The Knicks made it interesting in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals...again.
After being down double digits in San Antonio on Saturday night, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks to a fourth-quarter comeback to end New York's 53-year drought.
It came down to free throws in the waning seconds as Dylan Harper missed both free throws and OG Anunoby made one of two free throws to come up clutch and bleed the clock.
Of course, with plenty of Knicks fans in attendance, the Knicks radio announcers did their thing to meet the moment.
"It's happening Knicks fans, it's happening," Tyler Murray said. "It's been 53 years! But for this moment, it was well worth the wait.
The Knicks radio announcers reacting to the final moments of Game 5, as Dylan Harper misses both free throws, OG Anunoby splits the clutch free throws, and the New York Knicks win a championship for the first time in 53 years pic.twitter.com/IiGdlUNXKG
On the other end, the Spurs' fourth-quarter lead was slowly but surely overtaken.
Spurs radio play-by-play Dan Weiss and Spurs legend Sean Elliott were on the radio for San Antonio and could not believe the free throws being missed by Harper.
And, despite the Spurs losing, they gave the Knicks their flowers.
"Gotta give them credit, Dan. They earned," Elliott said. "We had them down in every single game and they never gave up. They showed the heart of a champion."
The Spurs radio announcers' reaction to the last moments of Game 5 - Dylan Harper two missed clutch free throws, OG Anunoby splits the clutch free throws, and the Knicks win their first championship in 53 years. pic.twitter.com/BG6iPDjHTQ
For weeks now, the New York Knicks’ run at their first championship since 1973 has brought together a city that rarely sees eye-to-eye on much. Fans decked out in Knicks merchandise filled the streets, subways and office towers with a sea of blue and orange, often fist-pumping strangers with all feeling buoyed by the Knicks pinch-me moments on the march to the championship prize.
On Saturday night, this team of destiny delivered New Yorkers the Larry O’Brien trophy, at last, a moment that drove fans out of bars and their apartment buildings into the streets to celebrate the Knicks 94-90 Game 5 win in San Antonio.
As the Knicks closed in, and then closed it out, during the fourth quarter, each new bucket was greeted with cheers and car honks from Brooklyn to the Bronx. The city’s beacon was the Empire State Building lit up in blue and orange.
As Sportico‘s Sara Germano, a die-hard Knicks fan, reported: “Down at Pier 17, in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, hundreds of Knicks fans had camped out before a large projector screen. Euphoric shrieks filled the Harbor of the East River as soon as the Knicks clinched. A young boy of about 9 years old shook the shoulders of another, yelling, ‘we finally did it!!’ When the broadcast showed Jalen Brunson receiving the finals MVP award, someone lit off Orange and blue fireworks over the pier. Spectators spilled into the seaport, grabbing celebratory hot dogs and ice cream from trucks parked along South Street as revelers screamed and milled about taking in the balmy, euphoric night.”
Added our colleague Jacob Feldman: “Having visited the Statue of Liberty earlier Saturday, I watched the pandemonium pouring across Brooklyn as the clock struck midnight through the eyes of the tourists I’d encountered on Liberty Island, visitors wearing Brazil and Morocco jerseys, whose long awaited soccer match was being shown up by an NBA Finals run few foresaw. For those World Cup visitors: No, New Yorkers don’t usually gather on street corners for impromptu watch parties. They rarely swap hope and handshakes with total strangers. At some point in the last month, the world’s city had transformed into a sports town, as if we’d all been transported to a foreign land.
“Sporting events usually get swallowed here. Win or lose, reality typically awaits just outside the MetLife, Yankee Stadium, or MSG gates. But for weeks, the Knicks have turned all of NYC into a dreamland. In the wee hours of Sunday morning, no one wanted to go to bed—much less wake up.”
Partying wasn’t limited to just the five boroughs, engulfing the surrounding suburbs, too. Sportico‘s Molly Geary, reporting from Long Island, said: “Baseball and football tend to take fan precedence on Long Island, but I’ve seen more Knicks apparel around here in the last month than in the last five years combined. Immediately after Game 5 ended fireworks were going off on my block and, as the Knicks received the trophy, continued to be heard from various directions in the distance. ‘He seems like a very humble young man,’ my non-sports fan Dad—a lifelong New Yorker who came in the room for the last two minutes of the game—just remarked about Jalen Brunson.”
