Knicks Win First NBA Championship Since 1973 Behind Brunson’s 45 Points

SAN ANTONIO — The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship in more than half a century on Saturday, beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals as Jalen Brunson scored 45 points to carry a struggling offense.

The victory gave the Knicks a 4-1 series win and their third title overall, and their first since 1973. Brunson was named Finals MVP.

Brunson Takes Over

Points were scarce for much of the night. New York scored just 15 points in the first 16 minutes, and the rest of the team combined for 49 points to Brunson’s 45, a Knicks Finals record.

The Knicks trailed 83-73 with less than eight minutes remaining. Brunson then scored the game’s next 10 points to tie the score at 83 with 4:48 left, and his 12-foot jumper with 1:05 to play gave New York a 90-88 lead it would not relinquish. He scored 29 points in the second half, including 15 in the fourth quarter, shooting 14 of 27 from the field, 4 of 7 from 3-point range and 13 of 16 from the free-throw line.

Knicks coach Mike Brown praised his star’s importance to New York basketball, while forward Mikal Bridges, Brunson’s college teammate at Villanova, said he was grateful to be on his side again.

A Dominant Postseason

New York went 16-3 in the playoffs and won 15 of its final 16 postseason games, including nine straight on the road, according to NBA.com. The team overcame foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby in the clincher. The NBA has now crowned a different champion for eight consecutive seasons.

Spurs’ Young Core

For San Antonio, rookie Dylan Harper led the team with 25 points, while Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said his team was not yet ready to win a championship and acknowledged that the better team had won.

Harper became the first rookie since Phoenix’s Richard Dumas in 1993 to score at least 20 points in multiple Finals games, according to the Spurs.

Ending a Long Wait

The title ends one of the longest championship droughts in professional sports for a franchise in the country’s largest media market. The Knicks’ previous championships came in 1970 and 1973, during an era led by players such as Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Earl Monroe.

Brunson, who joined the Knicks in 2022, has become the face of the franchise’s revival.