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SAN ANTONIO — It’s shocking how quickly this moment came.

We knew it was brewing when 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama became the most highly touted prospect since LeBron James.

We knew it was just a matter of time when we witnessed his alien-like abilities to patrol the paint as though he were playing on a toy model of a court.

We knew how badly he wanted it when tears welled in his eyes after milestone wins.

It took Michael Jordan seven seasons to lead his Bulls to their first NBA Finals appearance. It took James and Kobe Bryant four years. Wembanyama has already sprinted past them, leading his team to the Finals in his third season in the league.

So how did his first appearance on a stage he’s expected to soon own go?

Not great.

Wembanyama had 26 points, 12 rebounds, three blocked shots and six turnovers in the Spurs’ 105-95 loss to the Knicks.

He slept-walked through much of the game offensively, finishing with just six made field goals, half as many as Jalen Brunson’s 12 made shots. He missed seven of his nine 3-point attempts. He shot 28.5 percent from the field.

“I’m going to figure it out,” Wembanyama said. “I was bad tonight. It’s not more complicated than that.”

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Wembanyama seemed to settle into his game a bit, scoring half of his field goals (three) and grabbing seven of his 12 rebounds. But with the Spurs trailing 99-95 with 1:11 left, he allowed Josh Hart to swipe the ball from him and then went on to miss a 3-pointer with 32.1 seconds left.

The player who has been entirely unafraid to claim the throne held by James for two decades as the face of the league seemed to slink into his shell for much of the game. He just didn’t quite meet the moment. He didn’t dominate.

It was uncharacteristic. It was surprising. It was a stark reminder that he’s just 22.

It’s obvious Wembanyama is going to blame himself for this loss. The Spurs led by as many as 13 points midway through the third quarter before the Knicks erased their advantage heading into the fourth, tying the score at 76-76.

Wembanyama was still good. He made an impact defensively. He scored the second-most points of any player on the court behind Brunson’s 30 points.

But he didn’t play like him.

The Knicks scored 50 points in the paint. Wembanyama didn’t protect the area he normally owns. He didn’t make himself the daunting threat on both ends of the court that we’ve become accustomed to watching. He scored nearly half of his points (12) from the free-throw line.

“We got to get him moving in space and toward the rim, whether that’s on rolls or running in transition,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “But we need the pressure on the rim and the force in the paint.”

Before Game 1, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he never wanted to place any expectations on Wembanyama, whose highlights took over the internet before he even stepped foot on an NBA court.

But the truth is, no one can stop this train.

Not even Wembanyama.

Wembanyama isn’t next. He’s now. He’s the present. He’s the future.

He gave a city whose life force is winning basketball a life-saving transfusion. He lifted one of the league’s smallest-market teams into the spotlight against one of the Goliaths of the NBA. He won Defensive Player of the Year and came in third in MVP voting.

He sent the reigning champion Thunder home in the Western Conference finals. He outplayed two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He stormed onto the scene far earlier than anyone expected.

But with all eyes on him in Game 1, he faltered.

Maybe it was jitters. Maybe it was exhaustion from being days removed from a grueling seven-game series against the Thunder, while the Knicks had more than a week to rest after sweeping the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers.

Whatever it was, it’s not going to be enough against the Knicks, who are hungrily seizing the moment in their first Finals appearance in 27 years.

No one knows that more than Wembanyama, who wants nothing more than to live up to the sky-high expectations that he has already begun shattering.

The city is behind him. Most businesses have Spurs signs on their windows. Pedestrians on the street shout “Go Spurs” as they walk past one another. Legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was in the stands for Game 1, as were many other Spurs legends, including Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

But more than that, the world was watching Wembanyama.

And even more importantly than that, he was judging himself more harshly than anyone else could.

And he wasn’t pleased.

“When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot,” he said. “This is why I’m not worried. We’re going to be so much better. I’m going to be so much better.”

Multiple Knicks fans were arrested Wednesday night while celebrating their hometown team’s thrilling NBA Finals Game 1 victory at Madison Square Garden’s first outdoor watch party permitted by the city in weeks.

The celebratory sea of Knicks fanatics packed the streets surrounding the Garden, where they cheered the team’s 105-95 win against the San Antonio Spurs as hundreds of cops looked on — and a waving Mayor Zohran Mamdani was driven by in a black SUV, according to social media clips.

