Jalen Brunson had already put up 30 shots by the time the game was on the line. But with 2:16 remaining and San Antonio leading 95-94 after Victor Wembanyama’s free throws, New York still turned to him. He delivered again, hitting a corner three that gave the Knicks a lead they wouldn’t give up.
On June 3, the Knicks pulled off a 105-95 win over the Spurs, coming back from 14 points down in the second half to take Game 1. It was their 12th straight playoff victory.
Jalen Brunson finished with 30 points, including 13 in the final quarter, while San Antonio only managed 19 points as a team during that stretch.
Brunson was dealing with both knee and ankle issues throughout the game and had to leave briefly in the first half to get treatment on his knee.
The Knicks’ defence has been strong throughout these playoffs, and they were one of the top regular-season units even before they traded for Mikal Bridges. Victor Wembanyama felt it early, missing his first six shots and finishing just 10-of-32 from the floor.
Wembanyama held up under pressure
But he still managed to put up a solid line: he had eight blocks (two more than New York’s entire team), grabbed five boards on offence (matching his four teammates combined), added six assists without a single turnover, and made all seven of his free throws while also hitting three threes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been guarded like that,” Wembanyama said after Game 1. “We’re going to watch film of this game because I’m pretty sure they’re not going to change anything.”
Brunson finished 12-for-31 from the field and just 2-for-9 from deep, so the Knicks’ offence was far from smooth. San Antonio made him work through Dylan Harper, De’Aaron Fox, and Wembanyama’s help at the rim. “Wasn’t really our night, wasn’t really my night most of the night,” Brunson said. But even on a rough shooting night, his composure under pressure helped New York overcome a 41.5 percent team shooting performance.
Defence played just as big a role as Brunson’s shooting
Josh Hart’s two steals in the fourth quarter made a big difference. The first set up Brunson for a layup that gave New York a 92-86 lead with 6:34 to go, and the second led to a mid-range jumper from Brunson that effectively put the game away with less than a minute left.
New York forced 13 turnovers and turned those into 19 points, making sure Brunson didn’t have to do it all on his own.
San Antonio has to decide how much help to send before Brunson gets into the paint or turns the corner. Too much help opens Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet for rhythm looks. Anunoby hit three of his six threes, and Shamet added 13 off the bench, so the kickout shooters are live.
Game 2 is Friday in San Antonio. The Spurs have to make Brunson’s first 30 shots as difficult as his last two were damaging, and they have to keep New York’s hands out of the passing lanes that flipped the opener.
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