The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973. They beat the San Antonio Spurs 4–1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, clinching the title with a 94–90 win in Game 5 in San Antonio on June 13, 2026. Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP.
How the series was won
The Finals were full of close games, and New York repeatedly finished better in crunch time. The turning point came in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on June 10. San Antonio led 81–52 in the third quarter, a 29-point margin, before the Knicks stormed back to win 107–106, the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. OG Anunoby tipped in a missed Brunson three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to finish the rally. Brunson scored 36 and Anunoby 33.
Game 5: Brunson’s 45
In the clincher, points were hard to come by for New York, but Brunson scored 45, a Knicks Finals record, including 15 in the fourth quarter. The Knicks trailed 83–73 with under eight minutes left before Brunson scored the next 10 points to tie the game, and his jumper with 1:05 to play put New York ahead for good. He was named Finals MVP after the game.
A long road
The championship ended a 53-year title drought. Head coach Mike Brown’s team came back from double-digit deficits several times in the playoffs and put together a 13-game playoff winning streak that ended in Game 3 of the Finals. The Spurs were led by Victor Wembanyama.
Key numbers
- Series: Knicks 4, Spurs 1
- Game 4: Knicks 107, Spurs 106 (29-point comeback, a Finals record)
- Game 5: Knicks 94, Spurs 90
- Finals MVP: Jalen Brunson
- Last Knicks title before 2026: 1973
Sources: NBA.com, Brunson wins Finals MVP; NBA.com, Game 5 takeaways; NBA.com / AP, Game 4 comeback.
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