New York Knicks championship ended a 53-year wait when the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals to claim the series 4-1, according to the NBA.
Jalen Brunson carried the Knicks to the title with an epic 45 points and seven assists, according to the NBA box score. Brunson shot 16 of 28 and dominated the second half as the Knicks erased a 16 point deficit and closed the game with suffocating defense in the fourth quarter.
New York Knicks championship clinched in Game 5
The Spurs built a halftime lead behind center Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, NBA statistics show. But the Spurs stalled in the fourth quarter, committing several costly turnovers that handed the Knicks chances to run their comeback.
With about eight minutes remaining the Spurs led 83-73, but Brunson answered with a 13-2 run that put New York ahead in the final three minutes. Despite starter Karl Anthony Towns fouling out, the Knicks held on for a 94-90 victory and the franchise’s third championship, after titles in 1970 and 1972, the team said.
Brunson’s historic run and awards sweep
Brunson scored 15 points in the fourth quarter alone, finishing with 45 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals, NBA statistics show. The Knicks noted Brunson also became the first player to win the NBA Cup, Eastern Conference finals MVP and Finals MVP in the same season, a run the franchise called unprecedented.
According to NBA records, Brunson is the first player since Michael Jordan in 1998 to score 45 points in an away clinching Finals game, and his fourth quarter scoring average of 11.2 points in these Finals is the highest in the NBA play by play era, the league’s stats show.
Series overview and playoff dominance
The Knicks finished the playoffs with a 16-3 record, a run the team described as evidence that the championship was earned. The series included several late comebacks, with New York surviving seemingly impossible situations in Games 2 and 4 before repeating the pattern in Game 5.
OG Anunoby had a chance to swing Game 4 and briefly complicated the Finals MVP conversation, but he shot under 30 percent in Game 5 and could not match Brunson’s scoring burst. The Knicks’ supporting players combined for 49 points on the night, underscoring Brunson’s outsized role in the victory.
What this means for the franchise
For a franchise long known as a big market spotlight, the Knicks are now champions in the eyes of fans and executives. New York’s run this postseason has reshaped the narrative around the team, and the organization celebrated the title at a private ceremony after the game, the team said.
The New York Knicks championship ends a 53-year drought, and it arrives in a season that saw the team win both the NBA Cup and the league title. Fans in New York and around the league will spend the coming days debating whether Brunson ranks among the game’s elite leaders, a discussion the 45 point Finals performance has already intensified.
