Brunson Scores 30 as Knicks Take Game 1 of NBA Finals, Defeat Spurs

(Central News Agency, San Antonio, 3rd – Combined Foreign Reports) The New York Knicks, led by point guard Jalen Brunson, mounted a second-half comeback to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the road. Brunson scored a game-high 30 points, while Spurs star Victor Wembanyama posted 26 points and 12 rebounds.

The Knicks again relied on Jalen Brunson to orchestrate the offense. He opened the game with a three-pointer, which Wembanyama quickly answered with a jump shot, as both teams' stars made their presence felt early. After the Knicks took a slim lead, the Spurs responded with a 12-0 run led by Dylan Harper to take a 27-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Brunson briefly left the game late in the first quarter with a suspected ankle sprain, but the team continued to compete with the Spurs. Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, playing with a fractured right pinky finger, held his own in the paint, preventing the Spurs from gaining an advantage. Just before halftime, Julian Champagnie hit three three-pointers to thwart a Knicks rally, sending the Spurs into the locker room with a 55-48 lead.

In the third quarter, the Knicks' shooting percentage dropped as they faced Wembanyama's interior defense. The Spurs also struggled from beyond the arc but contributed from the free-throw line. The Knicks launched a comeback when Wembanyama went to the bench. Karl-Anthony Towns scored consecutive baskets and grabbed rebounds, while Brunson maintained the offensive pressure from mid-range, tying the game at 76-76 by the end of the third quarter.

In the crucial fourth quarter, OG Anunoby scored eight straight points to reclaim the lead for the Knicks, but the Spurs' Stephon Castle answered back. Brunson then sparked a 6-0 run, extending the lead to 92-86 with just over six minutes remaining. The game was briefly interrupted when a fan ran onto the court to take a selfie. Security quickly escorted the fan out, and after a jump ball, the Spurs regained possession.

With two minutes left in the game and the score tied at 94-94, Brunson teamed up with Mikal Bridges for a decisive run, pulling away to secure a 105-95 victory in Game 1 of the Finals.

For the Spurs, besides Wembanyama, Stephon Castle scored 17 points, while Dylan Harper and Julian Champagnie each added 16 points. De'Aaron Fox, who missed two games in the Western Conference Finals, played but had a quiet performance. Notably, the Spurs shot just 36% from the field, well below the Knicks' 41.5%, and committed 13 turnovers compared to the Knicks' 8.

With the win, the Knicks extended their playoff winning streak to 12 games, including a 4-0 sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks' last NBA championship came in 1973. They also reached the Finals in 1999 but lost to the Spurs. Prior to this game, the Knicks had won 8 of their last 12 matchups against the Spurs. The Knicks also defeated the Spurs to win the NBA Cup last December. (Translated by Qu Xiangping) 1150604