The New York Knicks have won their first NBA finals in 53 years on the back of their beloved star, and team captain, Jalen Brunson.
Twenty-seven years after their last Finals appearance, the Knicks defeated the same franchise that denied them a title in 1999, beating the Spurs in five games to end one of the longest championship droughts in professional sports.
Victory Wembanyama opened up the scoring with a transition dunk 9:46 into the game.
The Knicks would miss on their first 4 possessions of the game.
Their first points would come three and a half minutes into the first with a Jalen Brunson wide-open 3-pointer to give the Knicks the lead at 3-2.
But, as in the previous four games, the Spurs would retake the lead and push it to double digits.
A few moments later, Stephon Castle would complete a put-back dunk at 8:46 and put the Spurs back up by one (4-3 Spurs).
The next few possessions would be face-based and back and forth.
Karl-Anthony Towns would pick up his first foul against Wembanyama at the 7:49 mark of the first. He would be in foul trouble all game.
Wemby would go to the line and hit both, to give San Antonio a 6-5 lead.
Ensuing possession, Wembanyama would complete a ferocious put-back dunk to give the Spurs an 8-5 lead.
Knicks struggle to score from the start
The Knicks would go 1-10 from the field through the first 6 minutes.
Rookie Dylan Harper was sensational tonight off the bench. He’d open up his scoring with a 3-pointer to give the Spurs an 11-5 lead.
Next possession, Game 4 hero OG Anunoby gets a clean look at a bench-side corner 3. 11-8 Spurs 6:19 into the first quarter.
The Knicks are shooting 56% from 3 at this point.
With Wemby on the bench at the 5:46 TV timeout, Harper would stay aggressive. He’d finish a reverse layup off an out-of-bounds, to give the Spurs a 15-8 lead. Harper would have 7 points in 3 minutes, going 3-3 from the field.
By the 4:18 mark of the quarter, the Knicks were 2-15 from the field, and zero points in the paint through 3:40 into the quarter.
The Spurs were securing second chances, picking up loose balls, and grabbing offensive rebounds, something the Knicks have been great at throughout the playoffs.
At this point in the game, Brunson would have 3 points on 1-4 shooting.
Keldon Johnson would give the Spurs their first double-digit lead of the game, and for the fifth time in the series, with a bench corner 3, at 3:05 in the quarter, score 18-8, Spurs up 10.
At the 2:07 mark in the game, the Knicks were 3-19 from the field, while the Spurs were 7-17.
The Knicks would only have 10 points with 1:40 remaining in the quarter.
De’Aaron Fox hits a crossover in-the-paint short jumper to give the Spurs a 10-point lead (20-10, Spurs).
Jalen Brunson would immediately respond with another 3, cutting the Spurs' lead back down to 7.
At this point, the Knicks would be 13-20 from the field, 3-8 from 3-point range, and only 1-13 from 2-point range.
Bruson would have eight of his 40 points (2-2 3pt),
Julian Champagnie would close the quarter with a 3-pointer of his own.
The first quarter comes to an end with the Spurs up 23-13.
The Knicks shot 4-22 from the field, 18%, while the Spurs shot 9-21 from the field.
Like games prior, Spurs would push the lead to double digits
The second quarter would start with Wembanyama’s 4th block of the game on Knicks forward Jose Alverado, who was standing 4 feet away from him, a kind of play only he is capable of making.
Spurs Champagnie would open up the scoring with his second 3-pointer on their next possession.
Spurs push the lead to eight points, 26-13, 10:57 into the quarter. The
Knicks continue their rough start into the second quarter. They only have 13 points through 14 minutes of play and can't seem to find any baskets in the paint.
Dylan Harper continued to stay aggressive, going coast-to-coast, to the foul line for a mid-range two-point make at the 9:29 mark. He’d be 2/2 on the game. Harper was the youngest player with over 20 points, he finished with 24 points, the youngest in finals history in Game 4.
OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson would be the only Knicks to score through 9:09 into the second quarter.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who had played minimally to this point with foul trouble, would get his first points at 9:01 into the second quarter. Spurs up by 13, with the score 28-15.
