New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson put up a 45-point performance to help New York win their first NBA championship since 1973, defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama 94-90 at Frost Bank Center on Saturday.
Brunson was a no-brainer when it came to awarding the 2026 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.
Once again, the Knicks got down by double digits early against the Spurs. And, of course, they rallied from behind.
Jalen Brunson Shares Emotional Moment With Knicks Teammates
As Knicks players, coaching staff, and supporters celebrated the historic win, cameras also panned to Brunson, who shared an emotional moment with his teammates.
The 2026 Finals MVP and New York’s hero could not hold back his tears after he ended the franchise’s 53-year-long wait.
JALEN BRUNSON IN TEARS
NBA champ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/atcnom0jnI
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) June 14, 2026
There have been moments between the Knicks’ last NBA title in 1973 and now when they were in a position to challenge for a title.
But they came up short in those moments, leaving the New York fans in an agonizing wait for NBA glory.
Brunson, though, consistently showed up as a leader on the court, with fans showing full faith in him to lead New York to the promised land, as the 94-90 win saw him score 45 points on 14-of-27 shooting from the floor.
New York got off to another sluggish start on Saturday, looking offensively toothless. But Brunson rose to the occasion again, keeping the game within reach. He finished the series averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds.
Mikal Bridges had 14 points, followed by Josh Hart with 13 points.
OG Anunoby, another now Knicks icon for his Game 4 game-winning tip-in, poured in 11 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns ran into foul trouble early in Saturday night’s Game 5 and spent a lot of time on the Knicks’ bench, ending up with just 2 points and eventually fouling out of the game.
San Antonio’s biggest lead on Saturday night was 16 points. Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 25 points, while Wembanyama led the team with 14 rebounds.
Once the final buzzer sounded, cameras caught Wembanyama walking right back to the Spurs’ locker room.
While San Antonio will head into the offseason reflecting on where they fell short, the Knicks will get a champion’s welcome with a big-time tour through New York’s legendary Canyon of Heroes and a memorable ticker-tape parade.
