The 2026 NBA Finals have only just begun, and the New York Knicks have delivered the first strike. Despite their extended break and being in hostile territory, the Eastern Conference champs pulled through to deliver one of their finest and most important wins of the season: a 105-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1.
Star point guard Jalen Brunson was the star of the show with 30 points, three rebounds, two assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 38.7% shooting and 22.2% shooting from three. Center Karl-Anthony Towns was the second leading scorer for New York, with 18 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, zero steals, and one block on 46.7% shooting from the field. At forward, OG Anunoby contributed 17 points, three rebounds, zero assists, one steal, and one block on 41.7% shooting and 50.0% shooting from three.
For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama had a big night with 26 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three blocks, but he struggled with efficiency, going just 28.6% from the field and 22.2% from three. At shooting guard, Stephon Castle finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, zero steals, zero blocks on 43.8% shooting and and 20.0% shooting from three. Off the bench, young guard Dylan Harper dropped 16 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and zero blocks on 60.0% shooting and 25.0% shooting from three.
With offense being a struggle for both teams tonight (41.5% shooting for the Knicks, 36.0% shooting for the Spurs), every bucket counted, and that was especially true down the stretch when everyone was desperate for a win. Given the stakes (an NBA championship), it’s no surprise that both teams brought the intensity, but there are a few major takeaways that could tell a greater story of the series.
1. Jalen Brunson Delivers In The Clutch
Victor Wembanyama came in as the consensus best player in the series, but Jalen Brunson is changing that narrative. Not only did he lead the game in points, but his scoring came at the most crucial parts: late in the fourth, with the game still on the line. The whole game was a slog-fest, but his 13 points in the final quarter helped the Knicks break away and hold the lead after losing the first half by seven.
In the end, the late-game heroics were enough to win the match, set the tone for the series, and prove that the Knicks are better at closing games overall. Besides a deep bench and elite defensive pressure, it comes from Brunson, the NBA Clutch Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season. He only finished fifth this year, but he’s got much bigger ambitions now that the Knicks sit three wins away from the title.
2. Brutal Shooting Display
In the modern NBA, some teams live and die by the three. The Boston Celtics are iconic for this identity, which helped them win the title in 2024. Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs were not supposed to be one of those teams, but they played like it tonight with the way they kept shooting. As a team, San Antonio went 11-43 from three (25.6% shooting), giving up so many points to missed opportunities. Victor himself went just 2-for-9, highlighting a very uninspired performance.
You have to give the Knicks credit for the way they limited the Spurs’ shot selection tonight, forcing them to settle for jumpers instead of taking it to the rim. Even so, head coach Mitch Johnson has to do a better job of putting his guys in a position to succeed. That means more ball movement, more play-calling, and helping his guys take smarter shots to generate offense. If not, the Spurs may continue to struggle to keep up with a Knicks team that has so many scoring weapons.
3. Knicks Win Depth Battle
There’s no question that both teams are stacked with talent, but Brunson got much more support from his teammates than Wemby did. Specifically, for the guy who is supposed to be their second-best player, De’Aaron Fox was a complete no-show with just seven points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 23.1% shooting from the field. Towns, meanwhile, had his fingerprints all over the game with an 18-point double-double.
Off the bench, the Knicks got 28 points from the second unit, outscoring the Spurs’ reserves by eight. Between guys like Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, and Mitchell Robinson (who is playing through a hand injury), it’s clearly more than enough to handle whatever the Spurs can muster without Wemby on the floor. That factor alone could decide this series, but we can expect adjustments on both sides to take this matchup in a new direction.
