Brunson & Knicks Take Command at End to Win Game 1. NY 105 San Antonio 95

June 6, 2026 LouV 2025-26 0
Jalen Brunson took over in the final 7 minutes, scoring 13 pts and leading NY to the win. Brunson scored 30 overall.

Jalen Brunson took over in the final 7 minutes — scoring 8 straight Knick points after re-entering the game with 7:37 left, and 13 pts in the 4th quarter overall — to lead the Knicks to a 105-95 win over the Spurs in San Antonio on a Wednesday night — taking Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals.

Brunson was unstoppable on offense — scoring with all kinds of dazzling moves and footwork. OG Anunoby aided Brunson on offense in the final minutes hitting a Huge 3 over Wemby, scoring an a drive and hitting free throws. Josh Hart was Everywhere — leaping and/or diving to create steals and turnovers and fastbreaks and on defense shutting down Stephen Castle and helping make Victor Wembanyama look awkward. Mikal Bridges did his part with defense and passing, and Karl-Anthony Towns was a monster all night — attacking the rim and playing great D on Wemby.

Mitchell Robinson did his part, defending Wemby well. Landry Shamet was Landry Shamet — hitting huge 3’s and playing intense D. Miles McBride played well; hitting a Huge 3 that he banked off the backboard in the 4th.  Jose Alvarado sparked the Knicks in the 2nd quarter when Brunson went out after rolling his ankle.

The Knicks came out look to fast-break the Spurs, but San Antonio pushed back on 3’s by Julian Champagnie and took an 5-pt lead early in the 2nd. The Spurs led 55-48 at the half and pushed that lead to 14 pts midway through the 3rd. But the Knicks took back command, led by KAT on both ends of the floor to tie the game going into the 4th.

Wemby finished with 26 pts, and 12 rebounds, but 6 turnovers. Castle had 17 pts, Dylan Harper had 16 pts on 6-10 shooting, and Champagnie had 16 pts on 5-10 shooting from 3. Champagnie was shut down from 3 in the 2nd half.

Brunson had 30 MVP-esq pts. KAT had 18 pts, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block. OG had 17 pts, a steal and a block.

Josh Hart had 3 pts but 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, a block and a +22.

“He’s a gamer. In the biggest moments, he shows up,” said coach Mike Brown about Brunson. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do. We put the ball in his hands, we said we were going to live and die with him, and he went and he got it done for us.”

“I had a lot of energy. I think I only played like seven minutes in the first half,” said Hart afterwards.

“Josh Hart 2019 tweet below,” reminded NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Josh plays with a purpose, plays his role, plays to his strengths and needs no plays called for him. He beats you on both backboards by outworking you defends hard, turns 50/50 balls into 20/80 balls, finds the open man and plays for the name on front. Winner.”

1. Knicks Look to Fast-Break Early

The Knicks came out looking to fast break the Spurs, and were successful early — building a 14-7 lead on buckets by Brunson, OG, Hart, and KAT.

2. Spurs Come Back on Fouls & Take Lead on Champagnie 3’s

But NY started picking up fouls, sending Stephen Castle and Dylan Harper to the line to bring San Antonio back. A floater-and-1 by Harper gave San Antonio a 16-14 lead. A Harper 3 gave the Spurs a 19-14 lead.

Landry Shamet answered with a 3 but then Julian Champagnie from Staten Island started to hit 3’s and the Spurs rolled.

Champagnie hit back-to-back 3’s to put San Antonio up 25-17. A Dylan Harper deuce gave the Spurs a 10-pt lead at 27-17.

3. Brunson Goes Out with Banged Knee, then Rolls Ankle

With 2:03 left in the 1st quarter, Landry Shamet boxed out against Harrison Barnes, and Barnes fell to the floor — accidentally banging Jalen Brunson’s knee. Brunson went to the lockerroom as all of Twitter was in a twatter, with athletic doctors making in-game prognoses.