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 03: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks reacts during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on February 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Former Wizards players Landry Shamet, Trey Jemison III and Dillon Jones won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Former Wizards Landry Shamet, Dillon Jones and Trey Jemison III have won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks.
It marks the ninth time in 10 years that at least one former Wizard has won the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/zULkAEgZUV
It marked the ninth time in 10 seasons that at least one former Wizard has won the NBA title.
Shamet spent the 2023-24 season in Washington before leaving in free agency and later signing with the Knicks. The veteran sharpshooter averaged 7.1 points across 46 appearances with the Wizards.
Jones, who won an NBA title with the Oklahoma City Thunder is 2025, was traded to Washington last summer. The Weber State product spent Summer League and the preseason with the Wizards before he was waived and eventually picked up by the Knicks.
Jemison played two games with the Wizards during the 2023-24 campaign before signing with the Memphis Grizzlies to close the season. The 6-foot-10 forward is currently on a two-way contract with the Knicks.
Any more talking heads want to doubt him? All he did was lead the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years with a virtuoso effort.
He scored 45 points on 14-of-27 shooting.
Fifteen of his points came in the fourth quarter to rally the Knicks from yet another double-digit deficit.
Zero
De’Aaron Fox’s gaffe at the end of Game 4 cost the Spurs, and the veteran shot them out of Game 5. His brutal finals ended with a 3-of-15 shooting performance.
Coach Mitch Johnson said he was going to stick with Fox, and that decision paid off — for the Knicks.
De’Aaron Fox drives on Jalen Brunson during the Knicks’ 94-90 NBA title-clinching Game 5 win over the Spurs on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio. AP
Unsung hero
Mitchell Robinson was pressed into extended action due to Karl Anthony-Towns fouling out, and the longest tenured Knick enjoyed his best game of the finals.
He had 10 rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes. His offensive rebound of a Josh Hart missed free throw with the Knicks up three and 22 seconds remaining was a monster play.
Key stat
47.8: Percentage of Knicks points scored by Brunson in the clinching Game 5.
Quote
“It’s everything I dreamed of. This is why I came to New York,”
James Dolan is over the moon that his Knicks are the NBA champions.
He just wants Knicks fans to know he feels bad it took this long to get back to the top of the basketball mountain.
The team owner took center stage at Frost Bank Center with the Larry O’Brien Trophy after the Knicks won 94-90 in Game 5 over the Spurs on Saturday to clinch their first NBA Finals win since 1973.
Dolan, while talking with ESPN host Ernie Johnson, made clear that he felt bad the Knicks hadn’t won in over five decades.
"Hey New York, I'm sorry it took so long, but here we are, and hopefully it won't take that long again.” pic.twitter.com/GlktjZVRGw
“Hey, New York, I’m sorry it took so long, but here we are, and hopefully it won’t take that long again,” Dolan said. “Yeah!”
Earlier in the week on WFAN, Dolan was confident the Knicks, who had lost Game 3 on home court in their first Finals home game in 27 years, would not only win Game 4 but take the whole series
“I expect to win tonight, being as [when] I make predictions here they come true,” he said, referring to the WFAN studio. “We’ll win tonight and we’ll win the Finals.”
ames Dolan holds the Larry O’Brien as the Knicks won the NBA Finals.
Jason Szenes for the New York PostFinals MVP Jalen Brunson admires the trophy. NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Post’s front page on June 14, 2026: “CHAMPS!”
Dolan then came in during Josh Hart’s postgame press conference to tell New Yorkers to be safe in their celebrations and confirmed that the championship parade will be held Thursday,
Dolan took over the Knicks in 1999, the year they last made the finals before this epic run. They fell into a few doldrums in the 2000s and the late 2010s, but with the hiring of Leon Rose as team president in 2020 and the infusion of Jalen Brunson in 2022, the Knicks turned things around with playoff appearances in 2021, ’23, ’24 and ’25.
Now, they have their third-ever title that their fans have long dreamed about.
SAN ANTONIO — Josh Hart missed the last celebration.
Jalen Brunson makes a point of needling his friend at every opportunity, reminding the world that Hart was no longer on Villanova when Brunson and Mikal Bridges left San Antonio in 2018 with their second national championship in three years.
