NEW YORK guard Jalen Brunson delivered a clutch performance Wednesday night, netting 30 points with 13 coming in the final quarter as the Knicks mounted a dramatic comeback to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in the opening contest of the NBA Finals.
The victory marked New York’s 12th straight playoff win, matching the second-longest postseason winning streak in NBA history. The triumph also represented the franchise’s first Finals appearance since 1999.
After trailing by 14 points during the third quarter, the Knicks dominated the final period, finishing the contest with an 11-point scoring run while committing zero turnovers in those crucial 12 minutes.
Karl-Anthony Towns provided solid support with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while OG Anunoby chipped in 17 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter when New York seized control.
San Antonio struggled down the stretch, turning the ball over five times in the final quarter while shooting just 28.6% from the field and getting outscored 29-19.
Spurs standout Victor Wembanyama put up 26 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots, though he connected on only 6 of 21 field goal attempts. Stephon Castle contributed 17 points and eight rebounds, Julian Champagnie recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Dylan Harper added 16 points coming off the bench.
The pivotal sequence came late in the fourth when Brunson scored eight consecutive points, capping it with a driving basket that put New York ahead 94-86 with 6:08 remaining. Wembanyama answered with eight points during a 9-0 Spurs surge that gave San Antonio a 95-94 edge with 2:16 left on the clock.
However, the Spurs failed to score again. Brunson connected on a corner three-pointer to reclaim the lead with 1:50 remaining, then Mikal Bridges sank two free throws, Brunson hit a jumper, and Anunoby sealed the victory with four straight free throws.
Landry Shamet provided 13 points off New York’s bench, while Josh Hart recorded an impressive stat line of 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three points.
The Knicks shot 41.5% from the floor overall and made 11 of 36 three-point attempts for 30.6%. San Antonio connected on 36% of their shots and went 11 of 43 from beyond the arc for 25.6%.
San Antonio held a seven-point halftime advantage before opening the third quarter with 10 of the first 13 points to build a 65-51 lead on Harper’s basket. New York responded with a 20-6 run to tie the game at 71 on Brunson’s jumper with 2:01 left in the third.
Champagnie knocked down five three-pointers for 15 first-half points as the Spurs led 55-48 at intermission. Brunson managed 11 points in the opening half despite suffering a right knee injury in the first quarter and hurting his left ankle in the second.
Backup center Mitchell Robinson played 13 minutes despite a broken right pinkie, contributing two points and six rebounds.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series takes place Friday night in San Antonio.