The outdoor event had been scrapped for weeks after the city pulled permits over concerns of unruly fan antics.

Wednesday night’s return outside the Garden acted as a sort of behavior test for blue and orange diehards since the city is only issuing permits for the watch parties on a game-by-game basis.

The crowds — while rambunctious and loud — were largely peaceful. The Knicks faithful waved flags, chanted, jumped up and down, crowd surfed and sat atop each other’s shoulders behind barricades set up by the NYPD.

A handful of rabble-rousers scampered up street poles and climbed atop vehicles and made up most of the arrests. At least four such fans were arrested, according to law enforcement sources.

The crowd chanted “let them go, let them go” as the few out-of-hand among them were handcuffed, The Post observed.

The NYPD was unable to confirm the exact number of arrests or charges early Thursday.

The city’s Street Activity Permit Office initially pulled the plug on the raucous watch parties ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, when the NYPD said out-of-control fans were causing too much chaos in Midtown.

But the outdoor celebration was revived after the mayor’s office and MSG discussed hosting the event again ahead of Wednesday’s game, officials said, though the NYPD did not take part in the discussions.

The city, however, will only be issuing permits on a game-by-game basis, a spokesperson said.

Fans attending Wednesday night’s watch party said the event was a great outlet for the Big Apple to channel their excitement over the Knicks’ reaching the Finals for the first time since 1999.

“I’m very happy right now that they brought back the watch parties. I feel like it’s a W for the Knicks fans. We should all be united,” said Christian Cabrera, a 25-year-old content creator.


“I know we get a little bit rowdy. We do get chaotic, but we’re just doing this because we love the Knicks. We want to see our team win. We want to see the city win, and we’re just here for it. Let’s go!”

Others cautioned against too much chaos.

“I think they should still keep the watch parties. It’s a way for us to celebrate our team, and it’s good for New York culture,” said Daniel Tejada, a 21-year-old from the Bronx. 

“It’s nice that we party outside on the street, but it’s not nice when you start climbing stuff, start destroying things. It’s not good. It’s not good, it doesn’t look good to us New Yorkers, and it’s just bad for the environment,” Tejada said.

Toni Palazzo, 55, was smoking a cigar and waiting for the train after work when cops told him to move to 34th Street.

“I was 29 years old, the last time they made it to the finals. Now I’m 55, so it’s been a long time. And I’m enjoying it, it’s a very likable team.
And I definitely think they’re going to win the championship,” Palazzo said.

“If they’re doing something wrong, they should get arrested, but I don’t think they should get arrested if they’re just having fun.”

New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Friday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Spurs -5.5; over/under is 214.5

NBA FINALS: Knicks lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks visit the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 105-95 on Thursday, led by 30 points from Jalen Brunson. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 26.

The Spurs have gone 32-8 at home. San Antonio is second in the Western Conference scoring 119.8 points while shooting 48.3% from the field.

The Knicks are 23-19 on the road. New York has a 23-23 record against teams over .500.

The Spurs' 13.6 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.3 fewer made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Knicks allow. The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field, 2.7% higher than the 45.1% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is scoring 25.0 points per game with 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Spurs. Stephon Castle is averaging 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 51.2% over the last 10 games.

Brunson is averaging 26 points and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. Mikal Bridges is averaging 17.7 points, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 6-4, averaging 114.9 points, 49.2 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 8.0 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.4 points per game.

Knicks: 10-0, averaging 121.7 points, 45.1 rebounds, 28.2 assists, 9.7 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 52.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.0 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).

Knicks: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

SAN ANTONIO — It was classic Josh Hart: impacting the game without scoring. 

After being limited to seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Hart left his imprint on Game 1 of the NBA Finals in a major way, providing major contributions in the Knicks’ come-from-behind, 105-95 win at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday night. 

In the second half, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 17 points, and Hart played a major role. He rebounded like a madman (15 boards), created for his teammates (six assists) and defended (four steals). It seemed like he was in the right spot during every Knicks run, particularly on the defensive end. He finished with a team-best plus-22 rating in 27 minutes despite shooting 1-for-5 from the field. 

“That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it,” Jalen Brunson, his longtime teammate dating back to college, said. “He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.” 