Hart was in Los Angeles with the post-Kobe/pre-LeBron Lakers, his first of three teams in five seasons, each ending before the postseason. The former 30th overall pick — taken 22 spots behind Knicks lottery pick Frank Ntilikina — had carved out a place in the league, but had yet to find a coach who understood the value he brought beyond the box score, or teammates who knew he would sacrifice a limb for a loose ball.
Josh Hart (left) talks with ESPN announcer Ernie Johnson as teammate Mikal Bridges listens during the trophy presentation after the Knicks’ 94-90 Game 5 NBA title-clinching win over the Spurs on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio. Getty Images
Hart was set to be among the countless players who leave the league without leaving a mark. Then came the trade on Feb. 8, 2023, the news that left Brunson in disbelief, reacting like he won the lottery — “Oh sh-t! Yes!” — raising his arms in triumph.
Brunson knew the Knicks — then without a playoff series win in a decade — were getting someone whose selflessness would’ve fit with the franchise in 1973, whose passion and toughness would’ve blended seamlessly in 1993.
Someone who found where he always belonged.
“I had a lot of instability in those 6½ years, I had six head coaches, three different teams, so I was just kind of looking for a home and stability, and I found that in New York,” Hart said before the Knicks’ Game 5 94-90 NBA Finals-clinching win. “I think the city really embraced me, my style of play, me as a person. When you do that, you feel like you’re able to go out there and play your best.
“This city is built on toughness, grit, blue-collar people, and I feel like I’m the same person. They can look in the mirror and they can see myself, just because that’s how I look at myself and I just happen to hoop.”
Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five. NBAE via Getty Images
As Brunson (45 points) received little support in the biggest game of their lives, Hart played the part of the trusted sidekick, also becoming an all-time New York legend after recording 13 points, 11 rebounds and two assists, as the Knicks clinched their first championship in 53 years Knicks on Saturday night at Frost Bank Center.
Hart started the series with a historic stat line, becoming the first player in an NBA Finals game to lead both teams outright in rebounds (15), assists (6) and steals (4). In Game 4, the fan favorite nearly became Charles Smith.
If not for OG Anunoby’ last-second tip-in, the Knicks’ 29-point comeback might have been for naught, a night that might have been remembered for Hart’s blown layup in the final minutes, the lasting image of a collapse that cost the team its long-awaited title.
After 53 long years of watching both contending teams fall short of the finish line and others appear on a collision course with the NBA Draft lottery, the New York Knicks are NBA champions.
And, as in the first four games of the 2026 NBA Finals, Mike Brown's team had to rebound from a slow start. However, unlike their other three wins, the Knicks had to rely mainly on Jalen Brunson to get the job done in San Antonio on Saturday night.
The Knicks' captain went off for 45 points, leading the team to a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Unsurprisingly, he was named the winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award.
Shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 12-of-13 from the foul line, Brunson scored 29 points in the second half alone. No other Knick scored more than seven points (Josh Hart) in the second half, as Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby struggled with foul trouble for most of the night.
San Antonio built up double-digit leads in all five games of the series. However, except for Game 3, they were unable to keep the Knicks from clawing their way over the finish line. Towns shot 1-of-7 from the field, scoring just two points before fouling out, while Anunoby finished with 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Mikal Bridges (14) and Josh Hart (13) also scored in double figures, with the Knicks' three Villanova alums combining to score 72 of the team's 94 points. Given how lead executive Leon Rose put this team together, it is fitting.
Spurs rookie Dylan Harper capped his series with another outstanding performance, scoring a team-high 25 points while also accounting for five rebounds and four assists. Victor Wembanyama added 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, but the struggles of Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox were too much to overcome.
They shot a combined 4-of-25 from the field, with Castle not scoring his first field goal until late in the fourth quarter.
Given San Antonio's youth, the expectation is that they'll have more opportunities to hang another banner. However, as the Knicks can attest, getting back onto this stage is not guaranteed.
The Knicks are finally back on top of the basketball world.
After five games - five breathless, eternally memorable games - the franchise has finally captured the elusive Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in 53 years.
It's been a whirlwind postseason, and the Knicks lost just three games on their march to the championship.
While the streets of New York City are crammed with fans, young and old, celebrating arm in arm, social media is abuzz with reactions to this incredible moment.
Of course, just a borough away from Madison Square Garden, both the Mets and Yankees congratulated the Knicks on bringing a championship back to New York City.
The talking heads of the sports media world were in awe of the 45 point performance of Jalen Brunson, which earned him the NBA Finals MVP award.
“Everyone’s better than Jalen Brunson until it’s time to be better than Jalen Brunson”
Former legends of the hardwood, including former Knicks guard Jamal Crawford, chimed in as well, with Dwight Howard posing a question that could become a very interesting and prominent discussion as the dust settles on the Knicks' triumph.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Ernie Johnson Jr. interviews Josh Hart #3 and Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks after the victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s one feeling nobody who is a fan of the Phoenix Suns has ever experienced: the pure elation that comes with winning the final game of the NBA season. And now another season has come and gone. The 58th season in Phoenix Suns history is officially over as the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1, capturing their first NBA championship since 1973.
For most fan bases, moments like this are a celebration. A chance to relive memories and reflect on what it felt like when their team finally climbed the mountain. Suns fans don’t have that luxury. Every June serves as a reminder that Phoenix has never won the final game of an NBA season. Despite decades of success, Hall of Famers, MVPs, Finals appearances, and more than 2,500 victories, that one box remains unchecked.
It’s what makes being a Suns fan unique. You learn to celebrate the journey because you’ve never been rewarded with the destination.
As the Knicks celebrate their first title in more than five decades, Suns fans are left doing what they’ve always done this time of year: watching someone else hold the trophy while hoping that one day, somehow, it’ll finally be Phoenix’s turn. When you watch the postgame celebrations, hear the speeches, see the smiles, and watch players lift the trophy, you can’t help but feel a little jealous.
Sure, it’s been 53 years since the Knicks last won a championship. Most of their fans weren’t even alive the last time it happened. But for the Suns, it simply never has. So when you watch those moments unfold, there’s a bit of envy. That’s only natural. At the same time, there’s also happiness for the players who once wore your jersey and now get to experience the feeling that every player and fan chases.
Two former members of the Phoenix Suns won a championship tonight: Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet.
The relationship with Shamet had become complicated by the end of his time in Phoenix. Expectations were high, especially for a player making $9.5 million a season, and he never quite delivered the way many hoped he would. Still, he’s part of the fraternity. He wore the uniform, and now he’s an NBA champion.
Then there’s Mikal Bridges. That’s different. That’s the one that tugs at the heartstrings.
Mikal was beloved from the moment he arrived in Phoenix. He embodied everything fans wanted in a player. He worked hard, played every night, smiled constantly, and became a foundational piece of a team that made a run to the NBA Finals.
When he was traded, Suns fans felt it. And tonight, seeing him hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy, it’s hard not to feel a little joy for him. Maybe a little sadness, too. But mostly joy.
Because while Suns fans continue waiting for that moment to arrive for their own franchise, it’s nice to see someone who meant so much to the organization finally experience what it’s like to stand at the top of the basketball world. Mikal Bridges, who has never missed a game in his NBA career, was the definition of an iron man during his time in Phoenix. He spent five seasons with the organization and was one of the young cornerstones who helped lead the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance in 28 years in 2021.
When he was traded for Kevin Durant, it hurt.
At the time, most of us understood the logic. You were acquiring one of the greatest players of his generation in an effort to chase a championship. But now that the dust has settled, the fallout has played out, and Durant has been gone from Phoenix for over a season, it’s hard not to revisit that decision and wonder what might have been. You can’t help but feel like something was lost. At the same time, it’s impossible not to be happy for Mikal.
He’s continued to grow outside of Phoenix. He’s continued to prove why so many Suns fans loved him in the first place. And now he adds something else to his résumé. NBA champion. So congratulations, Mikal Bridges. The city of Phoenix is rooting for you. And while it stings that this moment didn’t happen with you wearing a Suns uniform, we’re happy to see you experience it nonetheless.
More than anything, we hope that one day Suns fans can know exactly what you’re feeling right now.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that there would be a parade Thursday to celebrate the Knicks championship victory.
“Parade. Thursday. Manhattan,” Mamdani posted on X.
