The victory sealed a 4-1 series triumph for New York and capped a postseason marked by repeated comeback victories. Facing another significant deficit, the Knicks erased a 16-point gap before pulling ahead late behind Brunson’s fourth-quarter scoring surge.

Brunson finished with 45 points and was named NBA Finals MVP following a performance that helped secure one of the most significant achievements in franchise history. His scoring total established a new Knicks record for points in an NBA Finals game.

“It’s everything I ever dreamed of,” Brunson said during the on-court celebration.

Another Comeback Defines New York’s Championship Run

The Knicks built their championship campaign around resilience, and Game 5 followed a familiar script.

San Antonio controlled much of the early action and opened a double-digit advantage during the first quarter. The Spurs later extended the margin to 16 points in the second period while New York struggled offensively.

The Knicks missed 16 of their first 18 field-goal attempts and failed to convert any of their first 11 two-point shots. Despite the difficult start, New York gradually reduced the deficit with a strong second-quarter response and remained within striking distance at halftime.

A 22-9 run before the break helped shift momentum, although San Antonio still carried a 42-37 lead into the locker room.

Brunson Takes Control in the Fourth Quarter

With the championship within reach, Brunson delivered the decisive stretch.

The All-Star guard scored 13 consecutive points for New York during the fourth quarter, helping the Knicks overcome the remaining deficit and move ahead late in the contest.

Mikal Bridges added 14 points, while Josh Hart contributed 13 as New York’s core group provided key support around Brunson.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” Brunson said afterward. “I’m in awe. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.”

Knicks coach Mike Brown, who completed his first season with the franchise, described the achievement as difficult to fully process.

“It’s surreal,” Brown said. “I still can’t believe it’s happened.”

Spurs Fall Short Despite Strong Effort

San Antonio received notable contributions from several key players but was unable to hold off New York’s late charge.

Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 25 points, while Victor Wembanyama recorded 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Wembanyama acknowledged the disappointment while emphasizing the experience gained from the Finals appearance.

“This is the biggest lesson of my life, the biggest learning moment,” he said. “I can’t tell exactly what the lesson is, but we’re learning.”

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson credited New York’s performance after the series concluded.

“We weren’t ready to win an NBA championship,” Johnson said. “The better team won.”

Historic Celebration for New York

The championship ends a 53-year title drought for the Knicks and delivers one of the franchise’s most memorable accomplishments.

Thousands of New York supporters traveled to Texas to witness the deciding game, while celebrations erupted throughout New York City after the final buzzer.

The title also completed an extraordinary postseason journey for a team that repeatedly recovered from large deficits throughout the Finals. Just days earlier, New York had produced a historic comeback victory in Game 4 before finishing the series in Game 5.

For Brunson, who joined the Knicks four years ago and helped transform the organization into a championship contender, the victory represented the culmination of a long-held goal.

“It’s why I came to New York,” he said.

Tags: New York Knicks. Jalen Brunson. NBA Finals. NBA Championship. San Antonio Spurs. NBA Playoffs. Finals MVP. Victor Wembanyama. Mike Brown. Basketball News. New York Sports. NBA 2026 Season.

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For New York, the appearance marks its ninth trip to the NBA Finals and its first since 1999, when the Knicks fell to the Spurs in the title series. San Antonio, meanwhile, is making its seventh Finals appearance and its first since capturing the championship in 2014 against the Miami Heat.

The matchup brings together two teams ending lengthy waits to compete for the league’s biggest prize. While both organizations have experienced success in previous eras, most players on the current rosters will be playing in the Finals for the first time.

Knicks Focused on the Present Opportunity

Despite the significance of the moment, New York players have emphasized maintaining their focus on the challenge ahead rather than reflecting on the team’s achievement.

Forward Josh Hart said the Knicks remain concentrated on the task at hand, noting that the group can appreciate its postseason run once the season concludes.

New York enters the Finals carrying substantial momentum. The Knicks have won 11 consecutive games by a combined margin of 262 points, a stretch described as the most lopsided 11-game run in NBA history across both regular-season and playoff competition.

Spurs Look to Continue Strong Finals Opening Record

San Antonio enters the series with its own notable trend. The Spurs have never lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals, posting a 6-0 record in championship-series openers.

The franchise will also benefit from beginning the series at home, continuing a familiar pattern from previous Finals appearances. Six of San Antonio’s seven trips to the championship round have started on its home court.

Staying True to a Winning Formula

Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox stressed the importance of maintaining the approach that helped the team reach the Finals.

Fox said the team does not want to alter its style of play after advancing to the championship stage, pointing to the consistency that produced a 62-win season and prevented San Antonio from losing three consecutive games at any point during the year.

With Game 1 set for Wednesday night, both teams now shift their attention from the journey that brought them to the Finals to the challenge of securing four victories and an NBA championship.

The series begins in San Antonio, where the Spurs will look to extend their perfect Game 1 Finals record while the Knicks attempt to take an early advantage in their first championship appearance in more than two decades.

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New York defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3 on Saturday behind another strong performance from Jalen Brunson, extending the Knicks’ playoff winning streak to 10 games. Despite the opportunity to complete a series sweep, players and coaches said the team remains focused only on the next matchup.

Brunson Emphasizes Focus on Present

Brunson said the Knicks are avoiding distractions about the possibility of advancing to the NBA Finals.

The All-Star guard stressed that New York’s approach has remained consistent throughout the postseason despite growing attention around the team’s playoff run.

Coach Mike Brown also emphasized discipline and preparation ahead of Monday’s Game 4 in Cleveland, with the Knicks attempting to close out another playoff series on the road.

