The hero of the historic night was Jalen Brunson, who scored as many as 45 points and practically led the Knicks to the most important victory in the last half century.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 53 YEARS, THE KNICKS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS
New York defeats San Antonio 4-1 in the NBA Finals, capturing their third championship in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/i1gmntBe06
— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2026
After a modest first half for his team, Brunson exploded down the stretch and scored 29 of his 45 points, deservingly taking home the Finals MVP award.
MVP MVP pic.twitter.com/L2lakCgxCA
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 14, 2026
Brunson finished the game shooting 14/27 from the field, including four 3-pointers in seven attempts, while he was almost flawless from the free throw line (13/15). He added three more rebounds, three assists and two steals.
His 45 points are a franchise record for a Knicks player in the NBA Finals. In doing so, he joined the exclusive company of greats like Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, James Harden and Allen Iverson as one of the few guards with double figures of 40 or more points in the playoffs.
Interestingly, no other New York player scored more than 15 points, further confirming how impressive Brunson’s game was.
Spurs dominated at the start
San Antonio opened the game much better and already in the first quarter showed why they reached the final. The Spurs held the Knicks to just 18 percent shooting from the field (4/22), while Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby were New York’s only scorers in the opening stretch.
Victor Wembanyama excelled in defense from the start, registering three blocks in the first four minutes of the match. The Spurs took an early lead of 18:8 and for the fifth time in a row in the final series, they reached a double-digit advantage already in the first quarter.
However, thanks to Brunson, the Knicks managed to get back into the match. New York reduced the deficit to 40:37 with a 10:2 series before going to rest, although it ended the first half with only 37 points.
On the other hand, Wembanyama went into the break with nine points, nine rebounds and as many as five blocks, becoming only the sixth player since 1998 to have at least five blocks in the first half of the NBA Finals.
Brunson took matters into his own hands
The start of the second half belonged to the Spurs and their rookie Dylan Harper. The young basketball player excelled from the bench and was a key factor in the moments when San Antonio maintained the advantage.
Harper finished the game with a career-high 25 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Wembanyama finished with another double-double.
However, when it was needed most, Brunson showed why he is the leader of this team. He scored 14 points in the third quarter, and then added ten more in the final quarter.
His three hit free throws after a three-point shooting foul gave the Knicks an 86-85 lead, the first since the start of the game when they were leading 5-4.
In the dramatic ending, Karl-Anthony Towns had to leave the floor due to six personal fouls, but even that did not disturb New York. Wembanyama and Harper managed to bring the Spurs back into the tie, but Brunson once again responded with a basket to give the Knicks a new lead.
Stephon Castle reduced the score to 92:90 16 seconds before the end, but the Spurs did not have the strength for a complete turnaround. New York held on until the final whistle and finally got the moment that generations of fans have been dreaming of since 1973.
The Larry O’Brien trophy returns to the Big Apple after more than half a century, and Jalen Brunson’s name will forever be written in golden letters in the history of the New York Knicks.
(Vijesti.ba)
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