The opening clash of the 2026 NBA Finals delivered a dramatic turnaround for the ages, as the New York Knicks erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit to secure a 105-95 road win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
Led by veteran floor general Jalen Brunson, who poured in 13 of his game-high 30 points in the final frame, the Knicks closed out the contest with an unanswered 11-point run over the closing two minutes to pull away from the hosts. The victory marked New York’s 12th consecutive postseason win, tying the record for the second-longest winning streak in NBA playoff history — a mark that was previously set by the 1999 Spurs, the last team to defeat the Knicks in an NBA Finals matchup.
This comeback is far from an anomaly for the 2023-2024 Knicks: Game 1 marked the fourth time this postseason that the team has rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to claim victory. In the Eastern Conference Finals opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York even overcame an even larger 22-point hole to kickstart their run to the Finals.
Karl-Anthony Towns, the 2015 first overall pick who notched a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1, credited New York’s passionate fanbase and the iconic grit of the city for the team’s repeated ability to fight back from big deficits. “It’s something that’s in the city, you feel that energy in the city. The grit, the grind, the hard work you’ve got to put in to make it in the city. I think we reflect our fans and their lifestyles and what it takes to make it in New York City, when we step on that court with the Knicks jersey,” Towns told reporters postgame.
For the Spurs, the night was marked by an uncharacteristically off performance from generational rookie star Victor Wembanyama. While Wembanyama led the team in scoring with 21 points, he connected on just 6 of his 21 field goal attempts, struggling to find his rhythm against New York’s aggressive interior defense. The 7-foot-4 phenom remained unshaken by the underwhelming outing, noting his confidence in bouncing back in the next game. “We’ve been down in a series before – never in the Finals – but I’m not kicking myself about anything. I was bad, it’s not more complicated than that. I’m not worried in the slightest,” Wembanyama said.
The best-of-seven championship series will remain in San Antonio for Game 2 on Friday, before the teams travel to New York to face off at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday. The Knicks are currently vying for their first NBA championship title in more than five decades, with their last title win coming all the way back in 1973.