New York Returns to the Top as Knicks Outlast Spurs for First Title Since 1973
- Karinna Leonard
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
More than seven months after the NBA season began in October, only two teams remain standing. The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks have survived a grueling 82-game regular season and four rounds of playoff basketball to earn a spot on the sport's biggest stage: the NBA Finals.
Despite fielding a starting lineup with an average age similar to that of the Michigan Wolverines squad that won the NCAA National Championship earlier this year, the Spurs have fought their way to the Finals behind the player of Victor Wembanyama. The young superstar has helped transform San Antonio from a rebuilding franchise into a championship contender in just a few seasons.
Representing the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks make up the other half of the matchup. Unlike the Spurs, whose success is driven by a generational star, the Knicks have relied on depth and teamwork throughout the season. Although New York is home to several talented players, including Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, not a single Knick received a vote for the league's Most Valuable Player award, underscoring the team's collective approach.
The contrast between these two roster constructions has produced a series defined by razor-thin margins, where a single possession, rebound, or defensive stop can swing the outcome of a game.
To reach this moment, the Spurs finished first in the Southwest Division with a 62-20 regular-season record. In the playoffs, they dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the first round before defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in six and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game Western Conference Finals.
Opposite them, the Knicks finished second in the Atlantic Division with a 53-29 record. Their playoff run began with a six-game victory over the Atlanta Hawks before sweeping both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. The dominant path to the Finals gave New York a 13-game playoff winning streak, the second-longest postseason streak in NBA history.
With each game hinging on a handful of crucial possessions, the margins of each contest have been razor-thin. San Antonio arrived at the Finals with the league's brightest young star, while New York entered riding one of the most dominant playoff runs in recent memory.
The series opened in San Antonio with the Knicks stealing Game 1 in a 105-95 victory. Although the final score suggested a comfortable win, the contest remained tight until New York closed the night on an 11-0 run.
Game 2 provided even more drama as the Knicks escaped with a 105-104 victory after overcoming a 14-point deficit and capitalizing on a costly Spurs turnover in the closing moments. With San Antonio pushing in transition, Wembanyama spotted Stephon Castle streaking up the floor and attempted a quick outlet pass. Instead, the ball struck Castle from behind and landed in the hands of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, sealing another one-possession victory for New York.
Following the loss, Wembanyama took responsibility for the mistake. "That's the most frustrating thing: to throw it away after putting in all this work," Wembanyama said. "I threw that one away. I messed up. It's like the body reacts quicker than the mind. We needed to win that game. This game was ours. But at this point it's done. Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and fuel us to the next game? Absolutely."
He took those words to heart and carried the Spurs to a Game 3 win at Madison Square Garden, scoring 32 points in the 115-111 victory. The victory not only gave San Antonio its first win of the series but also snapped New York's 13-game playoff winning streak. Stephon Castle added 23 points, while Dylan Harper provided a spark off the bench with 13 points and nine rebounds. The 20-year-old became the third youngest player to score at least 10 points in an NBA Finals game, trailing only his own performance in Games 1 and 2. For the first time in the Finals, momentum appeared to be shifting toward the young Spurs.
That momentum carried into Game 4, where San Antonio appeared poised to even the series. Just past the midway point of the game, the Spurs held a commanding 29-point lead and seemed destined to send the Finals back to Texas tied at two games apiece.
Instead, the Knicks authored one of the most remarkable comebacks in Finals history. Before Game 4, no team had erased a deficit larger than 24 points in an NBA Finals game since the league began tracking complete play-by-play data in 1997.
New York chipped away at the lead throughout the second half before dramatically delivering the final blow. With 1.2 seconds remaining, OG Anunoby tipped in the game-winning basket to give the Knicks a stunning 107-106 victory and a commanding 3-1 series lead.
The improbable finish left teammates searching for explanations. Karl-Anthony Towns jokingly credited Anunoby's heroics to a "right hand from God." Knicks head coach Mike Brown was equally enthusiastic in his praise, saying, "That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball."
For San Antonio, the loss was a devastating blow. What had appeared to be a series-changing victory instead became another example of the razor-thin margins that have defined the Finals.
Those margins ultimately favored New York as the Spurs showed their youth. Returning to San Antonio for Game 5, the Knicks completed their championship run with a 94-90 victory, securing the franchise's first NBA title in more than five decades.
While San Antonio's young core proved it belongs among the league's elite, its inexperience was evident in a series defined by missed opportunities. The Spurs held a double-digit lead in all five Finals games, yet managed to win only once. In fact, San Antonio led for 72% of the NBA Finals but finished with just a single victory. New York repeatedly came up with timely plays in the game's biggest moments, while the Spurs squandered advantage after advantage.
After trailing by as many as 16 points in Game 5, the Knicks stormed back behind Jalen Brunson. The star guard scored 45 points, including 13 consecutive points for New York in the fourth quarter, ultimately earning Finals MVP honors. During the on-court celebration, Brunson reflected on the achievement, saying, "I have no words. It's everything I ever dreamed of.”
Courtesy of espn/X
The sentiment was shared by countless Knicks fans as the franchise captured its first championship since 1973. After decades of disappointment and near misses, the Larry O'Brien Trophy was finally headed back to New York, bringing a memorable Finals to a fitting conclusion.
Edited by: Kelly Cassette
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