Hart was frustrated with himself in the first half, faulting himself for committing dumb and unnecessarily fouls. With Hart on the bench, the Knicks trailed by seven at halftime. It was a different story over the final 24 minutes. 

“I had a lot of energy. I think I only played like seven minutes in the first half,” Hart said. “I knew I had to come out, be aggressive. It was just come in and inject energy.” 

He certainly helped the Knicks, who rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to extend their franchise-record playoff win streak to 12. Hart has been a key element to this run. On Wednesday, he proved to be pivotal without scoring. As Brunson alluded to, he has a knack for excelling at whatever his team needs.

For most of the night, the San Antonio Spurs looked like they were going to start open the 2026 NBA Finals with a statement win. Instead, they were left walking off the court in disbelief.

The New York Knicks closed the game on an 11-0 run over the final two minutes Wednesday night, turning a 14-point third quarter deficit into a 105-95 victory over the Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. With the win, New York stole homecourt and took a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

Additionally, San Antonio lost its first NBA Finals Game 1 in franchise history.

“I do know there was a combination of a few times defensive breakdowns, whether it was communication or rotations,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said of the Spurs losing their double-digit lead in the second half. “There was a few times it felt like we didn’t have an appropriate offensive possession.”

The Spurs appeared to have weathered every punch that New York threw at them in the first half, taking a seven point lead into the locker room. Then, they built a double-digit lead in the second half, fed off a roaring home crowd, and watched Victor Wembanyama begin to slowly find his rhythm late.

Then Jalen Brunson took over for the Knicks. He scored 13 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter as he powered his team to a stunning series opening win. Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds, while OG Anunoby chipped in 17 points for New York, who returned to the Finals for the first time since 1999.

Wembanyama had a Finals debut to forget, finishing with 26 points while shooting just 6-for-21 from the floor. He added 12 rebounds in a losing effort.

“I’m going to figure it out. I was bad tonight,” Wembanayama said after the game. “It’s not more complicated than that.”

“We need the pressure on the rim and the force in the paint,” Coach Johnson added. “They did a good job of obviously being physical and showing crowds. We need to do a better job of establishing that early on.”

With the Spurs’ star struggling offensively, the Spurs had to look elsewhere for points. Rookie Dylan Harper scored 16 points off the bench, Stephon Castle added 17, and Julian Champagnie provided an early spark with 15 points in the first half. De’Aaron Fox never found his offensive rhythm as he finished with just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting from the floor.

What began as a promising night for the Western Conference champions ended with a quiet arena and a celebration by the Knicks fans who made the trip to Texas as New York extended its playoff winning streak to 12 games.

The Spurs now face a familiar challenge: try to respond after a playoff loss. They dropped Game 1 of their second-round series against Minnesota before responding in Game 2 and were also down 2-1 and 3-2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals before a thrilling Game 7 win to reach these Finals. To avoid heading to New York in a deep 0-2 hole, they’ll need a similar response when the series resumes Friday night in San Antonio.

“We’ve been down in a series before,” Wembanyama said. “Never in the finals, obviously. But I’m not kicking myself about anything. I’m not worried in the slightest.”

Game 1 offered a painful reminder of how slim the margin for error can be on basketball’s biggest stage. For 46 minutes, the Spurs looked ready to take early control of the NBA Finals.

The final two minutes belonged to Brunson and the Knicks.

Game Notes

• As former coach Gregg Popovich used to say, the three-point shooting tells the story. The Spurs shot just 25 percent from deep compared to 30 percent for New York. That five percent difference matters in a close matchup like this.
• The Spurs won’t win a championship giving up a second half lead or Wembanyama, Fox, and Vassell shooting a combined 13-for-45 from the field. Luckily, I don’t see those guys having this bad of a game again in these Finals.
• As bad as the Spurs played, they were 2 minutes away from getting the win. That’s encouraging.
• Rebounding is going to be key in this series and in Game 1, the battle was even.

Game 1 between the Knicks and Spurs lived up to its billing with starts Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama giving their respective teams late leads in the fourth quarter.

But it was Brunson's heroics and clutch play that allowed New York to come away with the first win of the 2026 NBA Finals. 

