Knicks Stun Spurs, Steal Game 1 of NBA Finals in San Antonio

NBA Superstar OG Anunoby

By Southern Sports Report

The New York Knicks walked into a hostile environment Wednesday night as underdogs against the favored San Antonio Spurs.

Behind a clutch fourth-quarter performance from Jalen Brunson, the Knicks rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat the Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. The victory gives New York a 1-0 series lead and puts immediate pressure on San Antonio heading into Game 2.

For much of the night, it appeared the Spurs were in control. San Antonio led 55-48 at halftime and extended its advantage to 14 points during the third quarter behind strong contributions from rookie Dylan Harper and sharpshooter Julian Champagnie. The Spurs' defense frustrated the Knicks offense for long stretches, while Victor Wembanyama controlled the paint on both ends of the floor.

But championship teams find ways to respond.

The Knicks slowly chipped away at the deficit before delivering a decisive fourth-quarter surge led by Brunson. Despite battling through injury scares involving both his knee and ankle earlier in the game, the All-Star guard scored 30 points and delivered several clutch baskets in the final minutes. Brunson scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining that silenced the San Antonio crowd.

Karl-Anthony Towns provided crucial support with 18 points and 12 rebounds, helping New York dominate key stretches of the second half. The Knicks' defense also tightened dramatically after halftime, holding San Antonio to just two made three-pointers in the second half and forcing several costly turnovers.

For the Spurs, Wembanyama finished with a double-double but struggled with efficiency, shooting 6-for-21 from the field while committing six turnovers. De'Aaron Fox endured one of his toughest outings of the postseason, scoring inefficiently and finishing just 3-for-13 from the floor.

The loss is particularly painful for San Antonio considering the circumstances. The Spurs entered the series as favorites after eliminating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in a grueling seven-game Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, New York came in rested after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers and extended its postseason winning streak with Wednesday's victory.

Now the pressure shifts squarely onto the Spurs. With Game 2 remaining in San Antonio, Mitch Johnson's young squad must regroup quickly to avoid heading to Madison Square Garden trailing 0-2 in the series.

As for the Knicks, they accomplished exactly what every road team hopes to do in the NBA Finals: steal home-court advantage.

And after waiting 27 years to return to the NBA Finals, New York is now just three wins away from ending a championship drought that dates back to 1973.