Knicks End 53-Year Wait: NBA Champions With Brunson

The New York Knicks ended one of the longest championship waits in NBA history. The orange-and-blue team beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals, closing the series with a 4-1 score and embracing the NBA championship they had been waiting 53 years for since the 1972-73 season. The longing that lasted for decades at Madison Square Garden ended on Saturday night in Texas. The match was officiated by referee trio James Capers, Scott Foster and Mark Ervin.

The star player of the match was undoubtedly Jalen Brunson. The New York Knicks captain and point guard produced 45 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the match in which he stayed on the court for 41 minutes 7 seconds. Brunson caught an incredible hit rate in his shots in the offensive line: he stood out as one of the strongest candidates to become the MVP of the match with successful finishes from 14 attempts at the basket, 4 hits in threes, and 13 points in free throws. Brunson, who sent 14 of his 27 shot attempts, also carried Knicks' leading performance throughout the series to the peak in the final. Brunson's team-mates OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart supported their captain's scoring production while also making critical contributions in the defence line.

On the San Antonio Spurs side, Dylan Harper stood out as his team's leading scorer with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The young star stayed on the court for 31 minutes 7 seconds and kept his team's hopes alive throughout the match. The Spurs' other important name Victor Wembanyama achieved a double-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 2 assists. The 22-year-old French big man continued to be the biggest force challenging the Knicks in defence, but the inadequate support of his team-mates was not enough to change the result this time. The Spurs completed the season as the team eliminated in the final; however, the team coming with the youngest starting five in NBA Finals history gave great hopes for the future.

The match statistics revealed how close the contest was. In shot attempts, San Antonio 86 and Knicks 87 were close to each other. In shot hit percentage, the Spurs 38 and Knicks 36 had a contest. In total rebounds, the Spurs produced a close value with 47 to Knicks' 48. In the first quarter, the Spurs took the lead 23-13; in the second quarter, the Knicks increased the pressure to close the gap and took the period 24-19 to go into halftime 42-37 behind. In the third quarter, the Knicks played another close period with 28-30. The last period turned into a real war moment. New York won the last quarter with 29-18 to turn the score to 94-90 and embraced the championship.

This success, which goes down in history as New York Knicks' third championship after the 1970 and 1973 seasons, led to huge celebrations at Madison Square Garden and throughout the city. The team under Tom Thibodeau's management completed the championship journey by toppling the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals after sweeping the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the final. The 11-game winning streak that Knicks scored throughout the season and the average 122.9 points productivity were the cornerstones of the road to this historic success. After the top-level performance Jalen Brunson displayed throughout the playoff series, it seems certain that he will receive the final series MVP.

Image: si.com