The New York Knicks waited twenty-seven years to return to the NBA Finals. Then, in Game 1, they played like a team that had no interest in easing back into history.
New York beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 at Frost Bank Center, stealing home-court advantage and taking a 1-0 series lead behind Jalen Brunson’s 30 points.
@opencourtJALEN BRUNSON‘S CLUTCH GAME 1 🔥🔥🔥 WHAT A DOG 🐶
The Knicks trailed by 14 in the second half, absorbed Victor Wembanyama’s Finals debut, and still closed the game on an 11-0 run, turning a dangerous road opener into another chapter in their remarkable postseason surge.
Brunson was the story because Brunson always becomes the story when games tighten. Earlier in the night, he had left the floor after a scary knee collision, then returned and kept playing through another ankle scare. By the fourth quarter, the injury concern had become background noise. Brunson hit the shot that swung the game, controlled the final possessions, and once again gave the Knicks exactly what they needed: calm inside chaos.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds, while OG Anunoby scored 17, giving New York the balance it needed around Brunson. The Knicks did not win this with beauty. They won it with resilience, defense and late-game nerve. It was their 12th straight playoff win, extending a run that has taken them from feel-good story to genuine championship threat.
For San Antonio, the night was painful because it was there to be won. Wembanyama finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds in his Finals debut, but shot just 6-for-21. The Spurs had the lead late, had the building behind them, and still watched the game disappear in the final minutes. For the first time ever, San Antonio lost Game 1 of an NBA Finals series after previously going 6-0 in those spots.
Game 1 did not decide the Finals. It did something more interesting. It announced the Knicks as a real problem. They walked into San Antonio, took the Spurs’ punch, survived Wembanyama, and left with the series lead.
The Finals are back in New York’s life.
And the Knicks did not come just to visit.
