Starting 5: Knicks complete historic run, win first NBA title since 1973

One final rally. One special run. One celebration, 53 years in the making.

For the first time since 1973, the New York Knicks are NBA champions.

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5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

June 14, 2026

53 Years Later: Brunson’s 45 sparks one last Knicks comeback to capture elusive title

Heartbreak To History: New York’s journey from Playoff pain to an unforgettable run

Captain MVP: From family lessons to Finals hero, Shaun Powell details Brunson’s rise

Nova Knicks: Steve Aschburner on how Brunson, Bridges & Hart helped deliver another title

Championship Euphoria: Inside New York’s long-awaited title celebration

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1. FINALS MVP BRUNSON IGNITES KNICKS RALLY TO CLAIM FIRST TITLE SINCE 1973

With the franchise’s first title since 1973 within reach, but a 16-point deficit standing in their way, two hallmarks of the Knicks’ historic postseason run delivered one final time:

Captain Clutch, Jalen Brunson.

And a team that never stopped believing.

Knicks 94, Spurs 90: Facing another double-digit deficit, Brunson – the Finals MVP – willed the Knicks back with an all-time performance (45 pts, 3 ast, 2 stl, 14-27 FG) as they rallied past the Spurs once more to claim an epic series in five games, capturing the championship New York spent decades chasing. | Recap | Jeff Zillgitt’s 4 Takeaways

• Legendary Close: Brunson’s 45 points set a Knicks Finals record and tied Michael Jordan (Game 6, 1998) for the most points scored on the road in a Finals-clinching victory
• “I’ve got no words,” said an emotional Brunson on the win. “[It’s] everything I’ve ever dreamed of…
• “I’m in awe … whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to do something about it.”

Game 5 opened like every other game in these Finals, with the Spurs jumping out to a 10+ point lead in the 1st quarter. Midway through the 2nd, San Antonio led 31-15.

But just as they had all series, the Knicks kept chipping away – with Brunson leading the charge.

• The Spark: Brunson scored eight points in the final eight minutes of the 1st half, fueling a 22-11 closing run that trimmed the deficit to five at the break
• The Flame: When the Spurs pushed their lead back to 15, Brunson only got hotter, hitting shot after shot in a 14-point 3rd quarter – trimming New York’s gap back down to seven entering the 4th
• The Inferno: The title was within reach, and Brunson suddenly looked untouchable, scoring 13 straight Knicks points to put them up 86-85 with 3:40 left
• It was their first lead since 5-4 in the opening minutes

Suddenly, belief had crystalized into possibility.

Could New York do it again? Was this team, one that defied the odds all postseason, overcoming deficit after deficit – fresh off a Finals record 29-point rally in Game 4 – going to do it one more time?

The answer came the same way each rally had started: play after play. Moment after moment.

• An OG Anunoby dunk (88-85 NY, 2:07 left)
• Another clutch Brunson jumper (90-88 NY, 1:05 left)
• A Josh Hart rebound and made free throw (91-88 NY, 0:26 left)
• A massive Mitchell Robinson offensive board, setting up a free throw from Anunoby (92-88 NY, 0:22 left)
• Two more makes at the line from Bridges and Anunoby in the final 10 seconds (94-90 NY)
• And one last stop to secure the title

“IT’S OVER! IT’S OVER!” exclaimed ABC’s Mike Breen. ”Knicks fans, this is not a dream – your long, long wait has ended!”

That dream was realized by a team that never stopped believing.

One that captured a title with four double-digit comeback wins in the Finals – something that had never been done since such data was first tracked in 1971.

• “We’re gonna find a way,” said Brunson moments after the final buzzer. “Whatever you put in front of us, we’re gonna find a way.
• “It doesn’t matter – we’re gonna find a way every single time.”

Now, for the first time in 53 years, the New York Knicks are NBA champions.

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2. HEARTBREAK TO HISTORY: PAIN, RESILIENCE & A RECORD KNICKS RUN

It was moments after Game 6 of the 2025 East Finals. The rival Pacers had just ended the Knicks’ season for a second straight year – this time, with New York just two wins away from the NBA Finals.

“It hurts,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “It hurts not to be able to bring an opportunity to the city for a championship.”

Year after year, New York had gotten closer. Yet each step forward was followed by another painful ending.

But even in the immediate aftermath of defeat, belief remained unshaken.

• “The most confidence,” Brunson said when asked if this Knicks team could deliver a title. “Overconfident, seriously. There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt.”

