After all these years of waiting, the Knicks are champions of the NBA in the 2026 season. After winning the championship game against the San Antonio Spurs, which ended with a score of 94-90 in the fifth game, New York brought an end to their 53-year drought and celebrated their first NBA title since 1973. This game will be remembered by everyone, as Jalen Brunson played the best game in his life, scoring 45 points for his team. Brunson shone brightly in the last quarter, when he scored 13 consecutive points and added an important field goal with 1:06 remaining to give his team a decisive edge.
Game 5 continued in the same vein. San Antonio jumped early to a double-digit lead, having a 16-point advantage at one point in time. Yet once again, New York did not allow themselves to lose hope and staged a comeback. Brunson showed why he was called the most valuable player of the NBA Finals.
"It's Everything I Ever Dreamed Of" - Jalen Brunson After Delivering the Championship
Brunson, the NBA Finals MVP, said during the on-court celebration. “It's everything I ever dreamed of. I'm in awe. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.”
Jalen Brunson was truly the heartbeat of New York's championship victory, and it was hard for him to hold back his emotions when the final buzzer sounded. The Knicks star lit up the scoreboard with 45 points in their thrilling 94-90 win over the Spurs, breaking the franchise record for the most points in an NBA Finals game.
He was on fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 consecutive points and nailing the shot that put New York ahead for good. By the end of the Finals, Brunson averaged an impressive 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, earning him the Finals MVP title as the Knicks celebrated their first championship since 1973.
"I Still Can't Believe It's Happened" - Mike Brown on New York Knicks' Historic Triumph
The Knicks' coach, Mike Brown, admitted that he did not realize the significance of what he had done because it was such a feat for the Knicks to finally have won an NBA championship title after 53 years. Brown, coaching in just his first year with the Knicks, managed to lead the team to victory with a 4-1 win in the finals against San Antonio. Throughout the whole game, the Knicks were able to overcome difficulties as they came back from losing by more than 10 points in all their victories.
"That Was Unreal, Just Literally Unreal" - Mitchell Robinson on Jalen Brunson's Finals Performance
Mitchell Robinson had kind words for Jalen Brunson following the Knicks' first NBA championship in 53 years, he said, “That was unreal, just literally unreal. I’m speechless. I’ve seen it a couple times here and there, but to do it in a closeout game against a good team like that, it’s different.”
Robinson was instrumental in backing up the Knicks in their 94-90 win against the Spurs. Robinson started his second playoff appearance with the team as a substitute due to Karl-Anthony Towns being under pressure from fouls and contributed to the defensive efforts against Victor Wembanyama in his playoff-high 20-minute run. However, Robinson was able to prove his worth during the final minute, securing an offensive board after a missed free-throw.
