New York Knicks win first NBA title in 53 years after stunning comeback against San Antonio Spurs
Jalen Brunson scored 45 points as the Knicks erased a 16-point deficit in Game 5 to secure the franchise's third NBA championship, their first since 1973.
The championship clincher
The New York Knicks captured their first NBA title in over half a century, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The victory, sealed in the early hours of Sunday, gave New York a 4-1 series win and ended the longest active championship drought among the league's original franchises. Playing at the Spurs' home court, the Knicks overcame another double-digit deficit, mirroring their 29-point comeback in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden three days earlier.
I have no words. It's everything I ever dreamed of.
A familiar deficit, a familiar response
San Antonio opened a 18-8 lead after eight minutes and stretched the advantage to 16 points in the second quarter. Victor Wembanyama recorded three early blocks, and both teams struggled offensively, combining for six missed shots before Wembanyama scored the game's first basket. The Knicks cut the gap to three points before halftime, but the Spurs again pulled away by as many as 15 in the second half. New York's resilience surfaced once more in the fourth quarter, when a 10-0 run erased the deficit and tied the score at 83-83. A minute later, the Knicks took their first lead since the opening period, 86-85, and never trailed again.
- Spurs lead 18-8 after eight minutes, the first double-digit margin of the game.
- San Antonio stretches the lead to 16 points in the second quarter.
- Halftime: Spurs 42, Knicks 37. New York closes the half with a run.
- Knicks tie the game at 83-83 with a 10-0 fourth-quarter run.
- New York takes its first lead since the opening period, 86-85.
- Final: Knicks 94, Spurs 90. New York wins the series 4-1 and the NBA title.
Brunson's masterpiece
Jalen Brunson anchored the Knicks' offense with a 45-point performance, repeatedly breaking down the Spurs' defense in the closing minutes. His scoring carried New York through the fourth-quarter surge that turned a double-digit hole into a championship celebration. In Game 4, the Knicks had overcome a 29-point deficit, and Brunson's composure under pressure defined the series.
End of a 53-year wait
The franchise's last championship had come in 1973, when the Knicks won their second title in four seasons behind Hall of Famers Willis Reed and Walt Frazier. Before Sunday, the club had not returned to the Finals since 1999. The 2026 championship represents the third in team history, adding to the 1970 and 1973 banners.
A German champion joins elite company
Knicks forward Ariel Hukporti became the third German player to win an NBA championship, following Dirk Nowitzki (2011) and Isaiah Hartenstein. Hukporti saw playing time in the clinching game, extending Germany's growing footprint in the league's most important series.
