Knicks rally past Spurs to take NBA Finals opener

The New York Knicks extended their remarkable playoff winning streak and secured an important victory in the opening game of the NBA Finals.

Jalen Brunson led the way with 30 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Knicks overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 on Wednesday night, News.Az reports, citing AP.

OG Anunoby added 17 points for New York, which has now won 12 consecutive playoff games.

The Knicks became the seventh team in NBA history to achieve a playoff winning streak of at least 12 games and only the third team to accomplish the feat within a single postseason.

Brunson delivered a dominant performance in the final quarter, scoring 13 points. His fourth-quarter output was just six points fewer than the entire Spurs team managed during the period. He capped his performance with a spinning jumper while falling to the floor with 38 seconds remaining, helping seal the victory for New York.

“He’s a gamer, man,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “In the biggest moments, he shows up. That’s what MVPs are supposed to do.”

The Knicks closed the game on an 11-0 run and added another milestone to their postseason campaign. New York became the first team ever to defeat San Antonio in Game 1 of an NBA Finals series, ending the Spurs’ perfect 6-0 record in championship openers. It also marked the first time in franchise history that the Spurs have trailed in an NBA Finals series before its conclusion.

Among the longest single-season playoff winning streaks in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors won 15 consecutive postseason games en route to the 2017 championship, while the Spurs captured 12 straight victories during their title-winning run in 1999. The Knicks have now matched San Antonio’s 12-game streak and will look to continue their run as they pursue the NBA championship.

“I think we know what we have to do,” Brunson said. “I think we’re a pretty together group.”

Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, but he shot 6 for 21 from the field in his finals debut. Stephon Castle scored 17, while Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper each had 16 for San Antonio.

“I was bad tonight,” Wembanyama said. “It’s not more complicated than that.”

Game 2 is Friday in San Antonio.

Former San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was at the game, as he’s been for every finals game in Spurs history, albeit watching from a suite and not stomping the San Antonio sideline. The Spurs legends — David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen and more — were there, too.

So were Knicks great Patrick Ewing and the world’s most recognizable New York fans: Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Ben Stiller, Fat Joe, Timothée Chalamet and more. Plenty of non-celeb Knicks fans made the trip as well; Tommy Sherlock, a auto sales manager from Brooklyn, said it cost less for two Game 1 tickets in San Antonio, with hotel and airfare, than Game 3 tickets in New York would have set him back.

“First-class air, too,” Sherlock said. “By a lot.”

The Knicks led 14-7 early, the Spurs answered with a 20-13 run to go up by 10, the Knicks rallied and the second quarter saw six lead changes before San Antonio took a 55-48 lead into the break.

San Antonio pushed the lead to 14 midway through the third quarter before the Knicks stormed back, finishing the period on a 22-9 run and sending the game into the fourth tied at 76.

New York’s lead was eight midway through the final period. Wembanyama made a pair of free throws with 2:16 left to put San Antonio up 95-94, but Brunson made a corner 3 on the next possession to put the Knicks on top for good.

“I think we let that one go,” Wembanyama said.

San Antonio’s run of never trailing the finals had some close calls over the years. The Spurs were tied twice with New Jersey in 2003 finals, tied with Detroit twice in 2005, tied with Miami three times in 2013 — they lost that series in seven games, so they only trailed when it was over — and then were tied with the Heat once more in 2014.

It’s only 1-0. But the Knicks are only three wins away from their first title in 53 years, and they just took home-court advantage away from San Antonio.

“We have a long way to go,” Brunson said.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev