New York took command early in San Antonio, surged in the second half, and outscored the Spurs 57–40 over the final two quarters to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals 105–95 at the AT&T Center. The series now shifts to Madison Square Garden.
How the game unfolded
San Antonio came out sharp, building a 55–48 halftime advantage on the back of strong perimeter shooting — but New York flipped the game completely after the break. The Knicks outscored the Spurs 57–40 in the second half, with a dominant third quarter (28–21) setting up a decisive fourth (29–19) that put the game away. New York’s advantage in points in the paint (50–42), second-chance points (23–14), and bench production (28–20) proved decisive over four quarters.
Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 30 points, going 12-of-31 from the floor with a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a double-double (18 pts, 12 reb) and was a plus-14 on the night. Josh Hart contributed one of the quietly great stat lines of the game — 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals despite only 3 points — finishing a remarkable +22 in plus/minus. Landry Shamet provided crucial bench scoring (13 pts, 5/9 FG, 3/6 from three).
Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but struggled with shooting efficiency (6/21 FG, 28.6%) and committed 6 turnovers. De’Aaron Fox had a difficult night (7 pts, 3/13 FG), while Dylan Harper (16 pts, 6/10 FG) and Stephon Castle (17 pts) showed youth and promise. San Antonio’s 36.0% FG shooting — well below their playoff average — will need to improve significantly in Game 2.
