NBA Finals: New York stun San Antonio to seize home-court edge
The Knicks came out swinging from the opening tip. Down by around 15 points in the second half, New York dug in, hauled the Spurs back and pulled away late for a 105 to 95 win in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio.
Shaken early by the Texas intensity, the Knicks hung around, kept within touching distance and then made their move in the closing minutes. It gives them the home-court advantage right back in this series.
Karl-Anthony Towns laid the groundwork
Before Brunson caught fire, it was Karl-Anthony Towns who kept the Knicks alive. Aggressive from his first touches, the big man attacked the Texas defence again and again and gave Wembanyama plenty to deal with around the rim. Towns, the Knicks’ MVP, was also forced to head to the locker room in the first half with lower-body pain.
New York also won the battle in the paint, scoring 50 points there to San Antonio’s 42. That inside edge covered for some patchy shooting and kept the visitors in the hunt until the money-time.
Too uneven from the Spurs
Victor Wembanyama still did his bit, both defensively and on the stat sheet. The Frenchman finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but his scoring punch could not hide San Antonio’s collective problems. For long stretches, the Spurs looked unable to find any real rhythm. Dylan Harper brought useful energy off the bench with 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Julian Champagnie kept the Texans ahead for much of the night with his outside shooting, but the home offence gradually fell apart after the break.
The numbers tell the story: just 36% from the field and 25% from three. Even with a few promising runs, San Antonio never turned control into a gap big enough to put the Knicks away. Mitch Johnson said after the game that the Spurs need to create more space for Wembanyama to make things easier in their sets.
Brunson had the final word again
As so often in these playoffs, Jalen Brunson delivered when his team needed him most. The Knicks guard poured in 30 points, with 19 coming after half-time, and took over in the fourth quarter. Just after Wembanyama had put the Spurs back in front from the line, the Knicks captain answered straight away with a huge three-pointer with under two minutes left. That sparked an 11-0 run that broke the game open for good.
The New York guard is also building quite a postseason record. This was already his 38th playoff game with at least 25 points in a Knicks shirt, a total bettered only in franchise history by Patrick Ewing.
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A series that looks set to go the distance
The Spurs will have plenty of regrets. Their defence bothered Brunson at times and the Knicks coughed up a few needless turnovers. But the Texans wasted chances too, with 13 turnovers and some questionable shot selection in the key moments.
The short turnaround after their previous long run may have played a part as well. San Antonio looked short on energy and sharpness at times, while New York showed more control when it mattered most.
One thing is clear after Game 1: the Knicks have landed a blow. Fans inside the Spurs’ building got a taste of the tension and the atmosphere that comes with the NBA Finals. By winning on the road against a team that had never lost a Game 1 in the Finals, they grabbed the psychological edge and put the Spurs under pressure heading into Game 2.
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