Brunson scored a game-high 30 points on 12 of 31 shooting with three rebounds and two assists, but his performance in the fourth quarter will go down in Knicks history. The Knicks captain scored 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting, leading New York's 11-0 run to end the game. 

While the Knicks fans in attendance in San Antonio and those watching at home were in awe, the Spurs were not surprised by Brunson's efforts. 

"He’s a tremendous player that’s skilled, picks his spots, knows his angles. Shoots contested shots without being sped up," Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said of Brunson after the game. "He’s a phenomenal player and we just have to keep making him work.

"He had a phenomenal game. He got going and got a few in a row, but 30 points on 31 shots, is something you probably want to keep making him work for those points. Probably some of the other stuff that we can control, instead of him making or missing shots."

Wembanyama, the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, was asked how the team can defend Brunson better moving forward. The Spurs big man didn't have an answer, but knew they have time to come up with a gameplan.

“He’s an elite player and we don’t have many more chances," Wembanyama said. "It’s a first-to-four series. So we’re going to have time to work on it.”

A common talking point before the NBA Finals started was whether the Spurs would be fatigued after a grueling seven-game series with the Thunder. On the opposite end, the Knicks, after sweeping the Cavaliers in the ECF, were off for more than a week.

The fourth quarter saw the Spurs turn the ball over five times -- the Knicks had zero turnovers in the final frame -- and Wembanyama, in particular, looked winded at points, but San Antonio downplayed that narrative. Instead, they pointed to their own execution.

"I don't think it was fatigue. I'm sure guys got tired at times," Johnson said. "I don't think anyone's performance was based on fatigue, I think we just need to be sharper and execute better. And continue to work the game and not fight it at times and play the right way."

"I feel both teams were fatigued, really," Dylan Harper said. "I just feel like they executed better." 

Wembanyama scored a team-high 26 points -- 11 coming in the fourth -- and Harper had 16 off the bench, but it wasn't enough to stop the Knicks and Brunson from stealing home court advantage on Wednesday night. 

But this youthful Spurs team is gaining experience by the day, and they are confident they can bounce back in Game 2. 

“We’re confident but also have a chip on our shoulder from this game we just lost," Harper said. "You never want to lose and going into this next game, we’re going to be even more hungrier and keep on proving.”

“We’ve been down in a series before," Wembanyama said. "I’m not kicking myself about anything, really. I’m not worried in the slightest.” 

Game 2 takes place Friday night.

SAN ANTONIO — OG Anunoby is the only player on the Knicks with a championship ring. 

Now, he is three wins away from earning one. 

Anunoby — who was sidelined by injury during the Raptors’ 2019 title run — didn’t make much more of an impact for most of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but the soft-spoken wing made sure he was heard down the stretch Wednesday night, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 105-95 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center. 

“The first time [in the NBA Finals] was really cool, but it wasn’t the way I would have wanted it.” Anunoby said. “So this time, just happy to be here, happy to be healthy. 

“I’m just thankful to be out there, thankful to be playing. Just enjoying the moment.” 

Anunoby entered the NBA Finals as one of the biggest reasons for the Knicks’ incredible postseason run, ranking second on the team in scoring (19.7), third in rebounds (6.9), second in steals (1.6) and second in blocks (1.0) despite missing two games with a hamstring injury. 

But Anunoby was often invisible at the start of the championship series, scoring five points (2-for-6 from the field) in the first half. He started the second half more aggressively, but forced the action, getting stripped on one possession, then throwing up a midrange airball with Victor Wembanyama in sight, finishing the third quarter scoreless in nearly six minutes of action.
 

After the Knicks fought back from a 14-point second-half deficit — the Spurs had won their previous nine postseason games when leading at halftime — Anunoby began to resemble one of the league’s most impactful wings, putting the Knicks ahead by three with a drive to the rim, then following with back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Knicks up 86-81 with 8:50 remaining. 

“My teammates were finding me and I was being aggressive and ready to shoot,” said Anunoby, who also had three rebounds, one steal and one block in 31 minutes. “Just shoot with confidence.”
 

Anunoby then iced the game with four free throws in the final minute as the Knicks closed Game 1 on an 11-0 run, taking a series lead in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1994 while tying the 1998-99 Spurs for the second-longest postseason win streak (12) in NBA history. 

“OG got it going in the second half,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He was huge for us in the second half.”