Wembanyama would come right back down the floor to hit a 3-pointer at the 8:25 mark - 31-15, Spurs take a 16-point lead.
On the ensuing possession, Wemby picks up a foul, but it is overturned to an offensive foul on Towns on the coach's challenge, it would be KAT's second foul of the game.
Next Knicks possession, Mikal Bridges hits a bench corner 3-pointer, 7:43 into the quarter. It was his first points of the game. Cuts the Spurs' lead to 13, 31-18 San Antonio.
Harper would come right back down the floor to knock down an elbow free throw line pull-up jumper, at 6:40 to give him 11 points off the bench.
Ensuing possession, Knicks Josh Hart comes down the floor and hits another top-of-the-key 3-pointer. Score, 33- 21 San Antonio. Knicks down by 12 points.
The Knicks would cut the lead to nine points on their next possession on a second-chance 3-pointer by Brunson. 33-24, Spurs.
Ensuing possession, Wemby misses a top-of-the-key jumper.
The Knicks secured the rebound and pushed the ball ahead to Mitchell Robinson, who appeared to have an easy dunk but missed at the rim. However, the officials whistled Devin Vassell for goaltending. San Antonio leads by 9 points, 35-26.
A few possessions later, Brunson comes down the floor and hits a mid-range 2-pointer at the 4:08 mark. The Spurs have the lead 35-28.
Knicks go on a run
The Knicks would be on a 10-2 run over the last 2:41, cutting the 16-point lead to 7 points.
Knicks and Spurs would trade baskets over ensuing possessions.
But at 2:34, Towns would pick up his 3rd foul on a Castle drive.
Wembanyama and Towns would both go to the bench.
Castle hits both free throws, giving the Spurs a 40-32 lead. San Antonio shot 6-6 from the line through the first half.
Josh Hart converted an and-one fast-break layup on the ensuing possession after drawing a push from De'Aaron Fox, trimming the Spurs' lead to 40-34 with 1:18 remaining in the first half.
The foul would be upgraded to a flagrant-one on Fox, and the Knicks retain possession.
Hart would make the free throw, and Bridges would follow with a mid-range floater, cutting the Spurs' lead to 3 points, 40-37, with 1:08 remaining in the half.
In the waning seconds of the half, Devin Vassell hits a mid-range jumper to push the Spurs' lead back up to five points.
42-37 Spurs at the half.
Some key stats at halftime: The Knicks shot just 29% from the field compared to the Spurs' 34%. Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 16 points, while Victor Wembanyama recorded nine points, nine rebounds, and five blocks, accounting for all of San Antonio's blocks in the half. Rookie Dylan Hardler paced the Spurs with 11 points. The Knicks also struggled to generate interior offense, trailing the Spurs 18-6 in points in the paint.
Spurs maintain a double-digit lead into the third quarter
The Spurs opened the third quarter with possession, and Karl-Anthony Towns quickly picked up his fourth foul just 15 seconds into the period. Towns headed to the bench while Victor Wembanyama remained on the floor for San Antonio.
Neither team can score on the first two possessions.
Mikail Bridges opens up the scoring with a floater at 10:54 in the quarter. Bridges now with 10 points, Spurs leading 42-39.
Following possession, Julian Champagnie hits a bench corner 3, his third 3-pointer. Spurs extend the lead to six points, 45-39.
A few possessions later, Champagnie, the New York native, would hit another 3-pointer at the 9:23 mark. Pushes the Spurs' lead to 10 points, 51-41.
The Knicks and Spurs would exchange baskets over the next several possessions.
Rookie Dylan Harper, right off the bench, drives to the basket for a layup to extend San Antonio's lead to 55-46 with 7:38 remaining in the third quarter. The rookie had 13 points in just 15 minutes of action.
A few possessions later, Harper would get his 15th point of the contest on a tough mid-range jumper, giving the Spurs a 2-point lead, 57-55.
The Knicks would go quiet over the next several minutes.
Harper struck again, converting a putback layup for his 21st point of the game to extend San Antonio's lead to 68-53 with 3:09 remaining in the third quarter.
