NBA Finals 2026: New York Knicks beat San Antonio Spurs to wins the NBA Championship title Since 1973

The New York Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, winning their third NBA title and first since 1973. The Knicks closed the series with a 94-90 victory in Game 5 and finished the postseason by winning 15 of their final 16 games.

The Knicks outworked the San Antonio Spurs Saturday, June 13 in Game 5, 94-90, to take the 2026 NBA Finals 4-1 – the culmination of a dominant postseason run that saw them win 15 of their final 16 games.

FINAL, after more than five decades New Yorkers will watch their team hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

One of the biggest stories of the Finals was New York’s ability to overcome adversity. The Knicks faced first-quarter deficits of at least 10 points in every Finals game but repeatedly rallied back. Their most remarkable moment came in Game 4, when they erased a 29-point halftime deficit to defeat the Spurs 107-106, completing what was described as the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history.

Jalen Brunson delivered a historic performance in the title-clinching Game 5, scoring 45 points—the most ever by a Knicks player in an NBA Finals game. His outstanding series earned him NBA Finals MVP honors.

The championship also marked the first NBA title as a head coach for Mike Brown. After overcoming a 2-1 deficit against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, the Knicks won three straight games, then swept both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers before capturing the Finals.

In Game 5, that grit was on display once more, as the desperate Spurs jumped out to a 23-13 first-quarter lead. But Jalen Brunson put the Knicks on his back, scoring a game-high 45 points – a Knicks record for points in a Finals. After the game, Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP.

Key Finals facts include New York winning the first two games in San Antonio, ending the Spurs' home-court advantage, and clinching the championship on the road. The Knicks' title run united a fan base that had waited more than five decades for another championship celebration.

This comes as Knicks coach Mike Brown wins his first NBA championship as a head coach, As the New York Knicks last won the NBA Finals in 1973, which came three years after it won its first championship, in 1970.

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