The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 on Saturday night. Trailing by as many as 16 points, the Knicks stormed back behind a heroic performance from Jalen Brunson, who scored 45 points—including 13 consecutive points in the fourth quarter—to seal the series 4-1.
Brunson, named Finals MVP, shared an emotional embrace with his father and assistant coach, Rick Brunson, as the final buzzer sounded. The victory capped a dominant playoff run for New York, which lost only one game after falling behind 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. The Knicks dropped just one contest over the final 51 days of their postseason journey.
Thousands of Knicks fans packed the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, undeterred by pregame controversy over canceled tickets, and remained for the trophy presentation. The championship ends more than five decades of waiting for the franchise and its passionate supporters.