The Finals — The First Game (Recap)
12 straight playoff wins — only the 2017 Golden State Warriors and the 1999 San Antonio Spurs ever earned as many. The Knicks have not lost a game in 41 days, and with a 105-95 Game 1 victory, they now lead the Spurs 1-0 in the NBA Finals.
Halfway through the third quarter, San Antonio took a 14-point lead. After that, the Knicks embarked on a 54-30 run to the finish line, powered by Jalen Brunson. With a cannon off the glass, Miles McBride tied the game at the end of the third quarter. From there, Captain Clutch worked his magic.
On one knee and one ankle, with snotty fans chirping in his ears, Brunson lit up San Antonio with 13 points in the last 7:22. He went on an independent 8-0 run for two minutes before Victor Wembanyama answered with a three-pointer. That sparked a 9-0 run for San Antonio. But then, a bat by Brunson prompted an offensive rebound by Mikal Bridges, which led to an out-of-nowhere corner three from Brunson.
The Spurs never scored again. The Knicks closed the game with an 11-0 run, never giving up or giving in. In the Brunson Era, the Knicks are 3-0 in road Game 1s. Meanwhile, after six straight home victories in the opening game of the NBA Finals, the Spurs finally lost.
It didn’t matter how he shot the basketball in the fourth quarter, because from every angle, Brunson found the hoop. Despite often being the smallest player on the court, leaving the first quarter with a knee injury, and twisting his ankle soon after, Brunson was his usual, amazing self in crunch time. Nothing fazes him.
“In the biggest moments, he shows up,” said head coach Mike Brown. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do. We put the ball in his hands and said we are going to live and die with him, and he got it done for us. That’s happened time after time after time. He got to his spots, and he made plays.”
Brunson finished Game 1 with a team-best 30 points. It was his sixth 30-point game of the postseason, but he could barely buy a shot in the first half. By the midway point of the third quarter, he had gone 5-of-18 from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range, with just 11 points. This was likely due, in part, to his injuries.
But it wasn’t like Brunson’s knee magically healed in the fourth quarter, or that his ankle somehow repaired itself. Before the NBA Finals, the Knicks captain pointed out that despite the criticism he has received for being small and slow, his heart is immeasurable. His dedication, selflessness, and collected nature make him who he is.
Another fun Brunson stat: According to ESPN, with Brunson as their primary defender, the Spurs made one shot and missed 13. Opponents also missed all seven second-half shots against Brunson. Brunson has always been criticized for his defensive struggles, but he, not Wembanyama, played like the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
One key advantage the Knicks have over the Spurs, given the rest they earned by sweeping Cleveland, is fourth-quarter poise. Not only are they a more experienced team, and not only is Brunson the league’s best closer, but the Knicks were naturally more rested by the 36-minute mark of yesterday’s game. They had more energy left in the tank for crunch time.
“I don’t want to say calmness, but I think we know what we have to do. I think we are a pretty together group,” Brunson said. “Being able to trust each other and still have each other’s back and know that we just have to keep chipping away, chipping away. It’s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team.”
OG Anunoby complemented Brunson’s fourth-quarter production with 12 points, including four made free throws. Despite winning a title with Toronto in 2019, Anunoby did not get to play in the NBA Finals. When the fourth quarter started in San Antonio, he only had five points. He picked the right time to break out, shining bright with eight straight points before Brunson even scored.
Besides Brunson and Anunoby, nobody embodied grit and tenacity better than Karl-Anthony Towns. The center struggled with foul trouble throughout the regular season, but he found his way over, under, around, and through Wembanyama. Towns is shorter than Wemby, but more compact. Wemby plays incredible defense, but Towns’ speed and agility won the race.
Towns torched San Antonio with 18 points and 12 rebounds. It took him less than three quarters to record his 10th double-double in 15 postseason contests (Wemby also has 10, but in 18 games). Entering this series, it felt like Wembanyama could shut Towns down, but KAT, feeling his late mother’s presence watching over him, met the moment.
“He’s a problem,” Brown said of Towns. “You put a small guy on him, he’s got a chance to [get an] offensive rebound. You put a big guy on him, he’s got a chance to pick-and-pop and go around guys. We have to just keep trying to move him around based on who is guarding him throughout the ballgame. But he was huge for us with his double-double.”
Mitchell Robinson’s health was a major storyline before this series, and last night, he played with a black bandage around his broken pinky. He only scored two points, but his six rebounds were critical. His interior presence helped the Knicks earn an eight-point advantage in the paint and a nine-point edge in second-chance points, even though San Antonio has some of the best interior defensive metrics.
Halfway through the third quarter, a streaker tried to take a selfie with Wembanyama. Standing next to Robinson, Wemby smiled for the photo as security quickly pinned the young fan to the deck. Meanwhile, Robinson watched the scene unfold with a look on his face that can best be described as confused and disturbed.
Despite early foul trouble and just three points in 27 minutes, Josh Hart finished with a team-best 15 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Whenever he was on the court, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 22 points. He played brilliantly, especially in the fourth quarter, when he tallied six rebounds and three steals.
“We just have a lot of tough guys,” Hart said. “A lot of guys that don’t quit. Everybody in this locker room has faced adversity and wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. So, whenever we’re down, we don’t panic.”
The Knicks held San Antonio to 10.5% (2-for-19) three-point shooting in the second half, outscoring them by 17 points. Wemby’s supporting cast, including Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, and De’Aaron Fox, disappeared down the stretch.
Wembanyama scored 17 second-half points, Castle added 11, but nobody else scored more than four. Dylan Harper notched 12 points in the first half, but the Knicks held him to four in the second.
In the words of Mikal Bridges, “We take care of what’s in front of us,” but “Another game on Friday — start zero-zero.”
The Knicks understand that this series is far from finished. The Spurs are a terrific team, and Wemby’s limits are undefined. San Antonio will make adjustments for Game 2. The Knicks recognize the importance of staying present and taking things one game at a time.
The Knicks now lead San Antonio 1-0 in the NBA Finals. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday, June 5, at 8:30 PM (Frost Bank Center — ABC, ESPN App).