The New York Knicks hold their NBA Finals trophy after beating the Spurs in Game 5 on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Getty ImagesFans celebrate on top of a school bus near Times Square. Christopher Sadowski for NY PostCelebrations also took place outside of Madison Square Garden. Brenden Willsch-Imagn ImagesMamdani’s tweet about the victory parade. X/@NYCMayorThe Post’s front page on June 14, 2026: “CHAMPS!”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts after his three-point basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A once-top target for John Groce’s Illinois staff has now won NBA Finals MVP.
Jalen Brunson was the one of the top players in the 2015 class out of Stevenson (Lincolnshire) after winning the IHSA 4A state title.
Brunson went on to win two titles with Villanova and famously graduated in three years before darting for the NBA where he spent time with the Mavericks before joining the Knicks.
Now, Brunson may be proclaimed the best player in the world after scoring 45 points in Saturday’s Game 5 to lift New York to its first NBA title in 53 years.
Imagine the world where he committed to Illinois.
Is Groce still here? Does Illinois find a way to get back to the tourney sooner? Do we ever get Ayo, then Kofi, then TSJ, then KJ/Will, then Keaton?
Probably not.
It still probably ends poorly, just a few years later for Groce, meaning Brad Underwood never arrives in Champaign, and we’re in a totally different timeline.
Congrats to (my high school classmate) Jalen and the Knicks! I think it worked out in the long run for all of the parties involved.
The Knicks outscored San Antonio 29-18 in the final quarter as the Spurs fell apart at the seams.
But things seemed to unravel a bit before that. After Stephon Castle hit a free throw with 2:25 left in the third quarter, the Spurs went up 70-55 and appeared to be shutting down any hopes of a Knicks comeback.
Victor Wembanyama struggled again in NBA Finals Game 5 on June 13, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York PostSan Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle #5 reacts on the court during the 2nd half.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostThe Post’s front page on June 14, 2026: “CHAMPS!”
Victor Wembanyama, the all-world Spurs big man, basically disappeared in the fourth quarter, going 1-for-5 from the field.
In just the final two minutes, he missed one of his two free throws and clanked two 3-point attempts to all but seal the Knicks’ victory.
He had a team-high 19 points with 14 rebounds, but it was not enough as the Knicks stormed back once again to take their first title since 1973. It was eerily similar to how he closed out Game 4, when he had just two points with no rebounds in the final 9:30.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, who saw his team leading late in every single game of this series, summed up the Finals rather succinctly after it was all said and done.
“We weren’t ready to win an NBA championship. The better team won,” he said.
Jun 13, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks 7th ave. squad celebrating outside of Madison Square Garden on Plaza 33 while watching the conclusion Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. Mandatory Credit: Brenden Willsch-Imagn Images | Brenden Willsch-Imagn Images
It was nearly a home game. According to TickPick data, New York and New Jersey residents bought 45% of the tickets to Game Five in San Antonio. You could hear it in the opening minutes, when the ‘Bocker backers were just as loud as the Spurs fanatics.
Unfortunately, the visiting team didn’t give a lot to cheer about early on. Once again, the Knicks fell behind by double digits. They scored the fewest first-quarter points of the season, down 23-13, and trailed at halftime, 42-37. But the Knicks can never be counted out when Captain Jalen Brunson wears an orange and blue cape. Scoring 45 (rest of team: 49), Jalen led the troops on another rally, this time from 16 down. With big shots in the fourth and big misses by the Spurs, the Knicks pulled ahead with three minutes to go and held for a 94-90 win.
Hang the banner! They’re the champs!
Each team stumbled through the first two minutes. The Knicks missed four shots, while the Spurs missed one and turned the ball over before Wemby dunked around 9:30 and Jalen Brunson answered with a three-ball. From there the Knicks continued to brick (missing 13 of their initial 15 shots) and fell behind by six before OG Anunoby hit a catch-up corner three. At the midway point, coach Mike Brown, hoping to get some offensive mojo working, subbed Landry Shamet for OG. Harper worked Shamet for a layup, and then Landry was way off from deep as the shot clock expired. That ShamWow magic was all tapped out, apparently.
SWAT THE THREE-POINT ATTEMPT. STUFF THE SHOT INSIDE.
Going up by double digits, the home team scored 12 of their first-quarter points in the paint, while New York had scored none. The home-viewing audience saw a lot of contact on the court, but the refs—much closer to the action—saw very few fouls to call. Perhaps that had something to do with Scott “The Extender” Foster heading the officiating crew.
