Key Points
- Knicks beat Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals in San Antonio.
- Jalen Brunson scored 30, including 13 in the fourth quarter.
- Victor Wembanyama posted 26 points and 12 rebounds on 6-of-21 shooting.
- It was New York's 12th straight playoff win; the Knicks lead the series 1-0.
The New York Knicks did not look like the better team for three quarters of Game 1. They left San Antonio with a 1-0 lead anyway. New York erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit and beat the Spurs 105-95 on the road Wednesday night, stealing home-court advantage in the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 — a rematch of the 1999 series the Knicks lost to these same Spurs.
Brunson closed, Wembanyama could not
Jalen Brunson scored 30 points on 12-of-31 shooting and saved 13 of them for the fourth quarter, including a corner three with 1:50 left that put the Knicks ahead for good. It was an inefficient night that ended the way Brunson's playoff nights keep ending — with the ball in his hands and the game decided.
Victor Wembanyama, in his Finals debut, finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds but shot 6-of-21 from the floor and 2-of-9 from three, scoring 12 of his points at the line. The Knicks were content to let him take contested jumpers and live with the rim protection, and over 48 minutes that trade paid off.
The role players decided it
Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds, but the swing performance came from Josh Hart: 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a plus-22 in 27 minutes on a night he scored three points. That is the version of the Knicks that has not lost since April 23 — a team that wins the possession battle and trusts Brunson to handle the math at the end.
The win was New York's 12th straight in the playoffs. We previewed the matchup as a contrast in eras: a guard-led veteran team against a 7-foot-4 force still learning the stage. Game 1 said experience travels.
Game 2 is Friday in San Antonio, with the Spurs needing a home win to avoid heading to New York down 0-2.
Source: NBA.com
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