Knicks Capture First NBA Title in 53 Years

The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94 to 90 on the road in Game 5 to clinch the Finals 4 to 1.

Jalen Brunson led the way with 45 points, including 13 in a row during the fourth quarter, breaking a Knicks franchise record for points in a Finals game that had stood since Willis Reed’s 38 point performance against the Lakers in 1970. Brunson called the moment everything he had ever dreamed of and said the team never let outside doubt shake their belief in their ability to come back.

The win capped a remarkable pattern for New York, who rallied from double digit deficits in all four of their series victories, including a 16 point hole on Saturday night. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, Brunson’s former Villanova teammates, added 14 and 13 points respectively.

San Antonio got 25 points from Dylan Harper and a strong all around effort from Victor Wembanyama, who had 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks. The Spurs jumped out to an early lead, part of a pattern in which they led every game of the series by double digits in the first quarter, a first in the play by play era dating back to 1996. But New York’s defense and a cold shooting start for both teams (the lowest combined first half shooting percentage for a Finals game on record) set the stage for another comeback.

The Knicks finished the season a perfect 4 for 0 in close out chances, winning each one on the road, though it hardly felt that way given the large contingent of New York fans who traveled to Texas for the clinching game. New York’s title arrives 53 years after their last championship, with the Larry O’Brien Trophy heading back to Madison Square Garden for the first time in over five decades.