Brown sent Anunoby back in and swapped Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns for Alvarado and Mitchell Robinson.
Through the first four games, New York had not managed more than 25 points in a quarter, while San Antonio had averaged 34. Tonight was the ugliest first frame yet. The visitors had just 10 points before Brunson swished from deep with a minute left. When the period concluded, both teams had recorded their lowest first-quarter point totals of the series. Spurs up, 23-13.
This was the entirety of the Knicks offense. All of it:
Brunson: 25-foot three-pointer
Anunoby: Corner three
Anunoby: Two free throws
Brunson: 11-foot step-back jumper
Brunson: 27-foot three-pointer
To start the second quarter, Wemby blocked Alvarado on the perimeter and then stuffed Shamet in the lane, while Julian Champagnie made the deficit 13 at the other end. The Spurs applied full-court pressure, and the Knicks had trouble getting the ball across midcourt, let alone putting it in the hoop. Rookie Dylan Harper made free throws for a 15-point advantage. When Wemby hit from the corner, it was 16. Mike Brown needed a timeout to regroup the troops.
Brunson, Bridges, and Hart combined for a 17-7 run that brought the differential back to six with about 2:30 left in the half. The Spurs’ defense, which rocketed out of the gate like angry pit bulls, began to lose a step. When Anunoby nicked a Stephon Castle pass, Hart took it all the way for a layup—and Fox, trailing, shoved him from behind with two hands for a flagrant-1. It was a reckless play by Fox. The Knicks fans present erupted at the announcement, then again when Hart made the free throw, and then again when Bridges floated a bucket over Wembanyama.
Thanks to a buzzer-beater in traffic by Devin Vassell, the Spurs took a 42-37 lead into halftime. Stunned by those numbers? Us, too! That was the fewest points scored by the Knicks in a first half this season.
The glaring number is points in the paint: 18-6 Spurs. That’s a big gap, especially when neither team could shoot straight. The hosts had made two more field goals than the guests. The Knicks actually shot better from three (37% to 29%), thanks to Brunson making 3-of-4. On the glass, the Spurs held a 26-23 edge overall and had nine second-chance points. The Spurs had 14 bench points, the Knicks none. Turnovers, assists, and points off turnovers were essentially even. New York had taken 44 shots and scored only six paint points. Brunson led all scorers with 16; Harper led the Spurs with 11.
To start the third quarter, Towns was immediately dinged for a soft elbow on Wemby (who preceded that with a push-off). The Extender was all over it, whistling Karl’s fourth penalty of the night and sending him to the bench.
A few moments later, Wemby scored on a dunk, and Robinson pushed him gently from behind, earning the same flagrant-1 that Fox did earlier. Those two fouls by their centers were momentum killers for the Knicks. Wemby hit the freebie, Champagnie made a three, and Wemby made a bucket to make the hole 12 again. A Bridges three-pointer and a Brunson jumper cut it back to seven, and the see-saw continued.
Ariel Hukporti checked in around the eight-minute mark, but not for long—Wemby took the bench, and Brown opted for Shame, hoping for that elusive offensive surge.
At around the 5:30 mark, Wembanyama clearly violated Brunson’s landing area on a three-point attempt. Jalen landed on his foot, turning his ankle. The refs swallowed their whistle on the obvious flagrant. Why? Because it would have been his fourth flagrant-foul point and suspended him from Game Six.
Here’s a convenient place to drop this fun fact: Financial analysts tracking deep postseason runs note that a single Finals game hosted in a premier arena can clear $20 million or more in total building revenue. (h/t Inc. Magazine.) The league takes a 25% cut of all gate receipts from playoff games. Plus, economic impact studies frequently show that hosting a single Finals game can inject tens of millions of dollars into a city’s local ecosystem.
On the next sequence, Bridges was poked IN THE EYE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF FOSTER, but yet again, no whistle. The Spurs fans chanted DE-FENSE, but it should have been FOS-TER! With the Knicks playing 5-on-6, the Spurs went ahead by 15.
Mikal Bridges gets poked in the eye right in front of Scott Foster… No call 🤔 pic.twitter.com/rKF1win32V
Send your thoughts to asilver@nba.com. Maybe, if the NBA believes in ethical basketball, they will assess a belated flagrant on Wemby after reviewing the game.
