KNICKS STUN SPURS

On June 3, 2026, the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in the first game of the NBA championship series. This is the first time in 27 years that the Knicks have been in the finals since their last appearance in 1999. They pulled off the Game 1 winner behind a strong 30-point performance from Jalen Brunson, who is one of the league’s top scorers and isolation players.

Brunson is no stranger to winning. In college, he won NCAA titles at Villanova in 2016 and 2018 before the Mavericks selected him 33rd overall in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. Despite Brunson’s college success, many scouts questioned whether his size and role would translate well to the NBA. He spent four seasons in Dallas from 2018 to 2022, playing 277 regular-season games and averaging 11.9 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds.

Brunson seems to have used those early doubts as motivation, as he now stands out for his crafty footwork, deceptive head fakes, and smooth ballhandling. In fact, many say he is developing into one of the Knicks’ all-time greats.

Even though the Spurs struggled as a team in Game 1, expect coach Mitch Johnson to have them ready with renewed energy and sharper play in the next matchup. Victor Wembanyama should also be focused and eager to prove he is still the NBA’s top player. San Antonio knows it must avoid falling behind 2-0 in a best-of-seven series. Teams that trail 0-2 face long odds, with only 5 of 37 teams coming back to win. Of course, the most recent team to do it was our Milwaukee Bucks, who rallied past the Phoenix Suns in 2021.

I predict that the Spurs will win the series because of their deeper roster, stronger coaching, and their better franchise player.