The dream postseason run for the New York Knicks continued Wednesday night, and with it came another piece of history. Behind a brilliant fourth-quarter performance from Jalen Brunson, the Knicks erased a 14-point second half deficit and stormed past the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, stealing home-court advantage and moving three wins away from the franchise’s first championship in 53 years.
Brunson finished with 30 points, including 13 in the decisive fourth quarter, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds. OG Anunoby chipped in 17 points as New York extended its remarkable playoff winning streak to 12 games.
The victory places the Knicks among elite company. Only seven teams in NBA history have won at least 12 consecutive playoff games, and New York became just the third team to accomplish the feat within a single postseason. The 2017 Golden State Warriors hold the record with 15 straight playoff wins, while the 1999 Spurs also won 12 consecutive games en route to a title.
The All-Star guard delivered the game’s biggest basket with 38 seconds remaining. After spinning through the defense, Brunson knocked down a difficult jumper while falling to the floor, putting the finishing touches on an 11-0 Knicks run to close the contest.
The Spurs entered the night having never lost a Game 1 in any of their six previous NBA Finals appearances. Even more remarkably, they had never trailed in an NBA Finals series before Wednesday night.
Victor Wembanyama posted 26 points and 12 rebounds in his Finals debut, but New York’s defense made life difficult for the young superstar. Wembanyama shot just 6-for-21 from the field and struggled to find rhythm late in the game.
Stephon Castle contributed 17 points, while Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper each scored 16 for the Spurs.
The atmosphere inside the arena reflected the significance of the moment. Former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich attended from a suite, continuing his tradition of being present for every Spurs Finals game. Franchise legends David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen were also in attendance.
Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing watched alongside a star-studded collection of New York supporters that included Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Ben Stiller, Fat Joe and Timothée Chalamet. Thousands of Knicks fans traveled to Texas for the opener, taking advantage of ticket prices that were significantly lower than what many expect to pay for Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden.
The game itself was a back-and-forth battle for three quarters.
New York jumped out to a 14-7 lead before San Antonio responded with a dominant stretch to take control. The Spurs carried a 55-48 advantage into halftime and extended the margin to 14 midway through the third quarter.
The Knicks closed the third period on a 22-9 run, erasing the deficit and entering the fourth quarter tied at 76.
New York gradually built an eight-point advantage during the final period before San Antonio made one last push. Wembanyama converted two free throws with 2:16 remaining to give the Spurs a 95-94 lead.
It would be San Antonio’s final points of the night.
Brunson answered immediately with a clutch corner three-pointer, putting New York back in front. The Knicks then locked down defensively and scored the final 11 points of the game to silence the home crowd.
For the Spurs, the loss marked a historic first. In previous Finals appearances, San Antonio had managed to avoid ever trailing in a series, despite several close calls. They were tied multiple times against New Jersey in 2003, Detroit in 2005 and Miami in both 2013 and 2014, but never found themselves behind until now.
Now, for the first time in franchise history, the Spurs are chasing in the NBA Finals.
As for the Knicks, their magical postseason journey continues.
New York has won 12 straight playoff games, taken home-court advantage away from San Antonio, and seized control of the championship series.
But after decades of waiting, the Knicks are now just three victories away from ending a 53-year title drought and bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to New York.