The Knicks spent the offseason acting accordingly.

Rather than overhaul a roster that had fallen short, New York doubled down – bringing back its core and betting that another year together would turn heartbreak into triumph.

The payoff was one of the most dominant – and resilient – postseason runs the league has ever seen.

• The Run: With a 16-3 (.842) postseason record, the Knicks matched the 2024 Celtics for the 2nd-best Playoff winning percentage since the current four-round format was introduced in 2003, trailing only the 2017 Warriors
• The Streak: That included a 13-game win streak, the 2nd-longest in a single postseason in NBA history – again trailing only the ‘17 Warriors
• The Record: Entering this year, those Warriors owned the best point differential ever in a single postseason (+230). The Knicks shattered that mark, finishing at +283

Yet dominance alone doesn’t explain this championship.

Because for all the wins New York piled up, perhaps the most remarkable ones came when victory seemed furthest away.

• Never Out: The Knicks erased six 12+ point deficits this postseason – the 2nd-most in a single Playoff run since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1998
• Never Final: That included a record four double-digit comeback wins in the Finals, capped by back-to-back rallies from 16+ points down – a feat unmatched since such data was first tracked in 1971
• Unlike Everyone Else: In the last two postseasons, New York is 5-3 when trailing by 20+ points. The rest of the NBA is 4-71

The Knicks’ ability to overcome wasn’t a coincidence.

It started with Brunson – the once-overlooked point guard who became the heartbeat of New York’s championship run, repeatedly delivering in the biggest moments.

But the resilience that defined these Knicks extended far beyond their superstar.

Josh Hart: He’s built a career doing the jobs others won’t. Rebounding, defending, diving on loose balls – and on Saturday, he shined (13 pts, 11 reb, 3 3s), finishing with a team-high +15 plus-minus.

KAT: After nine years in Minnesota, Towns arrived in New York carrying the weight of lofty expectations. He answered with some of the best two-way ball of his career in these Playoffs, posting the highest plus-minus in a single postseason (+258) in 50+ years.

Mikal Bridges: Bridges came alive late this postseason, posting five 15+ point games across the final two rounds, while adding 14 points on three 3s last night.

The Supporting Cast: Mitchell Robinson played through a broken hand, Jose Alvarado – a NY native who was acquired midseason – helped spark the legendary Game 4 comeback, and Landry Shamet went from being waived two summers ago to a key Knicks contributor off the bench.

Then there’s OG Anunoby – whose two-way effort helped complete the Knicks’ historic Game 4 comeback. First, with a block on one end. Then, by crashing the glass for a tip-in on the other.

It was a play that not only turned into instant legend, but also epitomized this Knicks team.

Relentless effort. Unshakable belief. A refusal to quit on any possession, regardless of the odds.

The qualities that transformed years of heartbreak into a championship New York will never forget.

• “You work your whole life for this moment,” said Towns postgame. “This team has always said since the beginning, ‘It is written.’ This was written for New York.”

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3. FINALS MVP BRUNSON CAPS ALL-TIME RUN WITH HIS BEST YET

Jalen Brunson grew up watching his dad, Rick, putting in the work. Day after day. Team after team.

So when it came time to step into the moment — to play the role of hero New York needed — Jalen said he felt “no pressure whatsoever.”

• “My dad being on eight or nine unguaranteed contracts throughout his career … Working out three times a day in the summertime and watching him push himself just to get a training camp deal, that’s pressure,” Brunson said postgame.

Late Saturday night in San Antonio, all the work behind the scenes, all the chips on the shoulder, all the ‘how’ behind Jalen Brunson’s ascent culminated in a crowning moment for the 6-2 guard and his father, Shaun Powell wrote:

“… After putting the squeeze on the San Antonio Spurs, he saved the next and best one for last: An embrace with Rick Brunson, who obviously is much more than an assistant coach for the New York Knicks.

How many times in the distant past, back in the driveway or the schoolyard or after high school and college games, did these two hug it out following a pat on the head? Hundreds, perhaps.

But were any of those father-son moments as meaningful as Saturday, when the son scored 45 points and carried the Knicks for much of the night — hell, much of this post-season run?”

• “We couldn’t have imagined this, you know, back then,” Rick Brunson said. “Just a dream… He said he wanted to be a champion. And yet I can’t believe it. It’s crazy.”
• “I was just trying to go out there, just will us to win,” Brunson said
• “He’s one of the greatest Knicks ever, him, me, (Patrick) Ewing and Willis (Reed),” said Walt Frazier. | Read More

Finishing as the 2026 Playoffs scoring leader (28.4 ppg), as well as the top 4th-quarter scorer (9.9 ppg) and total clutch points leader (38 pts), “Captain Clutch” added to a crowded trophy case.

