s looking for.

“At this point, he’s seen pretty much every coverage, been guarded all kinds of ways. Just trying to impose my will and use my physicality to my advantage.”

Castle has given Brunson problems before.

According to Underdog Sports data, Brunson has scored just five points on 28.7% shooting in the 38 possessions Castle has defended him since the Spurs guard entered the league last season. Yet the Knicks’ captain has still found ways to produce against San Antonio, averaging 26.5 points per game against the Spurs this season, including 25 points in the NBA Cup Final victory in December.

“He’s great. I think his intensity and tenacity is special. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s had that since I’ve seen him at UConn,” Brunson said Tuesday. “The way he’s played over these first couple years of his career, he’s going to be a great player, great defender. He’s tough. Something you have to game plan for and just be smart.”

The Spurs have Wembanyama. The Knicks have Brunson. Somewhere in between sits one of the most important matchups of the Finals.

Homecoming

Brooklyn native Julian Champagnie is suiting up for the opposition.

And he has every intention of ruining a few hometown dreams.

“For sure. For sure,” he said with a smile on Tuesday. “I have a lot of friends who are New York fans. I would love to spoil their plans. I would love to. It would just be fun.”

Champagnie helped punch San Antonio’s ticket to the Finals by delivering the knockout blow in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. He scored 20 points and drilled six of his 10 attempts from 3-point range off the bench as the Spurs eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now comes the biggest stage of his career.

“Obviously going back [to New York] and competing for a championship is great,” he said. “I personally want to win, so we’ll just see how it goes.”

Robinson's hand

The Knicks listed Mitchell Robinson as questionable for Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a fractured right fifth metacarpal.

“He did individual stuff yesterday,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said before practice Tuesday. “I’m about to talk to our medical people to see what he can do today.”

Robinson was seen shaking hands, dribbling and shooting during the media viewing portion of practice. He wore protective wrapping on his right hand but stopped short of full-contact work, including dunking.

The expectation remains that Robinson will attempt to play through the injury wearing some form of protective brace.

Whether he can be effective is another question entirely.

The Knicks have spent the postseason overwhelming opponents with size, rebounding and defense. Robinson is central to all three. His availability could prove especially important against a Spurs team built around Wembanyama’s length and supported by one of the deepest frontcourts New York has faced all season.

For now, the Knicks are taking it day by day.

Game 1 is just around the corner.

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