Throughout the Finals, Shamet, McBride, and Clarkson have been mostly negatives. That continued tonight. One bench player who gave New York positive minutes was Hukporti, who blocked Kornet at the rim and fought for a timely offensive board.
Hart hit a triple, Brunson hit three freebies, and Robinson tipped in a Brunson miss to make the score 72-65 after three.
7-point game headed to the 4th, thanks to Mitchell Robinson!
The teams traded buckets to start the final frame. Shamet hit a three—finally—and Vassell answered. Early in the quarter, Hart blocked a driving Vassell and called for a foul. Brown challenged it. Even though Hart contacted the ball first, the challenge was unsuccessful. Send your thoughts to asilver@nba.com.
Shamet hurt his ankle coming down for a layup and exited the game. Hate to see him injured, but it might have been the only to stop Brown from playing him!
Wemby was actually called for a loose ball foul, then Brunson took him to the woodshed for a difficult finger roll. The score was 83-79 at the midway mark. Towns picked up his fifth foul around then, shoving Wemby from behind into Hart. That meant Robinson was back in the game when New York needed an offensive push to keep the game close or even go ahead.
Brunson made two free throws and a freight train layup to cap a 10-0 run. All knotted up at 83 with four and change remaining. Vassell made a jumper for a lead, but then fouled Brunson on a three (and violated his landing space, but shhh). Captain Clutch made all three freebies and took the lead. Fox missed on a pull-up, Robinson grabbed the board, and Brown called a timeout to beat Mitch Johnson to a Hack-A-Mitch.
Brunson was dinged for an offensive foul, and the Spurs missed a couple of point blank at the iron. They’d missed nine of their last ten shots, and then Vassell goaltended on an Anunoby dunk. 88-85 with two minutes left.
At the other end, Towns fouled out when called for an offensive foul when Wemby charged into him. Wemby missed one of two, and the Knicks fans were delirious. Harper and Cap traded buckets, and with a minute left, the Knicks lead was two. Hart missed from yard, Harper got the ball and ran the length of the floor, but blew the game tying layup with 27 seconds on the clock.
Hart was fouled and made the first. He missed the second, but Mitchell Robinson hauled in the biggest rebound of his career. The ball kicked out to Anunoby, who was fouled and made one of two. This time Vassell grabbed the board and called a timeout. Knicks up, 92-88. Just 20 seconds left.
Out of the break, the Spurs ran the same play the Knicks did to win Game Four—Castle inbounded, then dunked the putback of a Wemby miss. It was Castle’s first field goal of the night, after missing nine straight.
Out of the Knicks timeout, Brunson was mauled at halfcourt by Wemby and Harper but Foster ignored it. The ball finally reached Bridges, who was given a foul. At the line, Bridges missed the first but canned the second. 93-90. Spurs timeout, nine seconds left.
Shamet (back in the game) fouled Harper, and the rookie, who led his team with 25 points, wilted in the moment. He missed both, then fouled the rebounding Anunoby. OG missed one, made one, and the game ended with Wembanyama missing from deep. How fitting.
The Larry O’Brien trophy was presented. Jalen Brunson was named the MVP. Karl-Anthony Towns was finally a champion. The remaining Knicks fans at the Frost Bank Center celebrated. I cried. You cried. And after 53 years of wandering the desert, we finally made it home.
The out-of-control Knicks fans were seen smashing up a cop car outside of Madison Square Garden, while others destroyed MTA and school buses among the madness in the hours after New York’s historic win on Saturday night.
Two maniacs were seen jumping on top of the car and smashing up its front windshield , according to a video posted byFreedomNews TV.
A NYPD cop car windshield was smashed during the mayhem Saturday night. FNTV
In another wild scene captured on video, NYPD officers took down a crazed fan and shoved several others back outside the garden.
The detained man, wearing a Knicks Finals sweatshirt, was handcuffed and escorted away but appeared to have been let go and ordered onto a sidewalk.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many people had been arrested amidst the chaos as of early Sunday.
A Spurs fan had hopped into a police vehicle in an attempt to escape the packed Knicks crowd that had surrounded it.
