Knicks guard Jalen Brunson wins NBA Finals MVP after historic showing, as New York ends 53-years title drought
Jalen Brunson was named the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP after leading the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973. In the title-clinching Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, Brunson scored 45 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, while adding three rebounds and three assists.
His 45-point performance tied Michael Jordan's 1998 record for the most points scored in a Finals-clinching road game. Throughout the series, Brunson consistently delivered in key moments, scoring at least 30 points in four of the five Finals games.
One of the defining moments of the series came in Game 4. Although Brunson missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds, OG Anunoby converted the rebound into a game-winning tip-in, completing the largest comeback in NBA Finals history after the Knicks erased a 29-point deficit.
The 29-year-old capped an outstanding season that included his third consecutive All-Star selection, an NBA In-Season Tournament title, the Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and now the NBA Finals MVP award.
NBA Finals 2026: Knicks' Jalen Brunson stats
Playoff stats: 28.4 ppg, 6.1 apg, 46.5% FG
NBA Finals stats: 32.6 ppg, 5 apg, 4.5 rpg, 38.7 minutes
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