• Among Legends: Brunson is just the sixth Finals MVP in the award’s history (since 1969) to lead the postseason in scoring, joining LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Jerry West
• Well-Decorated: Brunson places that Finals MVP Trophy next to his Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Emirates NBA Cup MVP awards

Just as he seemingly had an answer every time his team needed him in Game 5, Brunson delivered winning moments throughout the Knicks’ historic 16-win Playoff run.

• Path Forward: Game 4 vs. Atlanta started the win streak. In Game 6, New York dropped the hammer behind Brunson’s 39
• Captain Comeback: Things could be very different without Brunson supplying 16 of his 38 points in New York’s 22-point comeback in Game 1 during the East Finals, causing NY to take the first of four straight vs. Cleveland in OT
• Final Level: Brunson’s game-high 30-piece in Game 1 set the tone for these Finals, helping New York take the first of its three road wins in the series
• Top Scorer’s Save: Brunson logged 17 of his 36 points in the 2nd half of Game 4’s 29-point rally, with none bigger than the 9 coming in the 4th
• All-Time Boost: Brunson’s career 26 ppg in the Playoffs is a 6.8-point jump from his regular season average (19.2) – the largest regular season-to-postseason increase in NBA history (min. 50 Playoff GP)

It’s those run-shifting moments on the way to the Knicks’ third NBA championship that will solidify Brunson forever as a legend in New York City. And the stats that come along with the results place his postseason among the all-time greats, for all time.

• Brunson joins Willis Reed (1970, ‘73) as the Knicks’ only Finals MVPs, and passed Reed’s marks for most points by a Knick in a Finals game (45), and most total points across a Finals (163)
• Road GOATS: Those 45 points by Brunson in Game 5 tied Michael Jordan (Game 6, 1998) for the most points on the road in a Finals-clinching game
• Historic Debut: Brunson’s 32.6 ppg through the series rank as the 5th-highest ppg average for a player in their first Finals, behind Rick Barry (40.8), Allen Iverson (35.6), Giannis Antetokounmpo (35.2) and Dwyane Wade (34.7)

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4. ‘NOVA KNICKS TRIO GRADUATES TO NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

Ten years ago, on April 4, 2016, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges helped lead Villanova to an NCAA championship.

Saturday night, at the game’s highest level, Brunson (45 pts), Bridges (14 pts) and Hart (13 pts) led the Knicks in scoring, combining for 72 of the team’s 94 points (76.6%), to clinch the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner pays respect to the “Nova Knicks,” on the night their championship pedigree helped pave the way for New York’s first title in 53 years:

“… The three of them helped an underdog Villanova squad beat North Carolina 77-74 in the Final Four held in Houston. Two years later, Brunson and Bridges led the Wildcats to a more thorough 79-62 victory over Michigan in, what d’ya know, San Antonio …

They become the first trio of teammates to win both an NCAA title and an NBA championship …

‘To achieve something in college, and then to be able to do this at this level is just as special,’ Brunson said.

Maybe a little more special.” | Read More

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5. INSIDE THE KNICKS’ CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION

From emotional embraces at the final buzzer, to champagne showers in the locker room, to fans flooding the streets back home in New York, the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years sparked a party decades in the making.

• Special Father-Son Moment: Before accepting Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson sought out his father, Rick – a former Knicks player and current assistant – to celebrate the culmination of a lifelong basketball journey
• Family KAT: Karl-Anthony Towns, who dedicated this Playoff run to his late mother, found his father and fiancée for a heartfelt embrace after the final buzzer

Then came the moment they had chased for years — as the Knicks hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy amid a roar of celebration.

• “It’s everything we dreamed of,” said Brunson. “This is why I came to New York.”
• “It’s very special,” said OG Anunoby. “This is our dream. This is our goal. And we did it.”
• “It’s surreal,” said Mike Brown. “I still can’t believe it happened.”
• Added Josh Hart: “We HEEEEERE!”

After Coach Brown found out ‘who let the dogs out,’ the celebration spilled into the locker room, where players made sure the Larry O’Brien Trophy got a well-earned champagne shower.

And New York’s captain had one last note for the Knicks fans back home, celebrating across the city:

“See y’all in New Yooooooooork.”