Knicks fans immediately started getting rowdy on Saturday night. FNTVSmoke erupts on the streets of New York as Knicks fans celebrate the championship at Bryant Park on June 13, 2026. REUTERSA crowd of people climbs on top of a school bus as Knicks Fans celebrate the team’s NBA Championship on June 13, 2026. Christopher Sadowski for NY PostA fan climbs a pole in Bryant Park after Game 5 of the NBA Finals. REUTERS
Hundreds of NYPD officers in riot gear raced into the area, pushing the rabble-rousers off of W31st Street.
The surging officers detained several people, taking them to the ground as the rest of the crowd ran off the street, according to video posted on X.
Officers on horseback took over an intersection on 8th Avenue, trying to disperse the crowd outside of the arena.
Officers say they haven’t worn this much protection in the streets of the city since COVID
“I’ve been doing this job for 20 years and I’ve never had to wear riot gear,” one officer told The Post outside MSG.
A person is detained in front of a destroyed NYPD vehicle during a chaotic scene in New York on June 14, 2026. Michael Nagle for NY PostKnicks captain Jalen Brunson holds up the MVP trophy next to owner James Dolan after winning the NBA Finals in San Antonio on June 13, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostVideo captured cops lining up to potentially face fans. FNTVOne person is seen taken away by NYPD in the video. FNTV
A frenzied mass spread to Times Square to continue the celebration, where dozens of people, some decked out in Knicks gear, climbed on top of an MTA bus
Two school buses and an MTA bus were taken over by rowdy groups as the madness turned chaotic after midnight.
Several instigators began to destroy one of the buses, ripping the front paneling from the engine compartment and swinging the debris to the approval of the delirious crowd, according to video shot by The Post.
At one point, a shirtless man spiked the engine grill cover onto the street before two other men jumped on top of it.
People hold flares as they take over a school bus in Times Square as thousands of Knicks fans celebrate the team’s win. Christopher Sadowski for NY PostTwo people are arrested by the NYPD along 9th Avenue after the Knicks win on June 13, 2026. Aristide Economopoulos for NY PostFans climb inside a school bus parked along 42nd Street in Times Square. REUTERSKnicks fans walk past a car that was damaged after people jumped on top of it on 9th Avenue. Aristide Economopoulos for NY PostKnicks fans sitting on top of a school bus watch as others dismantle a barrier set up in Times Square. REUTERS
“We want everybody tonight, in New York, be safe,” Dolan told reporters in the post-game press conference. “OK, celebrate, but be safe.”
The New York Post front cover for June 14, 2026.A rowdy crowd ignites a fire in the streets near Bryant Park after the Knicks win on June 13, 2026. REUTERSA person stands on top of a car as thousands of Knicks fans flooded the streets of NY after the team’s win. AP Photo/Heather KhalifaA man uses his arms as a hoop as another shows off his Knicks’ Jalen Brunson jersey on top of a pole at the intersection of W34th and 9th Avenue on June 13, 2026. Aristide Economopoulos for NY PostKnicks fans perched on the New Victory Theater after the historic win. Jennifer Bain
Knicks fans across the state raced down to the city Saturday to watch the final game on the streets of New York.
“It feels amazing,” Yanal Zeid told The Post. “The city is electrified right now. There’s no further of coming together than this. This is the most you will see a city come together. We are bonding, we’re completely tied together now. It’s amazing.”
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
Brunson, who finished with 45 points and was unanimously named NBA Finals MVP, was emotional in his postgame interview on ESPN.
Jalen Brunson drives to the basket for a layup in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ Game 5 win over the Spurs to claim the NBA championship. NBAE via Getty Images
“I don’t know what I am feeling. I’m in awe. Whenever people counted us out, we came back and did something about it,” Brunson said.
The Spurs, once again, had the Knicks down double digits in Game 5 but New York pushed past them with a 29-18 fourth quarter to claim the franchise’s first championship in 53 years.
“My confidence comes from my work ethic,” the 29-year-old Brunson said. “All I can think of is all the hours in the summer, every summer since I ever can remember making this a reality. I’d just be alone in the gym.”
Brunson did not have an answer for what it meant to accomplish this goal with his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson.
ESPN’s Lisa Salters said the answer was obvious as tears streamed down Brunson’s face as a picture-in-picture showed Rick joyously celebrating.
“You can see it,” Brunson said, repeating Salters’ line.
