For the majority of the NBA Finals, it looked like the San Antonio Spurs had found an answer to slowing down the New York Knicks, the Spurs had built double-digit leads only to collapse in the game’s final minutes to see New York grab the win. That formula was the same on Saturday night.
Facing elimination and trying to get over the sting of a historic loss in Game 4, the Spurs led by as many as 16 points and appeared like they were getting ready to send the series back to New York. Instead, the Knicks
delivered one final blow to the Spurs’ hopes.
Jalen Brunson scored 45 points as he powered New York to rally from another double digit deficit to defeat the Spurs 94-90 to capture the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973 and end the season on the Spurs’ own home floor at the Frost Bank Center.
“We weren’t ready to win an NBA championship, better team won, we did a lot of good things, and we didn’t finish the job,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said.
For three quarters, the Spurs controlled the pace of the game. Their defense frustrated New York, Victor Wembanyama protected the rim with five blocks, and the crowd — made up of Spurs fans as well as thousands of Knicks fans — felt like the impossible could be possible. That was until Brunson took over.
The Knicks’ star chipped away at San Antonio’s lead, getting bucket after bucket. As the time came off the clock, the Spurs’ advantage was gone and the Larry O’Brien trophy was nearly in his reach. Just as it had done all series, San Antonio’s offense stalled when it mattered most.
The Spurs were outscored 29-18 in the fourth quarter and struggled to generate consistent offense down the stretch. De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle combined for 13 points on 4-for-25 shooting and left San Antonio searching for more answers in the game’s final moments.
“It’s tough, it hurts a lot, it stings a lot,” Spurs forward Devin Vassell said. “Right now, seeing them storming the court on our home court, it’s tough. We know we’ll do everything we can, scratch fight to get back into this position.”
Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, impacting the game on both ends for most of the evening. Dylan Harper continued his breakout postseason with 25 points off the bench, providing a glimmer of hope for the Spurs’ future in a gloomy night in the Alamo City.
When the final buzzer sounded, Knicks players celebrated at center court while Spurs players headed to the locker room to process how close they had come. New York won the series 4-1, with Brunson earning Finals MVP honors after another standout performance in the championship-clinching victory.
“One of many things I learned is the margin of error is very, very thin,” Wembanyama said when asked what he learned from this year’s postseason run. “We absolutely, absolutely dominated for most of the series, but our mistakes are punished so hard.”
The loss will sting for a long time for the Spurs, who lost all three home games in the series and watched two leads disappear in Games 4 and 5. However, amid the heartbreak, the Spurs also gained something invaluable: proof that their future has arrived sooner than expected.
This was the franchise’s first trip back to the NBA Finals since 2014, led by a young core of Wembanyama, Castle, Harper, and Fox. They ended the season just two wins shy of a championship and spent much of the postseason looking like a team built to contend for years to come.
The ending belonged to New York.
The future, however, still looks bright in San Antonio.
Game Notes
- The Frost Bank Center was not a home court advantage for the Spurs in this series as Spurs fans were severely outnumbered by the large group of Knicks fans that made the trip.
- Dylan Harper is going to terrorize NBA defenses for years to come.
- Stephon Castle needs to get into the gym and work on his midrange game this summer. He’s already got the defense locked up.
- I fully expect the Spurs to extend Julian Champagnie this summer and he’s more than earned it.
