Brunson leads Knicks Past Spurs in NBA Finals Game 1
The New York Knicks are three wins away from ending a 53-year championship drought.
Jalen Brunson scored 30 points as the Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds, while OG Anunoby chipped in with 17 points as New York extended their playoff winning streak to 12 games.
The game appeared to be slipping away from the Knicks midway through the third quarter when San Antonio built a 14-point lead. But New York responded with a 22-9 point.
Brunson once again delivered when his team needed him most.
The Knicks star scored 13 points in the final quarter and knocked down a spinning jumper with 38 seconds remaining to help seal the victory.
“He’s a gamer, man,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “In the biggest moments, he shows up. That’s what MVPs are supposed to do.”
San Antonio was led by Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds in his NBA Finals debut.
“I was bad tonight,” Wembanyama said. “It’s not more complicated than that.”
Stephon Castle scored 17 points for San Antonio, while Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper each added 16.
Despite trailing by one point with just over two minutes remaining, the Spurs failed to score again as New York finished the game on an 11-0 run.
“I think we let that one go,” Wembanyama admitted.
The victory gives the Knicks a 1-0 series lead and takes home-court advantage away from San Antonio.
Still, Brunson knows the job is far from finished.
“We have a long way to go,” he said.
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night in San Antonio.
