The New York Knicks entered the NBA Finals looking to complete a postseason run that had already turned into one of the most dominant stretches in franchise history, with the ’Bockers winning 13 games in a row before just losing one of their final four.
The Knicks put all haters to bed on Saturday night by finishing the job smoothly, defeating the young-and-naive San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 to secure the franchise’s first championship since 1973.
It was a damn struggle for most of the outing,
but nobody should have been surprised at that point. The Knicks fell behind early, trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, and as the boys always do, they rallied late to snatch the dub.
At the center of that comeback was (surprise, surprise…) Jalen Brunson, who delivered the defining performance of the series and, perhaps, of his whole career.
Brunson dropped 45 points on the Spurs’ foreheads in the clincher, shooting 14-of-27 from the field and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line while adding three rebounds, three assists, and an overall +10 plus/minus.
JB was also the man tasked with igniting the final push, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks erase a late deficit and clinch their first title in 53 long years.
“I got no words. Everything I ever dreamed of,” Brunson said right after the final buzzer. “I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
The performance capped a Finals in which Brunson averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds, leading to his unanimous selection as NBA Finals MVP.
“It’s everything I dreamed of,” Brunson said. “This is why I picked New York.”
Brunson received all 11 media votes following the Game 5 victory, and he became just the second Knicks player in history to win Finals MVP, joining Willis Reed, who earned both awards from the ’70s chips.
Brunson’s Game 5 effort also placed him in rare historical air, as he became just the fourth player to score 45 or more points in a title-clinching game, matching Michael Jordan and being only surpassed by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bob Pettit, who both dropped 50-burgers.
“Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it,” Brunson said. “We’re going to find a way, whatever you put in front of us.”
Brunson, who signed with New York in 2022, has now led the franchise from a perennial rebuilding into a bona fide championship contender, making two trips to the conference semis, one to the conference finals, and finally leading them to the promised land this summer.
The Knicks’ victory ended a 53-year title drought, and we can only thank Captain Cluth.
Shout-out, Jalen Brunson.