Brunson would come back into the game early in the 2nd quarter with a knee brace and slight limp.

A few minutes later, Brunson drove for a bucket but missed, with Luke Kornet coming down on Brunson’s ankle. Brunson felt there should have been a foul and had some words with the ref Scott Foster.

4. Alvarado Gives Knicks Pep in 2nd

Meanwhile Jose Alvarado came in late in the 1st quarter for Brunson and gave the Knicks a spark, distributing and even attacking Victor Wembanyama on a drive to pull NY within 31-28.

Then Brunson came back in and started to cook.

“Big time move then finish by Jalen Brunson,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Truly understands how to create space between himself and his defender with use of fundamentals and strength as he does here, Backs his defender down, use of pivot foot, step through and plays the glass so well.”

A Mitchell Robinson alley-oop dunk pulled NY within a point. Then Brunson started to cook, with consecutive buckets to give NY a 38-37 lead.

5. Spurs Up 7 at Half; Up by 14 Midway thru 3rd

It was a tie game with 2 minutes left in the half — but 3 Julian Champagnie 3’s in the final 2 minutes gave the Spurs a 55-48 halftime lead.

The Spurs went to Wemby and Castle early in the 3rd — Wemby kept getting foul calls and going to the line, while Castle was scored on a floater and an offensive rebound and tip in — and San Antonio went up 63-50.

Mikal Bridges answered with 1 of 2 free throws, but a Dylan Harper floater put San Antonio up by 14 pts at 65-51 with 6:31 left in the 3rd quarter.

6. KAT Attack with Shamet Ties Game Going into 4th

The Knicks stormed back. First Mikal Bridges with a bucket, then Shamet, then Karl-Anthony Towns with a drive-and-1, then Brunson, Shamet with a 3, KAT again with a drive and NY was back within 3 at 69-63.

KAT again scored on a drive-and-1, and Brunson hit a pullup to tie the game.

McBride blocked a Keldon Johnson drive, then banked in a 3 with 9.6 seconds left to tie the game 76-76 heading into the 4th.

7. Brunson Goes Nuts to Give NY 8-Pt Lead w 6 Min Left

Shamet and OG scored big buckets to start the 4th to give NY a lead. OG then hit consecutive 3’s to give NY an 86-81 lead.

But San Antonio tied it 86-86 on a 3 by Harper and deuce by Devin Vassell.

Jalen Brunson re-entered the game with 7:38 and went on a Brunson burner:

  • A floater
  • 2 free throws off a drive,
  • An amazing, super-fast, fast-break drive off a Hart steal, and
  • A fancy footwork floater.

NY 94 San Antonio 86 with 6:07 left.

8. Spurs Counter — Take 95-94 Lead with 2:16 Left

But the Spurs came back. Knick shots kept rimming out while for the Spurs:

  • Wemby hit a 3,
  • Champagnie hit free throws,
  • Wemby with a drive-and-1,
  • Wemby with 2 free throws — to give San Antonio a 95-94 Lead with 2:16 left.

9. Brunson, OG, Hart, Bridges, KAT Lead Final Charge

Then a turning-point play — OG missed a 3, but Brunson tapped the offensive rebound out to Mikal Bridges who fed the ball back to Brunson in the corner for a Huge 3 with 1:50 left.

NY defense forced a De’Aaron Fox miss, Josh Hart flying in for the rebound.

Bridges was fouled by Fox taking a shot down the other end and made 2 free throws to put the Knicks up by 4.

Then Wemby, guarded tightly by KAT, dribbled the ball off his foot and Josh Hart picked up the steal — who raced down court then held up to work clock — gave the ball to Brunson who worked his magic for a 14-foot pullup with 37 seconds left. NY 101 San Antonio 95.

Wemby, hounded in the corner, threw up a heave of a 3 that hit the top of the backboard, Josh Hart FLYING in for the rebound and the Spurs were forced to foul.

OG hit 4 free throws in the closing seconds and the Knicks had the win.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401859963

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*