The New York Knicks stunned the San Antonio Spurs with a 105-95 victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at the Frost Bank Center, stealing home-court advantage. It was a physical battle in San Antonio as New York fought back from a double-digit deficit in the second half to silence the home crowd and secure an early advantage in the championship series.
Jalen Brunson looked limited early on after suffering an ankle and knee injury that clearly impacted his movement through three quarters. He struggled to find his rhythm from the floor, shooting just 7-for-22 over the course of the evening, but the Knicks captain found his form when it mattered most. Brunson took complete control of the offense in the fourth quarter, finishing with a game-high 30 points and draining a crucial corner three-pointer with 2:16 left on the clock to put New York ahead for good.
The clutch shot from Brunson sparked an unanswered scoring stretch that completely buried San Antonio in the final minutes. New York clamped down defensively to finish the matchup on an 11-0 run, securing their twelfth consecutive victory of the postseason. Josh Hart provided a massive lift on the glass, finishing with only three points but snatching a game-high 15 rebounds alongside six assists and four steals to steady the defense.
Victor Wembanyama put up 26 points and 12 rebounds in his first career Finals appearance, but the Knicks made him work for every single look. The French center struggled with his efficiency all night, finishing a poor 6-of-21 from the field as New York regularly crowded him with multiple defenders. San Antonio also experienced a shakeup in their backcourt rotation during crunch time, as veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox sat on the bench due to an ongoing ankle issue while rookie Dylan Harper stepped up to deliver 16 points and eight rebounds. The tactical adjustment contributed to the surprising 105-95 final score.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson stood by his young star after the game, noting that the center always holds himself accountable for his performance. Wembanyama echoed those thoughts to reporters during his postgame press conference, stating simply that his performance was bad. San Antonio now faces an immediate hole in the series, though the team has shown a distinct ability to bounce back from a series deficit after previously recovering from being down 3-2 against Oklahoma City. The Spurs will host Game 2 on Friday before the series shifts back to New York.