The San Antonio Spurs were favored by 4.5 points over the New York Knicks ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks came out on top, 105-95, over the Spurs.
“I’ll be alright” is what Jalen Brunson said when an ESPN reporter asked him how his body was feeling after being banged up in the first and second quarters of the game. Brunson ended up sealing the game with an iconic fadeaway shot against the Spurs’ Devin Vassell. Brunson ended the game with 30 points on 39% shooting and played 37 minutes, being the team leader in points. Karl-Anthony Towns outplayed Victor Wembanyama by dropping 18 points on 7 of 15 shooting with 12 rebounds.
On the Spurs side, the players struggled with getting their shots in as Victor Wembanyama shot 6-21 and had 26 points, with most of his points coming from free throws, going 12 of 13 from the line and adding 12 rebounds, tying Towns. Stephon Castle dropped 17 points, and the New Jersey native and former Rutgers star Dylan Harper dropped 16 points, tied with Julian Champagnie for the third most points dropped on the team tonight.
The Spurs’ star guard, De’Aaron Fox struggled the most, scoring just 7 points, going 3 of 13 while having the role of a key centerpiece of the offense. “I was bad tonight,” claimed Wembanyama in his post-game interview, as he has always been known to be a harsh and honest critic of himself.
The Knicks’ last loss came against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3, in a 108-109 loss. That was on April 23, which marks 42 days since the Knicks have lost. This is their 12th straight win in their playoffs, which ties the Spurs’ playoff win streak back in 1999. The Spurs were favored to dominate this series, with America counting out the Knicks and the Eastern Conference in general, but this game shows that the Knicks are not a fluke team, and the East is not weak and is the real deal.
America is shocked, and New York, which hasn’t seen an NBA title since 1973, when the Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five, are having their dreams of tearing down the city in bliss, come more alive.
…three to six more games till victory New York.