New York has controlled much of the series through efficient offense and strong defensive performances against Cleveland’s backcourt. Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns have all contributed consistently during the conference finals.

Cavaliers Face Elimination at Home

Cleveland enters Game 4 needing a victory to extend its season.

The Cavaliers have struggled to contain New York defensively and now face the challenge of becoming the first NBA team to recover from a 3-0 playoff deficit.

Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley led Cleveland in Game 3, but the Cavaliers were unable to overcome New York’s balanced scoring and transition play.

Meanwhile, Knicks fans traveled heavily to Cleveland ahead of Game 4 as excitement continued to build around the franchise’s deepest playoff run in more than two decades.

Knicks Close to Historic Finals Return

New York has not reached the NBA Finals since the 1999 season and has not won an NBA championship since 1973.

The Knicks’ current playoff streak has placed them among the league’s hottest teams entering the final stages of the postseason.

A Game 4 victory would send New York to the NBA Finals while completing a sweep of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. Cleveland, meanwhile, must win at home to force the series back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5.

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In a move that caught many by surprise, the New York Knicks have parted ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau — just days after the team made its deepest playoff run since the 1990s.

The decision, announced Tuesday, comes three days after the Knicks were eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals in six games by the Indiana Pacers. Despite the disappointing end, New York’s postseason journey included a stunning second-round upset over the defending champion Boston Celtics and showcased the emergence of a promising new core.

A Surprising Goodbye to a Proven Winner

Thibodeau, who was signed to a three-year extension just last summer, leaves behind a legacy of stability and success in a franchise that has long craved both. Over five seasons, he led the Knicks to consecutive 50-win campaigns — a feat the team hadn’t accomplished since 1995 — and this year surpassed Pat Riley to become fourth all-time in coaching victories for the storied franchise.

Still, the front office felt a change was needed.

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,” team president Leon Rose said in a statement. “This pursuit led us to the decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction.”

Rose thanked Thibodeau for his dedication and heart, calling him “forever part of our Knicks family.”

Thibs’ Deep Knicks Roots and Lasting Impact

Thibodeau’s connection to the Knicks stretches back to the ‘90s, when he served as an assistant under Jeff Van Gundy during one of the franchise’s most memorable eras. One of his assistant coaches, Rick Brunson, played for those same Knicks teams and used to bring his young son, Jalen, to practices — the same Jalen Brunson who now stars as the team’s franchise player.

Brunson, visibly frustrated when asked about Thibodeau’s job security after their season-ending loss, responded: “Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy? Yes. Come on.”

A Season of Bold Moves and Big Minutes

The 2024-25 season was anything but conventional for the Knicks. In a flurry of aggressive moves, the front office sent five first-round picks to Brooklyn for Mikal Bridges, then flipped Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in exchange for All-NBA big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

The trades transformed the Knicks into one of the most talented starting lineups in the league — but at the cost of bench depth. True to form, Thibodeau leaned heavily on his starters, often playing them more than any other five-man unit in the NBA, even as the league continues to prioritize rest and load management.

A Strong Coaching Resume, Still Missing a Finals

Thibodeau’s time in New York was his third head coaching stint in the NBA, following tenures in Chicago (2010–15) and Minnesota (2016–19). Across all three stops, he has compiled a .579 winning percentage — the highest in league history among coaches without a Finals appearance (minimum 300 games), per ESPN Research.

Though he exits without reaching the NBA’s biggest stage, Thibodeau’s impact on the Knicks’ culture and identity will be hard to ignore.

Now, as the team looks to build on its recent momentum with a new voice at the helm, one thing is clear: expectations in New York have changed — and they’re higher than ever.

Source: ESPN – Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau as coach after five seasons

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NEW YORK – The New York Knicks made history on Friday night with a dominating 119-81 victory over the Boston Celtics, punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter century.

Led by Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, who each poured in 23 points, the Knicks overwhelmed the short-handed Celtics at Madison Square Garden, sending thousands of fans into a frenzy both inside and outside the arena.

The electric atmosphere matched the magnitude of the moment. This was the Knicks’ biggest playoff win ever — a stunning 38-point blowout — and their first time advancing this far since 2000, when they also faced the Indiana Pacers, their next opponent. Game 1 tips off Wednesday night in New York.

“It’s a great win. We advance,” said head coach Tom Thibodeau. “But we’ve got to get ready for the next series. The Pacers are a terrific team.”

The Celtics were without star Jayson Tatum, who suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 4, and couldn’t recover. Jaylen Brown tried to carry the load with 20 points, but the team quickly fell behind and never recovered. The Knicks jumped to a 64-37 halftime lead, matching their largest first-half playoff margin in the shot-clock era.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters early in the third quarter after the Knicks pushed the lead past 40 points.

“We didn’t have the same team this year that we had last year,” said Celtics guard Derrick White. “We had a goal, and we fell short.”

While the Knicks remained focused on their playoff journey, the city embraced the moment. Fans packed the streets, dancing and celebrating. Inside the Garden, celebrities like Ben Stiller and Lenny Kravitz stood and cheered alongside roaring crowds.

Josh Hart notched a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Mikal Bridges added 22 points and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 21.

“I’m new here,” said Bridges, “but just seeing how much New York loves this team — it’s incredible to be a part of it.”

The Knicks are riding high, but the team is staying grounded. The celebration can wait — the Pacers are coming to town.

Source: AP News – Knicks beat Celtics 119-81 in Game 6 and advance to face Pacers in Eastern Conference finals

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