The New York Knicks have stolen Game 1 on the road in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs with a 105-95 win at the Frost Bank Center. Jalen Brunson was on a heater in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of his 30 points down the stretch that gave the Knicks the important push they needed to bounce back from a 14-point hole midway through the third quarter.
Both teams’ superstars initially struggled to score as the game came down to grit and effort on the defensive end of the floor. But it was overall a great team performance with crucial contributions from several players that allowed them to get this important win on the road.
With the Finals now 1-0 in the Knicks’ favor, let’s take a deeper dive into their performance with a look at their player ratings for tonight.
Jalen Brunson: A+
Game Stats: 30 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 4 TOV, 12-31 FG, 2-9 3PT FG, 4-4 FT, 37 MIN
Jalen Brunson had a slow start to the game that was initially plagued by an injury scare that had him sidelined for a significant portion of the first half before he came back into the game.
His shooting numbers clearly show that he had an inefficient night in terms of efficiency, but saved his best for the most crucial moments in the game, like the Mr. Reliable he is.
He scored 13 points down the stretch in a gruelling quarter where the Knicks also lost an eight-point lead to eventually regain it in the clutch, due to the point guard. Hence, his slow start can be forgotten, and he was easily the Knicks’ best player on the floor tonight.
Josh Hart: A
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 15 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 1-5 FG, 0-3 3PT FG, 1-1 FT, 27 MIN
Even though Josh Hart’s scoring numbers don’t get him the spotlight, whoever watched the game can testify that without Hart’s crucial contributions on the intangibles and the defensive end of the floor, the Knicks would not have this win tonight.
His steals and crucial fights for loose balls on rebounds helped stop some backbreaking and potentially momentum-changing plays in the game. He had the highest plus-minus (+22) among both teams. I can argue that he was arguably the second-best player on the floor tonight for the Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns: A
Game Stats: 18 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST, 7-15 FG, 0-2 3PT FG, 4-4 FT, 34 MIN
Karl-Anthony Towns did a solid job on both ends of the floor tonight to counter the size and physicality of Victor Wembanyama. His 10-point outburst in the third quarter allowed the Knicks to rally back from a 14-point hole.
But he could have been more aggressive in terms of spacing the floor tonight, but he only took two shots from three-point range throughout the game. However, a solid job inside the paint to not let the Spurs’ pestering defense alter his shots.
OG Anunoby: A
Game Stats: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 5-12 FG, 3-6 3PT FG, 4-4 FT, 31 MIN
A slow start from OG Anunoby as well, who was expected to be the X-factor in this series as the ‘Wembanyama stopper’. But he scored 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks steal Game 1.
Mikal Bridges: B+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 3-6 FG, 28 MIN
Even though Mikal Bridges was defensively solid tonight, he was not as confident in terms of spacing the floor as he usually is. But he was crucial in terms of holding Devin Vassell (nine points, 4-11 FG, 1-6 3P) and De’Aaron Fox (seven points, 3-13 FG, 0-4 3P) to inefficient scoring nights for the Spurs.
Landry Shamet: B+
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 1 REB, 5-9 FG, 3-6 3PT FG, 33 MIN
Shamet made some important contributions tonight, especially in terms of timely three-point shots to halt runs from the Spurs.
Despite not having the ball as much, Shamet earned his minutes on the floor tonight by continuing to be a three-point shot threat that forced the Spurs to open up their lanes for Jalen Brunson and other Knicks players to exploit.
Jose Alvarado: B
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 5 MIN
Even though Alvarado only played in the minutes where Jalen Brunson was getting treatment for his injury scare on the bench, he had some high-energy contributions in those non-Brunson minutes as he used his pace to circumvent the threat of Victor Wembanyama around the rim on several occasions.
Once Brunson returned to the floor, Alvarado did not get any more minutes. But his contributions, although only for five minutes of playing time, deserve a grade because he helped the Knicks to avoid falling apart in the non-Brunson minutes.
He reminded me of T.J McConnell’s performance in last year’s NBA Finals. Same intensity in a short burst like Alvarado had tonight.
Miles McBride: C+
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK, 2-7 FG, 2-6 3PT FG, 19 MIN
Miles McBride came off the bench to provide some floor spacing to the Knicks, especially when their offense was losing grip in the third quarter. His timely three-point shots made him an important role player for New York tonight.
Mitchell Robinson: C+
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 6 REB, 1-2 FG, 0-1 FT, 13 MIN
The backup center was almost inconsequential to tonight’s game beyond playing in minutes where Karl-Anthony Towns needed to rest. But one cannot blame Mitchell Robinson for being limited in his contributions, as he is recovering from a hand injury he suffered just a few days ago.
Jordan Clarkson: N/A
Game Stats: 1 REB, 0-1 FG, 6 MIN
Clarkson is ineligible for a grade as he played less than 10 minutes and did not have any impact on the floor during his limited time on the floor.