The basket capped a dominant stretch for the Spurs, who closed the quarter on a 9-0 run over the final 2:23.
Through this point in the game, the Spurs held a commanding 24-0 advantage in bench scoring over the Knicks.
OG Anunoby would pick up his 4th foul on the next possession, putting him in foul trouble.
Jordan Clarkson finally got the Knicks' bench on the scoreboard, knocking down a floater in the paint with 39.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The basket trimmed San Antonio's lead to 72-63, pulling New York back within nine points.
Mitchell Robinson closed out the third quarter with a tip-in, trimming San Antonio's lead to 72-65 heading into the fourth. The Spurs had led by as many as 15 points during the quarter.
The fourth quarter began with Karl-Anthony Towns back on the floor after playing just 15 minutes through three quarters, while Victor Wembanyama remained in the game for San Antonio.
Keldon Johnson opened the scoring with a three-pointer to push the Spurs' lead back to 10 points, but Josh Hart and Landry Shamet answered with triples of their own to keep New York close.
Wembanyama responded with a powerful baseline dunk, and Devin Vassell added a deep three at the 9:09 mark, as San Antonio maintained control with an 81-71 lead.
The Spurs continued to lean on rookie Dylan Harper, who returned midway through the quarter alongside Jalen Brunson.
After Shamet scored to make it an eight-point game, Harper attacked the rim for a tough layup to give San Antonio an 83-73 lead and reach 23 points.
Moments later, Shamet appeared to suffer a leg injury at the 8:32 mark and was escorted to the locker room after the Knicks intentionally fouled to stop play. He would return later in the game.
Brunson takes over the game
Brunson then began to take over. He drew a foul on a three-point attempt, converted two of three free throws, and followed with a one-handed scoop layup that cut the deficit to six.
With Towns limited by foul trouble and Wembanyama controlling the paint, Brunson continued to find ways to get to the rim, trimming the Spurs' lead to four points with 6:28 remaining.
The game turned on a controversial sequence involving Wembanyama and Towns. An offensive foul initially called on Wembanyama was challenged by San Antonio and overturned, with Towns instead assessed his fifth foul.
Brunson capitalized shortly afterward, earning two free throws to cut the lead to 83-81. Wembanyama then headed to the bench with 5:18 remaining, opening the door for a Knicks rally.
New York seized the opportunity. Brunson scored 10 consecutive points, including another scoop layup that tied the game at 83-83 with 4:47 left.
Knicks eases 16-point deficit on 10-0 run
The Knicks had erased a 16-point deficit with a 10-0 run, while San Antonio struggled offensively.
Vassell briefly restored the Spurs' lead with a jumper, but Brunson answered by drawing another foul and sinking three free throws to give New York its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.
With both teams in the bonus and key players battling foul trouble, defense took center stage.
Mike Brown used a timeout to take Mitchell Robinson out of the game and avoid a potential Hack-a-Mitch strategy.
After more than two scoreless minutes, a goaltending call on Vassell during an OG Anunoby dunk attempt extended New York's lead to 88-85. By then, the Knicks were on a 15-2 run, and the Spurs had missed nine of their previous 10 shots.
The drama continued in the final two minutes.
Wembanyama drew Towns' sixth foul and split a pair of free throws, cutting the deficit to two.
After a Knicks shot-clock violation, Harper tied the game at 88-88 with 1:16 remaining.
Brunson immediately answered with a floater in the lane to restore New York's lead, giving him 43 points and further cementing one of the greatest Finals performances in Knicks history.
The Knicks held their nerve in the closing seconds.
Hart made a free throw after a key offensive rebound by Robinson, Anunoby split a pair at the line, and Mikal Bridges added another free throw after being fouled.
San Antonio had one last chance, but Wembanyama missed a deep three before Stephon Castle followed with a put-back dunk.
After Harper missed two critical free throws with 7.7 seconds left, Anunoby sealed the game at the line, giving New York a 94-90 victory and completing a remarkable fourth-quarter comeback.
Knicks beloved superstar, Jalen Brunson, was named NBA Finals MVP, and after 53 long years, the Larry O'Brien Trophy returns to basketball's mecca, New York City.