The San Antonio Spurs lost to the New York Knicks 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday at the Frost Bank Center. The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to defeat the Spurs in an NBA Finals opener, breaking a 6-0 streak.
The Knicks gained the edge in the first quarter, but the Spurs quickly closed the gap and stole the lead. The Spurs maintained the advantage throughout the second quarter and most of the third with a 14-point lead at 65-51. The Knicks went on a huge run to tie the game at 76 by the end of the third quarter. The teams continued to fight for the win throughout the fourth quarter until New York closed the gap and won by 10 points.
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama finished the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds after 38 minutes of playing time. Guard De’Aaron Fox struggled offensively, only scoring seven points and four rebounds.
“I was bad tonight. It’s not more complicated than that,” Wembanyama stated regarding his performance.
“[Wembanyama] definitely holds himself accountable, and I would suspect that he’ll learn a lot of things from tonight’s game and come out with a good approach in Game 2,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson stated.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, 13 of which were scored in the fourth quarter. Brunson faced multiple injuries in the game, including tweaking his right knee in the first quarter and twisting his ankle in the second. Despite these injuries, Brunson continued to play and created a huge impact in gaining the lead over the Spurs. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns scored 18 points and 12 rebounds.
“Jalen, he was the MVP in the second half. He was huge for us. He did what MVP candidates are supposed to do. He carried us home. We put the ball in his hands and he got it done for us,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.
New York faces a title drought of 53 years, winning its last championship in 1973. The Knicks are coming off an undefeated Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team now has a 12-game win streak in the playoffs.
The Spurs are advancing from a seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, their first conference final since 2017. The Spurs’ last championship win was in 2014 against the Miami Heat.
The Spurs and the Knicks will play Game 2 on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Frost Bank Center before heading to Madison Square Garden for Game 3.
