The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time in 73 years, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Finals on Saturday. Jalen Brunson powered the victory, capping a historic playoff run that silenced decades of doubt.
Brunson posted a team-high 34 points and 8 assists in the clincher, shooting 12-of-22 from the floor. The backcourt star averaged 28.4 points and 7.2 assists across the series, earning Finals MVP honors for his consistent brilliance.
The title vaults the Knicks past the Spurs in the all-time championship standings and shifts the Eastern Conference balance of power. New York now becomes the early favorite for next season, while San Antonio must regroup after falling short in its first Finals appearance since 2014.
New York will face the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the season opener, a marquee matchup that pits the newly crowned Knicks against Nikola Jokić's squad. The Spurs, meanwhile, enter the offseason with cap space and a lottery pick to retool around Victor Wembanyama.
Knicks legend Walt Frazier, a two-time champion from the 1970s, had predicted Brunson would deliver a title. “He’s got that New York grit,” Frazier said earlier this year. Brunson himself quipped that a specific pick-and-roll play “defines” the team’s championship identity.
Knicks legend Walt Frazier had predicted Brunson's title run earlier in 2024, calling him "a winner" with "New York grit." After the game, Brunson jokingly identified a specific pick-and-roll play as the defining moment of the championship season.