The New York Knicks overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, with star guard Jalen Brunson producing a brilliant late performance to hand New York an early advantage in the best-of-seven championship series.
Brunson scored 30 points and delivered when it mattered most, putting up 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks silenced the home crowd in Texas and stole a crucial road victory. The win gives New York a 1-0 series lead ahead of Game 2 on Friday.
The Knicks’ talisman overcame an early injury scare to spearhead the comeback. Brunson briefly left the court in the first quarter after appearing to injure his knee in a collision with San Antonio forward Harrison Barnes. He later returned and, despite another moment of concern involving his ankle, remained on the floor to guide his team to victory.
“Just sticking together — it wasn’t really our night and wasn’t really my night most of the night but we kept finding a way, kept chipping away,” Brunson said after the game.
Reflecting on the turnaround, he added: “Just knowing we have each other’s back. There’s a lot of things we could have done better, but I think our togetherness was really the biggest difference.”
Brunson received strong support from his teammates, with Karl-Anthony Towns contributing 18 points, OG Anunoby adding 17, and Landry Shamet finishing with 13.
San Antonio appeared to be in control for much of the contest. After taking a 55-48 lead into halftime, the Spurs extended their advantage to 14 points during the third quarter and looked poised to take the opener. However, momentum shifted when Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama briefly left the game after taking a knock to the knee.
The Knicks capitalized immediately, cutting the deficit and eventually leveling the score at 76-76 heading into the final quarter.
Anunoby’s timely three-pointers helped New York move ahead before Brunson took charge down the stretch. Although San Antonio briefly reclaimed a 95-94 lead with just over two minutes remaining, Brunson answered with a crucial three-pointer to restore New York’s advantage.
The Knicks then closed the game on an 11-0 run, holding the Spurs scoreless over the final minutes and securing a memorable victory.
Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks but struggled with his shooting, making just six of his 21 attempts from the field.
“I was bad tonight, it’s not more complicated than that,” Wembanyama admitted afterward. “It definitely felt special for sure, but nothing close that could be an excuse.”
With momentum now firmly on their side, the Knicks head into Game 2 knowing they are just three wins away from an NBA championship, while the Spurs must quickly regroup to avoid falling further behind in the series.
