New York Knicks beat San Antonio Spurs to claim first NBA title in 53 years
Jalen Brunson scored 45 points to set a team record for points in a Finals game and was also named the most valuable player
The New York Knicks, fuelled by a sensational 45 points from Jalen Brunson, rallied again to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 and win their first NBA title in 53 years on Saturday.
The Knicks won the best-of-seven championship series 4-1, denying Victor Wembanyama and his young Spurs teammates on their home floor to lift the trophy for the first time since 1973.
The Knicks, who recovered from 29 points down in game four to produce the biggest comeback in Finals history, erased a double-digit deficit to win for the fourth time in the series.
They trailed by 16 in the second quarter and were down by 10 early in the fourth, but Brunson wouldn’t let them lose.
“I’ve got no words,” Brunson said after setting a Knicks record for points in a Finals game, surpassing Willis Reed’s 38 in game three of the team’s 1970 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” added Brunson, who was named Finals Most Valuable Player. “I’m in awe. Whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to come back and do something about it.”