NBA Finals: Jalen Brunson stars as New York Knicks beat San Antonio Spurs in Game 1

Highlights of the New York Knicks’ victory over San Antonio Spurs in Game 1

The New York Knicks raised their NBA Playoffs winning streak to a dozen games as Jalen Brunson starred in their Finals opener against the San Antonio Spurs.

Brunson scored 30 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Great Britain’s OG Anunoby also had 17 points as New York became the first of these teams to win on the road against the other this season.

French phenom Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, but he shot just 6 for 21 from the field in his finals debut. Stephon Castle scored 17, while Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper each had 16 for the Spurs, who will have the chance to bounce back in Game 2 on Friday night, also in San Antonio.

Former San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was at the game, as he has been for every finals game in Spurs history, albeit watching from a suite and not stomping the San Antonio sideline. The Spurs legends – David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen and more – were there, too.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points

They all witnessed something new by the end too, as the Knicks – who finished the game on an 11-0 run – made some history. They became the first team to beat San Antonio in a Game 1 of the title series – the Spurs were 6-0 in those – and this is also the first time the Spurs have ever trailed a finals before the finish.

The Knicks led 14-7 early, the Spurs answered with a 20-13 run to go up by 10, the Knicks rallied and the second quarter saw six lead changes before San Antonio took a 55-48 lead into the break.

San Antonio pushed the lead to 14 midway through the third quarter before the Knicks stormed back, finishing the period on a 22-9 run and sending the game into the fourth tied at 76.

New York’s lead was eight midway through the final period. Wembanyama made a pair of free throws with 2:16 left to put San Antonio up 95-94, but Brunson made a corner 3 on the next possession to put the Knicks on top for good.

San Antonio’s run of never trailing the finals has had some close calls over the years. The Spurs were tied twice with New Jersey in the 2003 finals, tied with Detroit twice in 2005, tied with Miami three times in 2013 – they lost that series in seven games, so they only trailed when it was over – and then were tied with the Heat once more in 2014.

If the Knicks are to win a first NBA crown in over half a century, then winning this opening game will no doubt have proved a pivotal step in that journey.

Wembanyama struggles to score: ‘I was bad tonight’

Wembanyama got blessed by nuns before the game, got the loudest ovation when the starters were announced, pumped his fist to the crowd a few times and generally seemed to enjoy his first taste of the NBA Finals.

Right up until the ending – where the Knicks scored 11 straight points to win by 10.

The French star had 26 points in his finals debut, though had to work for all of them – misfiring on 15 of his 21 shots from the field, some of them even hitting the top of the backboard, and seeing waves of New York defenders all game long.

The worst part of all for Wembanyama, the best defensive player in the game, was seeing the Knicks score the game’s final 11 points and steal away home-court advantage with a 105-95 victory.

“I was bad tonight,” Wembanyama said. “It’s not more complicated than that.”

He said it calmly, without panic, very matter-of-factly. The Spurs lost a game. The series isn’t over. He’s not worried, yet.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson backed Wembanyama to come back stronger

“I would say that he definitely holds himself accountable,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I expect he’ll learn a lot of things from tonight’s game and come out with a good approach in Game 2.”

There’s been a history of that for both Wembanyama and the Spurs. They lost home-court advantage to Portland in Round 1 before winning the final three games of that series, lost home-court again to Minnesota in Round 2 after dropping Game 1, and didn’t even have the home-court edge against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals – a series where San Antonio trailed 2-1 and 3-2 before prevailing.

Then again, they’re playing a Knicks team that hasn’t lost since April – and it’s now June. New York is 12-0 in its last dozen games, and the Spurs now have to try and beat them in four of the next six to win this title.

“Obviously, we’ve been down in a series before,” Wembanyama said. “Never in the finals, obviously. But I’m not kicking myself about anything really. I’m not worried the slightest.”

It’s not a question if he can bounce back, or if the finals lights are too bright. Wembanyama has handled everything that has been thrown his way since he entered the NBA three years ago – even the scare that came last year when his season ended early because of deep vein thrombosis – with what would appear to be ease.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama struggled in Game 1

Beating the Knicks won’t be easy but Wembanyama is expected to find a way to play better on Friday in Game 2.

“Players come along every once in a while that, in addition to having this incredible skill, love the promotional side of it and want to play that role for the league,” Commissioner Adam Silver said of Wembanyama before the game. “We saw the role he played at All-Star, even leading the other young players, saying, let’s take this seriously, this really matters.”

Even going back to the years when the NBA was waiting for Wembanyama, Silver has never wanted to say if he or the league has an expectation for him. The reasoning is simple: There was, and is, enough pressure on Wembanyama. Silver, to his credit, hasn’t added to it.

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart steals the ball from Wembanyama

“He came in highly touted. He was somebody who even before he came into the NBA was blowing up the internet in terms of his highlights,” Silver said. “Did I have a specific expectation in terms of numbers of years it would take him to get to the finals? No. But I would say, just trying to be an objective observer, he’s ahead of any timeline that people had in mind.”

That may be true. He’s just not ahead in this series – and Friday’s test will be a big one.

Remaining 2026 NBA Finals schedule

All dates and times UK and Ireland

Game 2
June 6 – Knicks @ Spurs – 1.30am

Game 3
June 9 – Spurs @ Knicks – 1.30am

Game 4
June 11 – Spurs @ Knicks – 1.30am

Game 5 (if needed)
June 14 – Knicks @ Spurs – 1.30am

Game 6 (if needed)
June 17 – Spurs @ Knicks – 1.30am

Game 7 (if needed)
June 20 – Knicks @ Spurs – 1.30am

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