The New York KnicksTeam·New York Knicks opened the 2026 NBA FinalsCompetition·NBA Finals with a decisive road victory, defeating the San Antonio SpursTeam·San Antonio Spurs 105-95 at the Frost Bank CenterVenue·Frost Bank Center. The Knicks, who entered the series on an impressive 11-game postseason winning streak, extended that run to 12 consecutive victories by erasing a significant deficit in the second half.
San Antonio, playing in their first NBA FinalsCompetition·NBA Finals game since 2014, established control early, leading 55-48 at halftime after a strong close to the second quarter. Their momentum carried into the third, where they built a 14-point advantage. However, the Knicks, Eastern Conference champions with a regular-season record of 53-29, steadily chipped away, tying the game by the start of the fourth quarter.
The final period saw a tense back-and-forth battle. New York created an eight-point cushion, only for the Spurs to mount a rally, briefly taking a 95-94 lead late in the game. Yet, the Knicks responded with an emphatic 11-0 run to close out the contest, securing the 10-point victory.
Knicks guard Jalen BrunsonPlayer·Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 30 points, including 13 crucial points in the fourth quarter, despite shooting 12 of 31 from the field. His ability to deliver in clutch moments proved pivotal. Karl-Anthony TownsPlayer·Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points, while OG AnunobyPlayer·OG Anunoby and Landy ShametPlayer·Landy Shamet also reached double figures for New York.
For the Spurs, Western Conference champions who finished the regular season with a 62-20 record, Victor WembanyamaPlayer·Victor Wembanyama made his NBA FinalsCompetition·NBA Finals debut with 26 points and 12 rebounds. However, the Defensive Player of the Year struggled with his shooting efficiency, converting only 6 of 21 field goal attempts and 2 of 9 from beyond the arc. Julian ChampagniePlayer·Julian Champagnie, Stephon CastlePlayer·Stephon Castle, and Dylan HarperPlayer·Dylan Harper also scored in double digits for San Antonio.
Team shooting percentages reflected the struggles, with the Spurs hitting just 26% from three-point range (11 of 43 attempts) and the Knicks slightly better at 31% (11 of 36 attempts).
Before the series, Victor WembanyamaPlayer·Victor Wembanyama acknowledged the caliber of his opponents. "Just sticking together – it wasn't really our night and wasn't really my night most of the night but we kept finding a way, kept chipping away. Just knowing we have each other's back – there's a lot of things we could have done better, but I think our togetherness was really the biggest difference,” Brunson stated, according to reports.
This series marks a rematch of the 1999 NBA FinalsCompetition·NBA Finals, which San Antonio won 4-1. It also brings together the two teams that contested the 2025 NBA CupCompetition·NBA Cup championship, which the Knicks won. New York is now three wins away from their first NBA title since 1973.
Game 2 of the 2026 NBA FinalsCompetition·NBA Finals is scheduled for Friday, June 5, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Spurs will aim to even the series on their home court, while the Knicks will seek to establish a commanding 2-0 lead before the series shifts to New York.
A young girl watches the New York Knicks NBA Finals game at a watch party in NYC. Credit: ZUMA Press/IMAGO
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