The New York Knicks stormed into the NBA Finals riding an 11-game winning streak, and they made it 12 on Wednesday night with a 105-95 road victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Jalen Brunson poured in 30 points, including 13 in the final quarter, to push New York within three wins of its first championship since 1973.
It was anything but a coronation. San Antonio built a 14-point lead in the third quarter and had the Knicks reeling. But New York, which overcame a 22-point hole against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals, clawed back to take a 78-76 lead early in the fourth. The Spurs briefly threatened to seize control before the Knicks unleashed an 11-0 closing run to put the game away.
Brunson credited the team's resilience more than any individual brilliance. "Just sticking together, it wasn't really our night and wasn't really my night most of the night but we kept finding a way, kept chipping away," he said. "Just knowing we have each other's back, there's a lot of things we could have done better, but I think our togetherness was really the biggest difference."
Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs' transcendent young star, had an uncharacteristically quiet evening. He finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds but shot just 6-of-21 from the field while briefly limping off the court in the third quarter before returning. Wembanyama dismissed any excuses, saying the occasion did not rattle his team's nerves.
"I was bad tonight, it's not more complicated than that," Wembanyama said. "It definitely felt special for sure, but nothing close that could be an excuse."
The fourth quarter belonged entirely to New York. OG Anunoby added 12 of his 17 points in the period while the Knicks committed zero turnovers. San Antonio managed just four field goals in eight attempts down the stretch and coughed up five fourth-quarter turnovers in front of a stunned home crowd.
Brunson's night was not without incident. He collided with San Antonio's Harrison Barnes late in the first quarter and left with a knee injury but returned the following period. He later appeared to twist an ankle on a layup but stayed in the game, signaling the Knicks' determination to maintain control.
A security lapse briefly interrupted play in the second half when a man sprinted onto the court attempting to take a selfie with Wembanyama before being quickly removed. The incident raised questions about perimeter safety protocols at the arena.
Game 2 tips off Friday night in San Antonio. The series then shifts to Madison Square Garden on Monday for what figures to be an electric Game 3.
Author James Rodriguez: "Brunson's fourth-quarter takeover showed why the Knicks' streak feels different this year, but the Spurs' fourth-quarter collapse was more concerning than their young star's poor shooting night."
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