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- Jalen Brunson scored 45 points, carrying the New York Knicks back from a 16-point deficit and dominating the second half.
- Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP, sharing an emotional trophy moment with his father, former player and coach Rick Brunson.
- Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 2 points, shot 1-for-7, missed from three, and fouled out with 1:53 remaining.
- The final minutes were tense: Jalen Brunson's 12-footer gave a 90-88 lead, Josh Hart free throws, Mitchell Robinson rebound, OG Anunoby clinching free throw.
On Saturday night, the New York Knicks pulled off an amazing win in Texas to claim the 2026 NBA Finals championship over the Western Conference champions, the San Antonio Spurs, in a game that at times seemed like it would go the other way.
Whatever Jalen Brunson wants, Jalen Brunson should get, because he carried the Knicks on his back for the entire game, especially in the second half, where it really mattered.
The 29-year-old point guard, who is in his 8th season with the NBA and 4th season with the Knicks, scored 45 of the team’s 94 points, leading them back from a 16-point deficit, and became only the “second player in NBA history to score 45 points on the road in a championship-clinching victory. The other was Michael Jordan against the Utah Jazz to secure a sixth NBA title for the Chicago Bulls,” according to Yahoo Sports.
When they talk about great Knicks players, Jalen Brunson is sure to be included in that conversation for years to come. He was named Finals MVP during the trophy ceremony.
Brunson’s father Rick, who is a former NBA player himself and current assistant coach for the Knicks, shared tears of joy with his son.
Karl-Anthony Towns only had 2 points during the game. He was 1 for 7 in shooting and 0-2 from the 3-point line, and he fouled out with 1:53 remaining in the 4th quarter.
But even with that key piece of their defense missing, the Knicks rallied to bring home a championship that is sure to make New York Knicks fans insufferable for the foreseeable future.
I say that in jest, but you know it’s true.
From the New York Times:
The final four minutes were tense, with teams trading buckets and leads. Brunson’s 12-footer with 1:05 left gave the Knicks a 90-88 lead. Spurs rookie Dylan Harper, their best player on Saturday night, missed a 3, and Josh Hart sank a foul shot with 26.1 seconds remaining. He missed the second, but Mitchell Robinson, on the court because Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out, saved the possession with a rebound. Anunoby, New York’s Game 4 hero, made one of two free throws also to put the Knicks up four.
Stephon Castle, suffering through his worst game of the finals, made his first field goal of the game on a put-back dunk off a Victor Wembanyama missed 3 with 16.3 seconds left. The Knicks won the ensuing free throw contest, finished by Anunoby’s make with 7.7 seconds to go.
Wembanyama, the 22-year-old French sensation who is angling to be the next standard bearer for the sport, has to wait on that. He finished with 19 points and 14 boards. When his final 3-point try missed near the buzzer, the thousands of New York fans in the upper deck erupted in thunderous applause. Harper led the Spurs with 25 points off the bench.
Knicks fans traveled to Texas to see their team win, including Spike Lee, Charles Oakley, Clyde Frazier, and others.
The Knicks were in third place in the Eastern Conference with 53 wins and 29 losses at the end of the regular season, which makes them the lowest seed to win the NBA finals since the 2022 Golden State Warriors.
Congratulations to the New York Knicks and their fans.
Y’all owe Jalen Brunson BIG.
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